Partial sleep deprivation after an acute exercise session does not augment hepcidin levels the following day

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of partial sleep deprivation (PSD) after an exercise session in the evening on the endurance exercise‐induced hepcidin response the following morning. Ten recreationally trained males participated under two different conditions. Each condition consisted of 2 consecutive days of training (days 1 and 2). On day 1, participants ran for 60 min at 75% of maximal oxygen uptake ( [Formula: see text] O(2max)) followed by 100 drop jumps. Sleep duration at night was manipulated, with a normal length of sleep (CON condition, 23:00–07:00 hr) or a shortened length of sleep (PSD condition). On the morning of day 2, the participants ran for 60 min at 65% of [Formula: see text] O(2max). Sleep duration was significantly shorter under the PSD condition (141.2 ± 13.3 min) than under the CON condition (469.0 ± 2.3 min, p < .0001). Serum hepcidin, plasma interleukin (IL)‐6, serum haptoglobin, iron, and myoglobin levels did not differ significantly between the conditions (p > .05) on the morning (before exercise) of day 2. Additionally, the 3‐hr postexercise levels for the hematological variables were not significantly different between the two conditions (p > .05). In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that a single night of PSD after an exercise session in the evening did not affect baseline serum hepcidin level the following morning. Moreover, a 60 min run the following morning increased serum hepcidin and plasma IL‐6 levels significantly, but the exercise‐induced elevations were not affected by PSD.