HEMATOLOGICAL AND IRON-RELATED PARAMETERS OF MALE ENDURANCE AND STRENGTH TRAINED ATHLETES

To obtain more information on the effects of long-lasting endurance an d strength training on the constituents of the blood, several haematol ogical and iron-related parameters were measured at rest in 39 male at hletes 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 strengt h-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 deter minations of haemoglobin concentration ([Hb]), packed cell volume (PCV ), erythrocyte (RBC) and reticulocyte count, plasma free haemoglobin c oncentration, haptoglobin concentration, serum iron, transferrin conce ntration and ferritin concentrations ([Ferr]); red blood cells were us ed 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 athle tes. There were no significantly differences in the haematological ind ices [mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean copuscular haemoglobin and m ean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration] between the groups of athle tes and the control group. A significant increase in reticulocytosis a nd GOT activity was observed in the endurance-trained athletes. No imp airment of erythropoiesis was observed as indicated by several sensiti ve markers of haemoglobin formation (FEP, MCV and inspection of blood smears) in the athletes. The athletes from group E had mean serum [Fer r] below 50 mug . l-1 which was significantly lower than [Ferr] in the serum of subjects from the control group and the strength-trained ath letes. The results of the present investigation showed that some haema tological parameters and the iron status of the endurance athletes dif fered from the untrained subjects as well as the strength-trained athl etes.