iron concentration in high exercise training

Q: High-intensity athletic workout may cause iron deficiency due to loss of iron in sweat.

A) True

B) False

Answer: A

A liter of sweat causes 0.6 mg of Iron (Fe) loss! Iron deficiency may be seen in some high-intensity athletes. Other contributing factors for iron deficiency in athletics, besides loss in sweat, are:

• Reduced iron intake
• Occult GI blood loss
• Traumatic hemolysis

#hematology

References:

1. McMahon LF Jr, Ryan MJ, Larson D, Fisher RL. Occult gastrointestinal blood loss in marathon runners. Ann Intern Med 1984; 100:846.

2. Coates A, Mountjoy M, Burr J. Incidence of Iron Deficiency and Iron Deficient Anemia in Elite Runners and Triathletes. Clin J Sport Med 2017; 27:493.

3. DeRuisseau KC, Cheuvront SN, Haymes EM, Sharp RG. Sweat iron and zinc losses during prolonged exercise. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2002 Dec;12(4):428-37. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.12.4.428. PMID: 12500986.

4. Saran T, Zawadka M, Chmiel S, Mazur A. Sweat iron concentration during 4-week exercise training. Ann Agric Environ Med. 2018 Sep 25;25(3):500-503. doi: 10.26444/aaem/78787. Epub 2017 Nov 15. PMID: 30260183.