Increased body iron stores in elite road cyclists

“…We recently described the eVects of pathologically high iron stores in elite cyclists (Deugnier et al 2002), demonstrating the value of this follow-up.…”

Section: Sportsmen and Womenmentioning

confidence: 81%

Value of basal serum cortisol to detect corticosteroid-induced adrenal insufficiency in elite cyclists

et al. 2006

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The frequent use of glucocorticoids by athletes necessitates testing for adrenal insufficiency because of the risk of death in cases of associated severe stress (trauma, infection). During the 2001 and 2002 sporting seasons, we assessed the value of measuring baseline serum cortisol concentrations and the frequency of corticosteroid use during compulsory medical tests carried out by the French Cycling Federation on 659 elite cyclists (585 men and 74 women); the risk of adrenal insufficiency is negatively correlated with the basal serum cortisol level. Adrenal insufficiency was suspected in 34 cyclists (5.2%; 22 in 2001 and 12 in 2002) on the basis of below normal cortisol concentrations and in three cyclists (in 2001) because they had received corticosteroid treatment. In 2001, 10 of the 25 cyclists convoked underwent baseline follow-up serum cortisol determinations and 15 underwent dynamic exploration of adrenal function with the short ACTH test. Adrenal function was found to be deficient in four of these cyclists, at the limits of the normal range in four and normal in seven. Based on these results, the FFC sent a questionnaire in 2002 to all the cyclists to assess the use of corticosteroid in this population. This survey revealed that 85 of 538 cyclists (15.8%) had received corticosteroid treatment in the previous 3 months. Moreover, 11 of the 12 cyclists (92%) with low basal serum cortisol concentrations had received corticosteroid therapy. These results show that basal serum cortisol is relevant to detect adrenal insufficiency in sportsmen, in particular in cases of values below the normal range. The high frequency of corticosteroid use among elite cyclists, and in particular road cyclists who are at risk of trauma and infection, justifies screening tests to detect adrenal insufficiency.

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“…or median (min, max). (Deugnier et al, 2002;Zoller and Vogel, 2004;Zotter et al, 2004), and/or their trainers and coaches (Rodenberg and Gustafson, 2007). Iron supplement abuse and iron overload has been reported in elite cyclists (Deugnier et al, 2002;Zotter et al, 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…But unnecessary consumption of iron may result in iron overload, and hyperferritinemia in elite athletes is usually due to excessive iron supplementation (Deugnier et al, 2002). Professional endurance athletes have PF concentrations two-to threefold higher than those of matched sedentary individuals (Lippi et al, 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Excessive iron intake may have adverse effects on the intestinal, vascular and cellular level (Schumann et al, 2007). Iron overload has been reported in competitive athletes (Deugnier et al, 2002;Zotter et al, 2004), but there are few data on iron excess in recreational athletes. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine iron status in recreational marathon runners using both PF and sTfR, and specifically, to determine the prevalence of iron excess in this group.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Iron excess in recreational marathon runners

Mettler

Zimmermann

2010

Eur J Clin Nutr

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Background/Objectives: Iron deficiency and anemia may impair athletic performance, and iron supplements are commonly consumed by athletes. However, iron overload should be avoided because of the possible long-term adverse health effects. Methods: We investigated the iron status of 170 male and female recreational runners participating in the Zürich marathon. Iron deficiency was defined either as a plasma ferritin (PF) concentration o15 mg/l (iron depletion) or as the ratio of the concentrations of transferrin receptor (sTfR) to PF (sTfR:log(PF) index) of X4.5 (functional iron deficiency). Results: After excluding subjects with elevated C-reactive protein concentrations, iron overload was defined as PF 4200 mg/l. Iron depletion was found in only 2 out of 127 men (1.6% of the male study population) and in 12 out of 43 (28.0%) women. Functional iron deficiency was found in 5 (3.9%) and 11 (25.5%) male and female athletes, respectively. Body iron stores, calculated from the sTfR/PF ratio, were significantly higher (Po0.001) among male compared with female marathon runners. Median PF among males was 104 mg/l, and the upper limit of the PF distribution in males was 628 mg/l. Iron overload was found in 19 out of 127 (15.0%) men but only 2 out of 43 in women (4.7%). Gender (male sex), but not age, was a predictor of higher PF (Po0.001). Conclusions: Iron depletion was present in 28% of female runners but in o2% of males, whereas one in six male runners had signs of iron overload. Although iron supplements are widely used by athletes in an effort to increase performance, our findings indicate excess body iron may be common in male recreational runners and suggest supplements should only be used if tests of iron status indicate deficiency.

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Increased body iron stores in elite road cyclists

Cited by 59 publications

References 14 publications

The Pathology of Hepatic Iron Overload

The Pathology of Hepatic Iron Overload

Value of basal serum cortisol to detect corticosteroid-induced adrenal insufficiency in elite cyclists

Iron excess in recreational marathon runners

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