This masters thesis examines the relationship between hematological and biochemical indicators of iron status and indicators of cognitive abilities in aspects of attention and concentration and reaction time. The purpose of the task was to determine the importance of these links, to determine the differences in cognitive indicators between runners with sufficient iron status and runners with latent iron deficiency, and to determine whether the middle- and long-distance runners differ in the iron status and cognitive abilities. The test sample consisted of 14 young female runners, national level categorized athletes (10 middle- and 4 long-distance runners, age: 21,2 ± 3,1 years, running experience: 8,3 ± 3,1 years). The participants provided a blood sample and completed 4 selected cognitive tasks.
With appropriate methodological test procedures, we have determined statistically significant relationships between MCH, MCHC, RDW, transferin, ferritin and serum iron and indicators of attention span, cognitive flexibility, speed and accuracy of information processing and the accuracy of response to complex stimulus. Research results have confirmed that different iron status influences cognitive functioning – runners with latent iron deficiency (given the low factor of microcitic anemia) achived lower concentration, slower and inaccurate processing of information. Paradoxically, runners with low serum ferritin values were faster in processing and analyzing visual stimuli; which is assumed to be due to the adaptation mechanisms of the current or past iron deficiency and/or by the presence of overtraining syndrome. Statistically significant differences between middle- and long-distance runners were observed only in the haematological iron status, while in cognitive abilities there were no differences (only a trend of higher accuracy of information processing in long-distance runnners was observed). These findings suggest a better hematological iron status is positively associated with cognitive functioning.
The masters thesies can be used to set guidelines for further research of the complexity of the subject area, in case of the need for measurements on a larger sample. The results may be helpful to the trainer and the psychologist in detecting an athlete with latent iron deficiency.
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