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 .
Worker productivity and the nutritional status of Kenyan road construction laborers.
The effects of energy supplementation ( group I received 200 kcal/day and group II received 1000/kcal day ) were examined on road workers in Kenya .  Anthropometric , dietary , worker productivity , clinical hematology , and parasitology data were collected from 224 workers of both sexes or , sub sample s of these workers at base-line , midpoint , and final measurement periods . Sixty-seven percent of the work force was less than 85 % of weight for height . Females tended to be better nourished than males . Multiple regression analysis showed that increases in arm circumference and Hb levels were associated with significant productivity gains of about 4 % . At the midpoint , group II males gained 1.10 kg ( p less than 0.0003 ) while group I males showed no change . Weight loss during the latter part of the study result ed in no significant final weight change for males . " Successful " supplementation was weakly associated with a productivity increase for group II workers of 12.5 % ( p less than 0.10 )
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 .