Planned Physical Workload in Young Tennis Players Induces Changes in Iron Indicator Levels but Does Not Cause Overreaching

Abstract

The current study aimed to examine the impact of the training load of two different training camps on the immunological response in tennis players, including their iron metabolism. Highly ranked Polish tennis players, between the ages of 12 and 14 years, participated in two training camps that were aimed at physical conditioning and at improving technical skills. At baseline and after each camp, blood samples were analyzed, and the fatigue was assessed. The levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory indicators, iron, and hepcidin were determined. The levels of the heat shock proteins, (Hsp) 27 and 70, were also measured. All the effects were evaluated using magnitude-based inference. Although the training camps had different objectives, the physiological responses of the participants were similar. The applied programs induced a significant drop in the iron and hepcidin levels (a small-to-very-large effect) and enhanced the anti-inflammatory response. The tumor necrosis factor α levels were elevated at the beginning of each camp but were decreased towards the end, despite the training intensity being medium/high. The changes were more pronounced in the female players compared to the male players. Altogether, the results suggest that low-grade inflammation in young tennis athletes may be attenuated in response to adequately designed training. To this end, the applied physical workload with a controlled diet and rest-controlled serum iron levels could be the marker of well-designed training.

Keywords: adolescent; exercise testing; fatigue; heat shock protein; hepcidin; inflammation; overtraining; sport performance analysis.