Editing Iron deficiency (section)

===Athletics===
Possible reasons that athletics may contribute to lower iron levels include mechanical [[hemolysis]] (destruction of red blood cells from physical impact), loss of iron through sweat and urine, gastrointestinal blood loss, and haematuria (presence of blood in urine).<ref name="Nielson">{{cite journal | vauthors = Nielsen P, Nachtigall D | title = Iron supplementation in athletes. Current recommendations | journal = Sports Medicine | volume = 26 | issue = 4 | pages = 207–16 | date = October 1998 | pmid = 9820921 | doi = 10.2165/00007256-199826040-00001 | s2cid = 25517866 }}{{dead link|date=December 2017|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref name=Chatard>{{cite journal | vauthors = Chatard JC, Mujika I, Guy C, Lacour JR | title = Anaemia and iron deficiency in athletes. Practical recommendations for treatment | journal = Sports Medicine | volume = 27 | issue = 4 | pages = 229–40 | date = April 1999 | pmid = 10367333 | doi = 10.2165/00007256-199927040-00003 | series = 4 | s2cid = 32504228 }}</ref> Although small amounts of iron are excreted in sweat and urine, these losses can generally be seen as insignificant even with increased [[sweat]] and [[urine]] production, especially considering that athletes' bodies appear to become conditioned to retain iron better.<ref name="Nielson"/> [[Mechanical hemolytic anemia|Mechanical hemolysis]] is most likely to occur in high-impact sports, especially among long-distance runners who experience "foot-strike hemolysis" from the repeated impact of their feet with the ground. Exercise-induced [[gastrointestinal bleeding]] is most likely to occur in endurance athletes. [[March hemoglobinuria|Haematuria in athletes]] is most likely to occur in those that undergo repetitive impacts on the body, particularly affecting the feet (such as running on a hard road, or Kendo) and hands (e.g. [[Conga]] or [[Candombe]] drumming). Additionally, athletes in sports that emphasize weight loss (e.g. [[ballet]], [[gymnastics]], [[marathon running]], and [[cycle sport|cycling]]) as well as sports that emphasize high-[[carbohydrate]], low-[[fat]] diets, may be at an increased risk for iron deficiency.<ref name="Nielson"/><ref name="Chatard"/>