Introduction Athletes are more susceptible to iron deficiency and anemia than the general population due to increased iron loss from hemolysis and sweating. Accordingly, athletes are generally advised to increase their iron intake. Iron levels in the body are regulated by hepcidin hormones, which control the rate of intestinal iron absorption. Previous studies have shown that genetic factors such as TMPRSS6 and HFE genetic polymorphisms influence hepcidin regulation. This study aims to investigate the association between genetic factors involved in hepcidin regulation (TMPRSS6 and HFE) and iron status in athletes.
Takaragawa et al. (Thu,) studied this question.