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Iron status was studied in 126 female endurance athletes and 52 control subjects, all aged 16-20 years. The study aimed at identifying factors responsible for iron deficiency. Twenty-six percent of athletes and 50% of controls had latent iron-deficiency without anemia symptoms. A too low intake of iron (especially heme iron: 0.3 mg daily), and of nutrients influencing iron metabolism, were identified as main causes of iron deficiency in control subjects. In athletes, whose iron intake was sufficient (14.6 mg), the principal cause of iron deficiency were blood losses due to menstruation. High level of physical activity, expressed as training volume and experience, did not adversely affect iron stores, as these were higher than in control subjects and the incidence of iron deficiency was much lower than in the control group. It was concluded that an increased intake of iron and of dietary factors involved in iron metabolism prevented possible exercise-induced losses of iron in young athletes.

The response of the adrenal cortex to a stressor consisting of information about a surgery to be performed the following day was studied in 34 patients by monitoring changes in salivary cortisol. From those, 18 patients were subjected to an individually selected 1 h music program, applied immediately following receipt of the information, and the remaining 16 patients formed a reference group. Another 10 patients, not awaiting surgery, served as controls. Saliva was sampled before the stressor and 5 more samples were collected at 15 min intervals. The stressor produced a 50% rise in salivary cortisol within 15 min. In patients not exposed to music, cortisol levels gradually decreased but after one hour they were markedly higher than the initial level. Listening to music resulted in a marked reduction in salivary cortisol level and after one hour the relative decrease was similar to that observed in control (non-surgical) patients.

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