General aspects of iron deficiency in sportsmen, its implications on performance and the importance of early diagnosis

Authors

  • Luciano Ragone ARAÚJO Universidade Presidente Antônio Carlos, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde. Campos
  • Marcos Vidal MARTINS Universidade Presidente Antônio Carlos, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde. Campos
  • Julliano Coutinho SILVA Universidade Presidente Antônio Carlos, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde. Campos
  • Rosimar Regina da SILVA Universidade Presidente Antônio Carlos, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde. Campos

Keywords:

Anemia, Iron deficiency, Motor activity, Athletes

Abstract

Inadequate iron intake can have a negative impact on athletic performance. The negative aspects caused by iron deficiency are directly related to the depletion levels of this mineral, and ultimately results in iron-deficiency anemia. The present article clarifies that in addition to low dietary iron intake, there are many aggregated factors that are not directly diet-related but that together can interfere on the negative iron balance, especially in athletes. Among the etiologic factors associated with sports, the most evident are gastrointestinal bleeding, impact and free-radical hemolyses and iron lost in sweat. Control of iron intake and attention to detect iron deficiency early are of critical importance to avoid changes in the normal production of hemoglobin and other essential compounds, since these changes may decrease performance considerably, especially aerobic performance. Although supplementation is essential for recovering from iron deficiency, self-medication is contraindicated because of the negative consequences of excess iron intake. Discussion of this subject is of extreme importance to the world of sports. This review aims to clarify the main etiological factors involved, covering sports anemia and the diagnosis of iron deficiency.

References

Cosca DD, Navazio F. Common problems in endurance athletes. Am Fam Physician. 2007; 76(2):237-44.

Rogero MM, Mendes RR, Tirapegui J. Aspectos neuroendócrinos e nutricionais em atletas com overtraining. Arq Bras Endocrinol Metab. 2005; 49(3):359-68.

Mettler S, Zimmermann MB. Iron excess in recreational marathon runners. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010; 64(5):490-4.

Maughan RJ, Shirreffs SM. Nutrition and hydration concerns of the female football player. Br J Sports Med. 2007;41 (Sup 1):i60-3.

Hinton PS, Sinclair LM. Iron supplementation maintains ventilatory threshold and improves energetic efficiency in iron-deficient nonanemic athletes. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007; 61(1):30-9.

Landahl G, Adolfsson P, Börjesson M, Mannheimer C, Rödjer S. Iron deficiency and anemia: a common problem in female elite soccer players. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2005; 15(6):689-94.

Goosey-Tolfrey VL, Crosland, J. Nutritional practices of competitive british wheelchair games players. Adapt Phys Activ Q. 2010; 27(1):47-59.

Araújo CF, Moraes M, Diniz AS, Cosendey A. Pseudoanemia dilucional e os atletas olímpicos. Rev Bras Anal Clin. 2004; 36(4):197-200.

Chatard JC, Mujika I, Guy C, Lacour JR. Anaemia and iron deficiency in athletes. Practical recommendations for treatment. Sports Med. 1999; 27(4):229-40.

Vilardi TC, Ribeiro BG, Soares EA. Distúrbios nutricionais em atletas femininas e suas interrelações. Rev Nutr. 2001; 14(1):61-69. doi: 10.15 90/S1415-52732001000100009.

Devincenzi UM, Ribeiro LC, Sigulem DM. Anemia ferropriva na primeira infância. Rev Nutr. 2000; 11(2):5-17.

Malczewska J, Raczynski G, Stupnicki R. Iron status in female endurance athletes and in non-athletes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2000; 10(3):260-76.

Jacobson MS, Eisenstein E, Coelho SC. Aspectos nutricionais na adolescência. Adolesc Latinoam. 1998; 1(2):75-83.

Brownlie T, Utermohlen V, Hinton PS, Haas JD. Tissue iron deficiency without anemia impairs adaptation in endurance capacity after aerobic training in previously untrained women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004; 79:437-43.

Koikawa N, Nagaoka I, Yamaguchi M, Hamano H, Yamauchi K, Sawaki K. Preventive effect of lactoferrin intake on anemia in female long distance runners biosci. Biotechnol Biochem. 2008; 72(4): 931-5.

Qian ZM, Nitric oxide and changes of iron metabolism in exercise. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 2002; 77(4):529-36.

Venderley AM, Campbell WW. Vegetarian diets: nutritional considerations for athletes. Sports Med. 2006; 36(4):293-305.

Barr Sl, Rideout CA. Nutritional considerations for vegetarian athletes. Nutrition. 2004; 20(7-8): 696-703

Ribeiro BG, Soares EA. Avaliação do estado nutricional de atletas de ginástica olímpica do Rio de Janeiro e São Paulo. Rev Nutr. 2002; 15(2):181-91. doi: 10.1590/S1415-52732002000200007.

Beard J, Tobin B. Iron status and exercise. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000; 72(2):594S-7S.

Shaskey DJ, Green GA. Sports haematology. Sports Med. 2000; 29(1):27-38.

Leitão MB, Lazzoli JK, Oliveira MAB, Nóbrega ACL, Silveira GG, Carvalho T, et al. Posicionamento oficial da sociedade brasileira de medicina esportiva: atividade física e saúde na mulher. Rev Bras Med Esporte. 2000; 6(6):215-20.

