[Iron intake and pharmacologic supplements in medium and long-distance runners].
PURPOSE: To assess in a group of female runners the iron uptake and pharmacological supplementation, plus the variation induced in haematological values and iron deposits. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The total and haeme Fe uptake as well as the blood parameters were studied in a group of 25 female median and long distance runners and in a control group comprised of 82 women with no sport activities. Eleven of the runners had usually been on pharmacologic iron supplementation. All of the subjects completed a diet regimen for 7 days controlled by means of food weighing. RESULTS: Total Fe ingestion was significantly higher in the runners (13.6 mg/day) than in the control group (11.3 mg/day (p < 0.01), although the minimum established by the Diet Recommendations was reached by neither group. The ingestion of haeme-Fe was higher in non-supplemented runners (1.64 mg/day) with regard to those on iron supplementation (1.39 mg/day) and the women of the control group (1.34 mg/day). Serum ferritin levels were also higher in non-supplemented runners (38.1 ng/mL), with lowest values in the runners receiving iron supplement (29.7 ng/mL). CONCLUSIONS: Serum ferritin levels in female runners appear to be related with the ingestion of haeme-Fe rather than with total iron ingestion. On the other hand, the pharmacologic iron supplementation given here appears inadequate for most of the runners studied.