Reference intervals for lipid biomarkers in youth athletes.

Background: It is known that lipid profile is influenced by physical exercise. In addition, adolescent athletes undergo significant hormonal changes that also affect their lipid profile. In our study, we used a sample of elite athletes under 18 years old (2281 f, 2986 m) from different sports disciplines to calculate reference intervals (RI) for lipid metabolism indicators.

Methods: The reference intervals for lipid metabolism markers, namely total cholesterol, triglycerides, low- and high-density lipoprotein fractions, were calculated using non-parametric statistical methods based on the results of blood tests obtained during regular in-depth medical examinations that Russian athletes undergo twice a year.

Results: The reference intervals for lipid biomarkers in underage athletes differ from both pediatric and general adult population values. The most notable differences were found in HDL and TG levels. In particular, the upper limits of HDL both in young athletes and ordinary children were higher than those in the general adult population by 23.6% in boys and 43.6% in girls; the lower limits of TG RI in young athletes of both sexes were almost 2 times lower (48%) than in ordinary children, but higher than the adult values.

Conclusions: Intense physical exercise has a significant impact on the lipid metabolism in elite athletes. Reference intervals obtained from a sample of youth elite athletes differ from both pediatric and the adult population values. The use of reference intervals of lipid metabolism indices obtained in our study (or in similar future studies) could improve health status assessment and help identify minor health conditions in young elite athletes.