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To the Editor:
The concentration of creatinine in serum is the most widely used and commonly accepted measure of renal function in clinical medicine. Reference values of biochemical variables specific for sportsmen have never been defined, and those used for the general population are also applied to athletes. The common reference interval for creatinine in the general population corresponds to 62-115 µmol/L (0.7-1.3 mg/dL) for adult males (1). In our experience with athletes, we frequently observed high creatinine values, near or higher than 115 µmol/L (1.3 mg/dL). We studied 220 elite athletes: 15 triathletes of the Italian National Team, 29 basketball players of an Italian First Division team, 35 cyclists from 2 professional teams, 13 racing motorcyclists of a professional team, 27 soccer players of an Italian First Division team, 23 sailors of an America's Cup yacht, 34 alpine skiers of the Italian National Team, and 44 rugby players of the Italian National Team. The athletes were all males, and the age range was 17-36 years. Serum was always analyzed within 5 h from blood drawing on an Aeroset c8000 (Abbott) by an alkaline picrate reaction method. Blood samples were obtained before the start of training for the competitive season,...