Choi SC, Choi SJ, Kim TH, Nah YH, Yazaki E, Evans DF. The role of gastrointestinal endoscopy in longdistance runners with gastrointestinal symptoms. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2001; 13(9):1089-94.

Suedekum NA, Dimeff RJ. Iron and the athlete. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2005; 4(4):199-202.

Nachtigall DP, Nielsen RF, Engelhard R, Gabbe EE. Iron deficiency in distance runners: a reinvestigation using Fe-labelling and non-invasive liver iron quantification. Int J Sports Med. 1996; 17(7):473-9.

Lucas W, Schroy III PC. Reversible ischemic colitis in a higth endurance athlete. Am J Gastroenterol. 1998; 93(11):2231-4.

Monteiro M, Filho DCS. Exercício físico e o controle da pressão arterial. Rev Bras Med Esporte. 2004; 10(6):513-6.

Zoller H, Vogel W. Iron supplementation in athletesfirst do no harm. Nutrition. 2004; 20(7-8):615-9.

Smith JA, Martin DT, Telford RD, Ballas SK. Greater erythrocyte deformability in world-class endurance athletes. Am J Physiol. 1999; 276(6):2188-93.

Oliveira EM, Ramires PR, Lancha Jr AH. Nutrição e bioquímica do exercício. Rev Paul Educ Fis. 2004; 18(1):7-19.

Koury JC, Donangelo CM. Zinco, estresse oxidativo e atividade física. Rev Nutr. 2003; 16(4):433-41. doi: 10.1590/S1415-52732003000400007.

Schneider CD, Oliveira AR. Radicais livres de oxigênio e exercício: mecanismos de formação e adaptação ao treinamento físico. Rev Bras Med Esporte. 2004; 10(4):308-13.

Bianchi MP, Antunes LG. Radicais livres e os principais antioxidantes da dieta. Rev Nutr. 1999; 12(2):123-30. doi: 10.1590/S1415-527319990002 00001.

Mara LS, Lemos R, Brochi L, Miranda ICP, Carvalho T. Alterações hidroeletrolíticas agudas ocorridas no Triátlon Ironman Brasil. Rev Bras Med Esporte. 2007; 13(6):397-401.

Baker LB, Stofan JR, Hamilton AA, Horswill CA. Comparison of regional patch collection vs. whole body washdown for measuring sweat sodium and potassium loss during exercise. J Appl Physiol. 2009; 107(3):887-95.

Nagashima K, Cline GW, Mack GI, Shulman GI, Nadel ER. Intense exercise stimulates albumin synthesis in the upright posture. J Appl Physiol. 2000; 88(1):41-6.

Gillen CM, Lee R, Mack GW, Tomaselli CM, Nishiyasu T, Nadel ER. Plasma volume expansion in humans after a single intense exercise protocol. J Appl Physiol. 1991; 71(5):1914-20.

Convertino VA, Brock PJ, Keil LC, Bernauer EM, Greenleaf JE. Exercise training-induced hypervolemia: role of plasma albumin, rennin, and vasopressin. J Appl Physiol. 1980; 48(4):665-9.

Eichner ER. The anemias of athletes. Phys Sportsmed. 1986; 14(9):122-130.

Cowell BS, Rosenbloom CA, Skinner R, Summers SH. Policies on screening female athletes for iron deficiency in NCAA division I-A institutions. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2003; 13(3):277- 85.

Fallon KE. Utility of hematological and iron-related screening in elite athletes. Clin J Sport Med. 2004; 14(3):45-52.

Dubnov G, Constantini NW. Prevalence of iron depletion and anemia in top-level basketball player. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2004; 14(1):30-7.

Takala TI, Suominen P, Lehtonen-Veromaa M, Möttönen T, Viikari J, Rajamaki A, et al. Increased serum soluble transferrin receptor concentration detects subclinical iron deficiency in healthy adolescent girls. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2003: 41(2): 203-8.

Merkel D, Huerta M, Grotto I, Blum D, Rachmilewitz E, Fibach E, et al. Incidence of anemia and iron deficiency in strenuously trained adolescents: results of a longitudinal follow-u

McClung JP, Karl JP, Cable SJ, Williams KW, Young AJ, Lieberman HR. Longitudinal decrements in iron status during military training in female soldiers. Br J Nutr. 2009; 102(4):605-9. Faintuch JJ, Lima FR, Carazzato JG. Deficiência de ferro em atletas femininas. Rev Hosp Clin Fac Med S Paulo. 1998; 53(4):181-3.

Di Santolo M, Stel G, Banfi G, Gonano F, Cauci S. Anemia and iron status in young fertile nonprofessional female athletes. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2008; 102 (6):703-9

Downloads

Published

2023-08-31

How to Cite

ARAÚJO, L. R., MARTINS, M. V. ., SILVA, J. C. ., & SILVA, R. R. da . (2023). General aspects of iron deficiency in sportsmen, its implications on performance and the importance of early diagnosis. Brazilian Journal of Nutrition, 24(3). Retrieved from https://periodicos.puc-campinas.edu.br/nutricao/article/view/9525

Issue

Vol. 24 No. 3 (2011): Revista de Nutrição

Section

Comunicação

License

Copyright (c) 2023 Luciano Ragone ARAÚJO, Marcos Vidal MARTINS, Julliano Coutinho SILVA, Rosimar Regina da SILVA

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.