Status serumskega železa in njegov vpliv na kognitivne sposobnosti pri tekačicah na srednje in dolge proge : magistrsko delo

Plazar, Patricija (author), Tušak, Matej (mentor), Kajtna, Tanja (comentor)

V magistrski nalogi smo proučevali odnos med nekaterimi hematološkimi in biokemičnimi kazalci statusa železa in pokazatelji kognitivnih sposobnostih s področja pozornosti in koncentracije ter reakcijskega časa. Namen naloge je bil ugotoviti pomembnost omenjenih povezav, ugotoviti razlike v kognitivnih pokazateljih med tekačicami z zadostnim statusom železa in tekačicami z latentnim pomanjkanjem železa ter ugotoviti, ali se tekačice na srednje in na dolge proge razlikujejo v statusu železa in v kognitivnih sposobnostih. V vzorec preizkušank je bilo vključenih 14 mladih tekačic, kategoriziranih športnic državnega razreda (10 srednje proge in 4 dolge proge; starost: 21,2 ± 3,1 let; tekaški staž: 8,3 ± 3,1 let). Preizkušanke so opravile laboratorijski odvzem vzorca krvi in bile obravnavane s 4 izbranimi kognitivnimi testi. Z ustreznimi metodološkimi postopki smo ugotovili statistično pomembne povezave med kazalci MCH, MCHC, RDW, transferin, feritin in serumsko železo in pokazatelji mere pozornosti, kognitivne fleksibilnosti, hitrosti in natančnosti predelave informacij ter natančnosti odziva na kompleksni dražljaj. Z rezultati raziskave smo potrdili, da status železa vpliva na razlike v kognitivnem delovanju – pri tekačicah z latentnim pomanjkanjem železa (glede na nizek faktor mikrocitne anemije) smo ugotovili nižjo mero koncentracije, počasnejšo in nenatančno predelavo informacij. Paradoksalno smo ugotovili, da so tekačice z nizkimi vrednostmi serumskega feritina hitrejše pri zaznavanju in analiziranju vidnih dražljajev; vzrok za ugotovljeno domnevamo v vplivu prilagoditvenih mehanizmov trenutnega ali preteklega stanja pomanjkanja železa in/ali v prisotnem preobremenitvenem sindromu. Statistično pomembne razlike med tekačicami na srednje in tekačicami na dolge proge smo zasledili zgolj v hematološkem statusu železa, medtem ko v kognitivnih sposobnostih ni bilo razlik (opazen le trend razlik v večji natančnosti predelave informacij pri tekačicah na dolge proge). Ugotovljeno kaže, da je boljši hematološki status železa pozitivno povezan s kognitivnim delovanjem. Naloga omogoča usmeritev za nadaljnje proučevanje kompleksnosti obravnavanega področja ob potrebi izvedb meritev na večjem vzorcu. Rezultati utegnejo biti v pomoč trenerju in psihologu pri prepoznavanju športnice z latentnim pomanjkanjem železa.

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: tekačice na srednje in dolge proge, status železa, pozornost in koncentracija, reakcijski čas, latentno pomanjkanje železa, kognitivno delovanje
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Typology: 2.09 - Master's Thesis
• Organization: FŠ - Faculty of Sport
• Year: 2018
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-99899
• COBISS.SI-ID: 5279665
• Publication date in RUL: 20.02.2018

Secondary language

• Language: English
• Title: Serum iron status and its influence on cognitive abilities in female middle- and long-distance runners

Abstract

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.

• Keywords: female middle- and long-distance runners, iron status, attention and concentration, reaction time, latent iron deficiency, cognitive functioning