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Sports Anemia

Meaning

Sports Anemia is a term loosely applied to a constellation of conditions observed in athletes, particularly those engaged in intense, prolonged endurance training, characterized by a lower-than-normal concentration of hemoglobin or red blood cells. The term is often a misnomer, as it frequently refers to “pseudo-anemia” or “dilutional anemia,” a benign physiological adaptation to training, rather than a true iron-deficiency state. It is a key consideration in the clinical assessment of an athlete’s physiological status and performance capacity.