Thyroid status of athletes in various disciplines

Aim. The article deals with the assessment of the thyroid status of athletes engaged in physical activity of varying intensity. Materials ant methods. 146 elite athletes involved in bobsleigh, biathlon, shooting and snowboarding participated in the study. We determined the serum concentration of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (f.T3), free thyroxin (f.T4) and thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO-ab) with the COBAS e411 immunochemistry analyzer (Roche, Germany). The integral thyroid index ((f.T3 + f.T4)/TSH) was used for the assessment of the level of function of the thyroid proper. The conversion index of thyroxin to triiodothyronine (f.T4/ f.T3) was also studied. Results. 40 % of the bobsleigh athletes examined and 29 % of the snowboarders had high serum f.T3. The concentration of f.T4 in all examined athletes both male and female was within normal limits. Approximately 25 % of the male athletes examined had low II values. Among female athletes, 25 % of shooters and 33 % of bobsleigh athletes had low II values. In male biathletes and bobsleigh athletes, TPO-ab was 56 % higher than in shooters and snowboarders. In 43 % of bobsleigh athletes, 19 % of shooters, 10 % of biathletes and snowboarders, the content of TSH in males exceeded the reference intervals. Among females, TSH was high in 25 % of shooters and bobsleigh athletes. Conclusion. There were no statistically significant differences in the content of thyroid hormones in the compared sports groups, which can probably be explained by the activity of deiodinases at the local, intracellular level. At the same time, in a large number of respondents surveyed, the indicators of II and TPO-ab were outside the physiological norm.