Reticulocyte count, mean reticulocyte volume, immature reticulocyte fraction, and mean sphered cell volume in elite athletes: reference values and comparison with the general population

Abstract

No statistically significant differences were observed for Retics, MRV, IRF, and MSCV between elite athletes and controls. Significant differences were observed for haemoglobin (Hb), erythrocytes, haematocrit (Ht), and mean corpuscular volume. Moreover, no statistical differences were observed among different sports, whereas differences were remarked in football and rugby players between the samples drawn before the start of competitive season and the samples drawn during the season, demonstrating that reticulocyte counts and parameters are useful for monitoring sportsmen.