The use of exogenous iron by professional cyclists pervades abdominal organs but not the heart

摘要

The use of exogenous iron by cyclists is quite widespread despite controversies and lack of scientific evidence linking this supplementation with improved performance [1]. Although iron is essential for cell proliferation, eritropoese and oxy-reduction reactions, it is easily accumulated in vital organs. Iron overload is responsible for the production of reactive oxygen species that can cause organic dysfunction [2,3]. In the heart, iron overload cardiomyopathy (IOC) is a secondary variety of cardiomyopathy caused by iron accumulation in the myocardium resultant from genetic diseases of iron metabolism or multiple transfusions [4,5]. Based on this knowledge, we tested the hypotheses that athlete users of iron supplementation would show iron accumulation in abdominal organs as well as the heart and would present cardiac fibrosis. A second aim was to link ferritin level with iron dose, organic iron accumulation, length of use and delivery consumption method, beyond the relationships between length and interruption of iron use and organic iron accumulation.