It has been demonstrated that quantification of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)-plasma iron could complement the already existing Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) variables and provide additional evidence for blood transfusion. Here, a fast preparation of a blood sample was proposed directly in the EDTA-blood tube without performing an aliquoting step. In addition, correlations in paired serum and EDTA-plasma samples and storage stability were investigated. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.