Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8574, Japan.
Medical Governance Research Institute, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2020 Dec 7;17(1):62. doi: 10.1186/s12970-020-00393-2.
Iron deficiency is widely recognized as being the cause of anemia in athletes, although iron status in athletes of Kendo, a traditional Japanese martial art based on swordsmanship and practiced as an educational sport, has not been widely investigated.
We performed a health assessment on anemia and serum ferritin levels, along with nutrient intake evaluation, for Kendo practitioners in a university in Japan.
A total of 56 Kendo practitioners (39 male and 17 female) aged between 18 and 23 years participated in the study. No individuals exhibited WHO-defined anemia (less than 13 or 12 g/dL of hemoglobin levels in male or female), while hypoferritinemia (less than 30 ng/mL) was found in seven (41%) females but not in males. Significantly higher body mass index was found in the female athletes with hypoferritinemia compared to females with normo-ferritinemia in sub-analysis (median [interquartile range]; 25.6 [24.2, 26.9] versus 22.6 [21.7, 24.1], respectively. p < 0.05). No significant differences in the intake of iron were registered between males and females (with and without hypoferritinemia) using data from a food-frequency questionnaire survey.
No apparent anemia was found in adolescent Kendo practitioners, although this study confirmed the presence of hypoferritinemia in several female athletes. Careful follow-up, involving both clinical and nutritional assessment, will be necessary for them to prevent progression into anemia. A future study with larger cohorts in multiple sites is warranted to assess the prevalence of iron deficiency for validation and, if necessary, to devise a strategy for improving the iron status in Kendo athletes.
铁缺乏被广泛认为是运动员贫血的原因，尽管剑道（一种以剑术为基础的日本传统武术，作为一项教育运动进行练习）运动员的铁状态尚未得到广泛研究。
我们对日本一所大学的剑道运动员进行了贫血和血清铁蛋白水平以及营养摄入评估的健康评估。
共有 56 名年龄在 18 至 23 岁之间的剑道运动员（39 名男性和 17 名女性）参加了这项研究。没有人表现出世界卫生组织定义的贫血症（男性血红蛋白水平低于 13 或 12g/dL，女性血红蛋白水平低于 13 或 12g/dL），而 7 名女性（41%）存在低铁蛋白血症（低于 30ng/mL），但男性没有。在女性运动员中，亚分析发现低铁蛋白血症的女性运动员的体质指数明显高于铁蛋白正常的女性（中位数[四分位数范围]；25.6 [24.2, 26.9]与 22.6 [21.7, 24.1]，分别。p < 0.05）。使用食物频率问卷调查的数据，未发现男性和女性（无论是否存在低铁蛋白血症）之间铁的摄入量有显著差异。
在青少年剑道运动员中未发现明显的贫血症，但本研究证实了一些女性运动员存在低铁蛋白血症。需要对他们进行仔细的随访，包括临床和营养评估，以防止贫血症的进展。未来需要在多个地点进行更大规模队列的研究，以评估铁缺乏症的患病率，以验证并在必要时制定改善剑道运动员铁状况的策略。
