Association of Sickle Cell Trait and Hemoglobin S Percentage with Physical Fitness

This study aimed to determine the association between sickle cell trait (SCT) as a binary variable and hemoglobin S percentage as a stratified categorical variable with aerobic and anaerobic fitness. Methods This retrospective cohort study included all recruits who entered US Air Force Basic Training between January 2009 and December 2014. Fitness parameters among recruits with and without SCT were compared using a standardized fitness assessment of a 1.5-mile timed run, 1 min of push-ups, and 1 min of sit-ups. Performance was further compared by stratifying those with SCT by their hemoglobin S percentage (20%–29.99%, 30%–39.99%, and ≥40%). Results Of all recruits (N = 210,461) who entered training during the surveillance period, 2161 (1.0%) had SCT. After adjusting for age, sex, race, body mass index, and ambient temperature while conducting the fitness assessment, recruits with SCT were slower on their initial run than their peers without SCT by a mean (standard error) of 9.4 s (2.6 s) (P
Source: Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise - Category: Sports Medicine Tags: APPLIED SCIENCES Source Type: research