General characteristics and red blood cell variables of the highly trained and untrained groups
| Variable | Highly trained group (n=876) | Untrained group (n=357) | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Values are mean (SEM). RBC, red blood cell count; Hct, packed cell volume; Hb, haemoglobin concentration; MCV, mean corpuscular volume. | |||
| Age (years) | 14.01 (0.06) | 14.58 (0.09) | NS |
| Weight (kg) | 56.24 (0.52) | 57.75 (0.67) | NS |
| Height (cm) | 165.51 (0.44) | 166.09 (0.54) | NS |
| Duration of training (years) | 3.52 (0.07) | — | |
| RBC (× 1012/l) | 4.61 (0.01) | 4.75 (0.02) | 0.001 |
| Hct (l/l) | 0.389 (0.001) | 0.404 (0.002) | 0.001 |
| Hb (g/l) | 133.01 (0.38) | 139.97 (0.62) | 0.001 |
| MCV (fl) | 85.22 (0.18) | 85.24 (0.30) | NS |