Oral Iron Treatment Has a Positive Effect on Iron Metabolism in Elite Soccer Players

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of oral iron supplementation on hematological and iron metabolism in elite soccer players. Thirty-five members of the Real Zaragoza SAD soccer team took part in this study: group A (GA, n = 24; Spanish Premier League) took an oral iron supplement of 80 mg day −1 for 3 weeks, and group B (GB, n = 11; Spanish Third Division League) did not receive any supplementation. In GA, the parameters were measured before and after giving the iron supplements, while in GB, measurements were only made at the time of collecting the second set of data from GA. After supplementation, GA showed an increase in serum iron (SI) ( P < 0.05), serum ferritin (Ftn) ( P < 0.01), and transferrin saturation (Sat) ( P < 0.01) with respect to the basal values. In addition, GA showed higher values of hematocrit ( P < 0.01), mean corpuscular volume ( P < 0.01), Ftn ( P < 0.01), and Sat ( P < 0.01) than GB. No significant differences were found in any other parameters. More specifically, a higher percentage of players had Ftn levels above upper limits in GA vs. GB ( P < 0.05), and GB had a higher incidence of Ftn below lower limits with respect to subjects in GA ( P < 0.01). Further, after treatment, 58.3% of GA had >800 mg of SI, while all players in GB presented levels below the lower limits. In conclusion, iron supplementation with 80 mg·day −1 for 3 weeks, before the start of the soccer season, can be recommended for elite soccer players.