title: Serum ferritin as a marker of potential biochemical iron overload in athletes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Beyond hematological manipulation, iron supplementation therapy is commonplace in athletes to counterbalance physiological or pathologic anemia and to prevent physiologic dysfunction. However, misuse of iron therapy, occasionally resulting in iron overload, is not free from metabolic risks.
  
  
  METHODS
  We planned to measure baseline serum ferritin concentration in sedentary individual and athletes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Institute of Clinical Biochemistry of the Verona University. PARTICIPANTS Serum ferritin was measured in 60 male healthy sedentary controls, 80 amateur road cyclists, 42 male professional cross-country skiers, and 88 professional male road cyclists.
  
  
  METHODS
  The biochemical iron overload was ascertained by measuring baseline serum ferritin concentration as a reliable approach that mirrors the total body iron content.
  
  
  METHODS
  The concentration of serum ferritin in healthy controls was 112 +/- 78 ng/mL, whereas that of amateur cyclists, professional skiers, and professional cyclists was 127 +/- 76 ng/mL (P = 0.185), 183 +/- 130 ng/mL (P = 0.001), and 332 +/- 218 ng/mL (P < 0.001), respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both categories of professional athletes showed significantly increased concentrations of serum ferritin, whereas the concentration of amateur cyclists was comparable to that of healthy sedentary controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Professional endurance athletes have serum ferritin concentrations that are 2-fold to 3-fold higher than those of matched sedentary individuals and amateur athletes, exceeding the threshold for the diagnosis of biochemical iron overload and unveiling potential metabolic risks.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Chimica e Microscopia Clinica, Dipartimento di Scienze Morfologico-Biomediche, Università degli Studi di Verona, Verona, Italy. ulippi@tin.it
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lippi
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schena
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Franchini
authors.forename: Gian Luca
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Salvagno
authors.forename: Gian Cesare
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Guidi
mesh_terms: D001642:Bicycling / Q000502:physiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000009:adverse effects; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000009:adverse effects; D019190:Iron Overload / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012865:Skiing / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron