Relationship between total hemoglobin mass and competitive performance in endurance athletes.

Background: Determine the relationships between total hemoglobin mass (tHb-mass), h emoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct) and competitive performance.

Methods: The team of 35 elite endurance athletes (biathlon men [BM, N.=12] & women [BW, N.

Comprehensive overview of hemoglobin mass and blood volume in elite athletes across a wide range of different sporting disciplines.

Background: The aim of the study was to compare total hemoglobin mass (tHb-mass) and blood volume (BV) across elite athletes with different sporting specializations.

Methods: The study enrolled 222 members of Russian national teams from 12 different sporting disciplines and non-Olympic sports. The athletes were tested in the middle of a competitive season for tHb-mass, BV, plasma volume (PV), hemoglobin concentration (Hb), and hematocrit level (Hct) determination.