title: Sports anaemia and anthropometric evaluation of footballers at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sports anaemia is a physiological activity that occurs amongst footballers and may be due to poor diet, over-training, as well as an increase in plasma volume in endurance training activities. High plasma volume leads to changes in haematological parameters that may impact on endurance of footballers. The objective of the study was to determine the correlation between haematological and an-thropometric indices and their role in sports anaemia in a tropical setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Venous blood was taken into EDTA for 12 soccer players of KNUST soccer team before training and after training for the first (W1) and fifth (W5) weeks of training sessions. Complete blood count analysis was done for each blood sample and anthropometric parameters such as height, weight, body mass index, body fat percent and lean body mass were also measured. Cross-tabulations with mean and standard deviation or median and range were computed. Paired t-test & and Mann-Whitney test for parametric and non-parametric data computations were carried out and a p-value ≤ 0.05 was taken to rep-resent significant difference between data groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was significant reduction in haemoglobin (p = 0.003), haematocrit (p = 0.002), mean cell volume (MCV) (p = 0.034) and red blood cell (RBC) count (p = 0.011) as a result of a significant expansion of plasma volume (p= 0.006). Neutrophil, lymphocyte and eosinophil counts were reduced significantly (p= 0.043, 0.001 and 0.007, respectively) after the training at W5. Lean body mass (LBM) inversely correlated with haemoglobin (r = -0.787, p = 0.002) and haematocrit (r = -0.588, p = 0.044). Body fat percentage (BFP) also negatively correlated with lymphocyte count (r = -0.700, p = 0.011). Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between body mass index (BMI) and plasma volume change after the training programme (r = 0.689, p = 0.013).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that sports anaemia was induced by an increase in plasma volume that resulted in changes in haematological parameters.
authors: Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
authors: Clement
authors: C
authors: Opoku-Okrah
authors: Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
authors: Daniel Kwasi
authors: DK
authors: Sam
authors: School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
authors: Bernard
authors: B
authors: Nkum
authors: Transfusion Medicine Unit, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana.
authors: Elliot Eli
authors: EE
authors: Dogbe
authors: Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
authors: Lilian
authors: L
authors: Antwi-Boateng
authors: Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
authors: Benedict
authors: B
authors: Sackey
authors: Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Gyamfi
authors: Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
authors: Kwabena Owusu
authors: KO
authors: Danquah
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D000886:Anthropometry; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005869:Ghana; D006400:Hematocrit / Q000379:methods; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010806:Physical Education and Training / Q000379:methods; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D010953:Plasma Volume / Q000502:physiology*; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*; D014329:Tropical Climate; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins
keywords: Anthropometric; Kumasi; footballers; haematological parameters