This investigation evaluates the effects of sport-specific stress in iron metabolism of dragon boat athletes. Recent studies showed a significant increase in hepcidin activity under exercise (Röcker L. et al.(2005): Iron regulatory protein hepcidin is increased in female athletes after a marathon. European Journal of Applied Physiology, S. 95, 569-571)which possibly influences the iron metabolism.~In particular in this investigation the activity of pro-hepcidin and hepcidin under sport-specific stress is analysed. Therefore elite dragonboat athletes will be included to this study. Every athlete is tested once. At one exercise day from every athlete the iron metabolism especially the change of hepcidin, prohepcidin and iron before and after a specific dragonboat intervention is analysed.
The purpose of the study is:~To investigate the effect of sport-specific stress in the iron metabolism of dragon boat athletes~To investigate the effects of sport-specific stress in the activity of pro-hepcidin and hepcidin