Abstract des Autors

Blood samples were taken, before and during the sports season, from 27 young cyclists belonging to the National Cycling Federation. These samples were examined for the determination of haematological (iron, serum feritin, transferrin, haematocrit, haemoglobin, erythrocytes, MCV, glutamin, alanin, glutamic acid) and immunological parameters (leukocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, IgA, IgG, IgM). In our athletes there was observed, both before and during the sports season, a general decrease in serum ferritin and leukocyte values, also in some subjects that had been taking iron for two months. The mean values of the other parameters were within the normal range, even if the single data were sometimes out of the normal range. As the decrease in serum ferritin and leukocytes, in our subjects, had been observed already just before the sports season and persisted with minimal changes in mean values, all this is justified by the fact that these athletes started their activity some years ago and the increase in muscle mass and plasmatic volume could have urged the iron request lowering the serum ferritin levels. Even if the iron deficiency observed is not correlated to anaemia (no differences have been observed in haematocrit), this must be considered a negative factor for performance in a young athlete. Then, it is reasonable, at least in young athletes, to monitor the serum haematological and immunological parameters and to treat an iron deficiency with long-term oral iron preparations at high doses. Verf.-Referat