The Role of Iron in Athletic Health and Performance: Challenges and Nutritional Approaches
Date
2-19-2025
Faculty Mentor
Majid Koozehchian, Kinesiology; Gina Mabrey, Kinesiology
Files
Submission Type
Conference Proceeding
Location
1:15-1:25 pm | Houston Cole Library, 11th Floor
Description
Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional issues in athletes. Numerous studies have shown that most iron deficiency issues are caused by low dietary intake. It has been suggested that athletes increase their iron intake, via certain foods, supplements, or even intravenous administrations. Despite increased iron intake from food, supplements, or intravenous administration, iron deficiency remains prevalent in athletes, suggesting additional physiological factors such as iron output during exercising. Further research is being done to understand the relationship between iron status and physical activity. Iron deficiency is noticed in endurance athletes and female athletes the most. When iron intake is lower than iron output, it is released from ferritin in the liver and increases serum iron concentration. Approximately 85% percent of erythrocyte iron is released into the form of transferring and ferritin. The remaining is stored in the form of hemosiderin and ferritin.
When an iron deficiency occurs, it limits the hematopoietic tissues, which can lead to a decrease in hemoglobin concentration and anemia. Numerous biological functions, such as immune function, sympathetic nerve function, endocrine metabolism, and thermoregulation, are all reduced when iron levels are low. For endurance athletes, iron deficiency is common due to prolonged training and constant impacts on the ground. There have been several physiological mechanisms proposed to explain the loss of iron from the impact on the plantar surface area. When intensely exercising, it can increase the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels, stimulating hepcidin production. The serum hepcidin levels also increase about 3-6 hours after exercising. Prolonged exercise is the cause of the increase in circulating IL-6 levels. This mechanism is suggested to be responsible for the increase after exercise, and hepcidin expression is due to an elevated IL-6. In aerobic exercise, studies have shown that in female athlete’s iron is lost 20% faster than in non-athletes. When comparing aerobic exercise and resistance training, there are not many studies on the effects of aerobic exercise on iron metabolism. However, mild resistance has been shown to improve subclinical iron deficiency in women without iron supplements. Most male athletes are not anemic because they tend to consume more than the recommended amount of iron, however most female athletes do, which could play a part in their iron deficiency. Additional studies have been conducted in rats to see if meal timing paired with resistance training could improve iron deficiency. Plasma iron increased after exercise but did not increase due to the food given. Given the persistent prevalence of iron deficiency, athletes should regularly assess their iron levels and consider tailored strategies to optimize iron status, including dietary modifications, supplementation, and training adjustments.
Keywords
student research, kinesiology
Rights
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Recommended Citation
Leffall, Mea, "The Role of Iron in Athletic Health and Performance: Challenges and Nutritional Approaches" (2025). JSU Student Symposium 2025. 23.
https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/ce_jsustudentsymp_2025/23
