Summary
To obtain more information on the effects of long-lasting endurance and strength training on the constituents of the blood, several haematological and iron-related parameters were measured at rest in 39 male athletes from the Polish team who participated in the Olympics in Seoul in 1988. The athletes were divided into two groups: endurance-trained subjects (group E, cyclists, canoeists and rowers; n=22) and strength-trained subjects (group S, wrestlers and judo; n=17). The control group was composed of untrained male subjects (n=48). Blood samples were taken from an antecubital vein with the subject at rest for determinations of haemoglobin concentration ([Hb]), packed cell volume (PCV), erythrocyte (RBC) and reticulocyte count, plasma free haemoglobin concentration, haptoglobin concentration, serum iron, transferrin concentration and ferritin concentrations ([Ferr]); red blood cells were used for estimation of glutamato-oxalate transaminase (GOT) activity and free erythrocyte protoporphyrin concentration ([FEP]). The mean [Hb], PVC, RBC measured in the E athletes were significantly lower than in the control group but were comparable to those obtained in the S athletes. There were no significantly differences in the haematological indices [mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean copuscular haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration] between the groups of athletes and the control group. A significant increase in reticulocytosis and GOT activity was observed in the endurance-trained athletes. No impairment of erythropoiesis was observed as indicated by several sensitive markers of haemoglobin formation (FEP, MCV and inspection of blood smears) in the athletes. The athletes from group E had mean serum [Ferr] below 50 μg·l−1 which was significantly lower than [Ferr] in the serum of subjects from the control group and the strength-trained athletes. The results of the present investigation showed that some haematological parameters and the iron status of the endurance athletes differed from the untrained subjects as well as the strength-trained athletes.
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Spodaryk, K. Haematological and iron-related parameters of male endurance and strength trained athletes. Europ. J. Appl. Physiol. 67, 66–70 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00377707
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00377707