The Comparison of Resting Serum Hepcidin and Iron Status between Elite Female Futsal Players and Non-Athletes

The liver-derived polypeptide hepcidin is a variable that may contribute to the incidence of iron deficiency in athletes. So, the aim of this study was to compare resting serum hepcidin and iron status between the elite female futsal players and non-athletes. 24 futsal players from Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province who played in the national league were selected to participate in the study purposefully (sports history: 4.5±1 years). The control group consisted of 22 age-matched healthy non-athletes. The mean age of the participants was 20.07±1.48 years, weight 53.16±6.97 kg, height 161.48±4.06 cm and BMI 20.29±2.31. The resting serum hepcidin, serum iron, hemoglobin, transferrin saturation percentage, total ironbinding capacity (TIBC) were measured using ELISA kits (DGR Company, Germany). The results showed no significant difference in hepcidin, transferrin and total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) between athletes and non-athletes while there was a significant difference in hemoglobin and serum iron between the two groups. In this study, an insignificant reduction in hepcidin of female futsal players may be due to an increase in iron needs of athletes as a part of an adaptation process which is produced by prolonged exercises.