Ferritin Reference Table
Nutrition & Sports Nutrition Reference Tables
Ferritin Reference Table
WHO ferritin interpretation distinguishes apparently healthy adults from adults with infection or inflammation; athlete treatment decisions require broader assessment.
| Context | WHO reference | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Apparently healthy adults | Ferritin <15 µg/L | Supports iron deficiency |
| Adults with infection or inflammation | Ferritin <70 µg/L | Conditional WHO reference with low-certainty evidence |
| Unit equivalence | 1 µg/L = 1 ng/mL | Exact concentration equivalence |
| Athlete interpretation | Consider inflammation, symptoms and training context | No universal performance target follows from one result |
Ferritin is a cellular iron-storage protein; its blood measurement is a context-dependent marker influenced by inflammation.
Serum iron varies and alone does not diagnose stores; ferritin, hemoglobin and transferrin saturation provide complementary information with clinical context. Ferritin rises with inflammation, so a high value is not always overload. Record sampling time, recent illness and hard training. Diagnostic criteria and treatment targets differ by setting; there is no single ideal value for every athlete regardless of symptoms and methods.
Absorbed iron exits intestinal cells through ferroportin and circulates bound to transferrin; ferritin supports cellular storage. Hepcidin limits export from intestinal cells and some stores by acting on ferroportin, changing with inflammation and iron status. Strenuous activity can transiently influence this regulation. More intake therefore does not always produce a proportional rise in uptake or iron available for physiological use.
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