Reduction of hemoglobin, not iron, inhibited maturation of red blood cells in male rats exposed to high intensity endurance exercises

Abstract

The existence of sports anemia, induced by strenuous or long-term exercise and characterized by decreases of red blood cells (RBCs), hemoglobin and iron content, remains to be doubtful. To observe the effects of endurance exercise on RBCs and explain the underlying reason, we designed this study by observing RBCs parameters and iron metabolism in 8-weeks training rats and effects of iron supplement or protein supplement on RBCs. Results showed that erythrocyte counts, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume and hemoglobin content decreased while RBC distribution width increased in exercised rats at later stage during 8 weeks training. But the contents of serum iron and ferritin decreased only at 1-week and 2-week and returned to normal at 4-week and 8-week. Same as iron content, apparent iron absorption rate was declined at early stage but restored to normal level at 8-week, as well as serum adrenaline, cortisol and insulin levels. Instead, the contents of total protein and albumin in serum were decreased at later stage during 8-weeks training. Furthermore, we observed that protein supplement ameliorated RBCs parameters in rats exposed to 8 weeks swimming exercise, but iron supplement had no effects on RBCs, though it obviously increased iron content of serum and the liver. Based on these results, we drew a conclusion that transient changes of iron metabolism, which may be induced by stress hormone changes, was not the reason for RBCs decrease in endurance exercises but hemoglobin reduction, induced by defects in protein supplement, impeded development of RBCs.