Daily iron supplementation significantly improves maximal and submaximal exercise performance in WRA , providing a rationale to prevent and treat iron deficiency in this group .
Animal and human observational studies suggest that iron deficiency impairs physical exercise performance , but findings from r and omized trials on the effects of iron are equivocal .
Iron deficiency and anemia are especially common in women of reproductive age ( WRA ) .
Clear evidence of benefit from iron supplementation would inform clinical and public health guidelines .
Therefore , we performed a systematic review and meta- analysis to determine the effect of iron supplementation compared with control on exercise performance in WRA .
Tissue iron deficiency without anemia impairs adaptation in endurance capacity after aerobic training in previously untrained women.
BACKGROUND We previously showed that iron supplementation significantly improves iron status and maximal work capacity in previously untrained , marginally iron-deficient women with a baseline serum transferrin receptor concentration > 8.0 mg/L. However , the effect of transferrin receptor status on adaptation in endurance capacity after aerobic training in these subjects has not been fully explored . OBJECTIVE Our objective was to examine the effect of baseline serum transferrin receptor status on adaptations in endurance capacity . DESIGN Forty-one untrained , iron-depleted , nonanemic women were r and omly assigned to receive either 100 mg FeSO(4 ) or a placebo for 6 wk in a double-blind trial . All subjects trained on cycle ergometers 5 d/wk for the last 4 wk of the study . Endurance capacity was assessed at baseline and after treatment by using a 15-km time trial conducted on a cycle ergometer . RESULTS Significant treatment effects were observed for time to complete the 15-km time trial , work rate , and percentage of maximal oxygen uptake in subjects with a baseline serum transferrin receptor concentration > 8.0 mg/L. No significant treatment effects were observed in subjects with a normal baseline transferrin receptor concentration . CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that , in the presence of overt tissue iron deficiency , iron deficiency without anemia impairs adaptation in endurance capacity after aerobic training in previously untrained women . This impairment can be corrected with iron supplementation
Daily iron supplementation significantly improves maximal and submaximal exercise performance in WRA , providing a rationale to prevent and treat iron deficiency in this group .
Animal and human observational studies suggest that iron deficiency impairs physical exercise performance , but findings from r and omized trials on the effects of iron are equivocal .
Iron deficiency and anemia are especially common in women of reproductive age ( WRA ) .
Clear evidence of benefit from iron supplementation would inform clinical and public health guidelines .
Therefore , we performed a systematic review and meta- analysis to determine the effect of iron supplementation compared with control on exercise performance in WRA .