Abstract

Swimmers were evaluated for the anemia, intravascular hemolysis, and iron deficiency reported in endurance runners. Plasma concentrations of ferritin, haptoglobin, and hemoglobin were measured in nine collegiate swimmers through the competitive season and in 23 adult swimmers before and after endurance races of 1.5 km to 10 km. About 10 percent of the swimmers had low hemoglobin concentrations. The severity of this swimmers anemia correlated with the amount of swimming in both men and women. Intravascular hemolysis occured during all the races; the fastest swimmers in the longest races had the greatest decreases in haptoglobin. About 25 percent of the swimmers had low baseline haptoglobin concentrations. Iron depletion was found in 11 percent of the men and 57 percent of the women, but their athletic performance was not notably impaired. Iron depletion, anemia, and intravascular hemolysis in athletes in a nontraumatic sport suggest that mechanisms other than footstrike are components of athletes hemolysis. Verf.-Referat