The Haematological Response to an Iron Injection Amongst Female Athletes

Abstract

The aim of this study was to monitor the haematological response of female athletes with moderately low ferritin values to an iron injection. We measured the total haemoglobin mass of 11 female basketballers with a range of ferritin values who lived and trained together for the duration of the study (age 18+/-1, range 16-19 yrs), [Hb] 12.4+/-1.3, 11.5-16.1 g x dL; ferritin 35.6+/-15.6, 9-58 microg x L). A total dose of 2.5 mL Ferrum H was administered to six squad members who were matched with the remaining five controls based on ferritin measures obtained three weeks earlier. Venous blood samples were drawn weekly to obtain full blood counts, reticulocyte parameters as well as iron profiles. There was no change detected in any of the haematological parameters measured in the treatment group compared to controls. A repeated measures ANOVA (treatment x time) demonstrated that neither total haemoglobin mass (P = 0.91) nor [Hb] (P = 0.79) altered significantly between groups, whilst the mean haemoglobin content of reticulocytes also showed no response (P = 0.17). Because a positive haematological response is definitive evidence of impaired red cell production, our results indicate that none of the athletes were iron deficient at the time of the injection. This suggests that low ferritin values in trained female athletes are not always associated with impaired red cell production.

Blood doping and its detection

“…Note that parenteral iron alone did not produce a change in Hb mass , [Hb], or specific RBC parameters in young female athletes, despite their low baseline [Hb] (128 g/L) and serum ferritin (35 g/L) levels. 108 There is fair stability of reticulocyte number in top-level athletes, 109 although decreases were observed in some athletes during competition periods. 110 High and middle fluorescence (immature) Ret with a high RNA content (IRF) are relatively frequent in athletes because of continuous bone marrow stimulation linked to hemolysis, which is typical of sports activities.…”

Crystal structure of bis(N-(2-aminoethyl)salicylaldiminato)iron(III) isothiocyanide, [Fe(C9H11N2O)2] [NCS]

“…Iron complexes play an important role in biological field, catalysis application and earth chemistry research [1][2][3][4]. Schiff base complexes containing different central metal atoms such as Zn, Cu, Ni and Ru have been studied in great detail for their various crystallographic features, enzymatic reactions and magnetic properties [5][6][7].…”