Sex- and Age-Specific Trajectories of Hemoglobin and Aerobic Power in Competitive Youth Athletes

Haferanke, Jonas; Baumgartner, Lisa; Dettenhofer, Maximilian; Huber, Stefanie; Mühlbauer, Frauke; Engl, Tobias; Oberhoffer, Renate; Schulz, Thorsten; Freilinger, Sebastian

doi:10.3390/oxygen5040025

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Sex- and Age-Specific Trajectories of Hemoglobin and Aerobic Power in Competitive Youth Athletes

by

Jonas Haferanke

^*,

Lisa Baumgartner

,

Maximilian Dettenhofer

,

Stefanie Huber

,

Frauke Mühlbauer

,

Tobias Engl

,

Renate Oberhoffer

,

Thorsten Schulz

and

Sebastian Freilinger

^*

Institute of Preventive Pediatrics, Department Health and Sport Sciences, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich 80809, Germany

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Oxygen 2025, 5(4), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/oxygen5040025 (registering DOI)

Submission received: 16 October 2025 / Revised: 18 November 2025 / Accepted: 20 November 2025 / Published: 22 November 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Oxygen Volume III)

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Abstract

Maximal aerobic power (V̇O₂peak) in youth depends on hemoglobin (Hb)—mediated oxygen transport. While sex- and age-specific patterns are established in untrained cohorts, further research is needed in competitive adolescent athletes. We studied 124 young athletes matched by age and sex (62 boys, 62 girls; 10–16 years). Hb was measured from fasting blood samples, and V̇O₂peak was determined via cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). Boys showed higher Hb than girls (14.43 ± 0.85 g/dL vs. 13.6 ± 0.74 g/dL; p < 0.001) and a significant age-related increase (B = 0.29, p < 0.001), whereas girls remained stable. V̇O₂peak was also higher in boys (50.03 ± 6.18 mL/min/kg, p < 0.001). Regression analysis identified Hb as a strong predictor of V̇O₂peak (β = 0.40, p < 0.001). These findings demonstrate that classical developmental Hb trajectories persist in highly trained youth and confirm Hb as a key determinant of aerobic power. Monitoring hematological status, particularly in female athletes, is essential for optimizing performance and development.

Keywords: youth athletes; hemoglobin; oxygen transport power; V̇O₂peak; exercise; sex differences; cardiorespiratory fitness; erythropoiesis

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MDPI and ACS Style

Haferanke, J.; Baumgartner, L.; Dettenhofer, M.; Huber, S.; Mühlbauer, F.; Engl, T.; Oberhoffer, R.; Schulz, T.; Freilinger, S. Sex- and Age-Specific Trajectories of Hemoglobin and Aerobic Power in Competitive Youth Athletes. Oxygen 2025, 5, 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/oxygen5040025

AMA Style

Haferanke J, Baumgartner L, Dettenhofer M, Huber S, Mühlbauer F, Engl T, Oberhoffer R, Schulz T, Freilinger S. Sex- and Age-Specific Trajectories of Hemoglobin and Aerobic Power in Competitive Youth Athletes. Oxygen. 2025; 5(4):25. https://doi.org/10.3390/oxygen5040025

Chicago/Turabian Style

Haferanke, Jonas, Lisa Baumgartner, Maximilian Dettenhofer, Stefanie Huber, Frauke Mühlbauer, Tobias Engl, Renate Oberhoffer, Thorsten Schulz, and Sebastian Freilinger. 2025. "Sex- and Age-Specific Trajectories of Hemoglobin and Aerobic Power in Competitive Youth Athletes" Oxygen 5, no. 4: 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/oxygen5040025

APA Style

Haferanke, J., Baumgartner, L., Dettenhofer, M., Huber, S., Mühlbauer, F., Engl, T., Oberhoffer, R., Schulz, T., & Freilinger, S. (2025). Sex- and Age-Specific Trajectories of Hemoglobin and Aerobic Power in Competitive Youth Athletes. Oxygen, 5(4), 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/oxygen5040025

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Sex- and Age-Specific Trajectories of Hemoglobin and Aerobic Power in Competitive Youth Athletes

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