The Iron-Exercise Connection for Athletes

Iron is an essential mineral that assists in the transport of oxygen via red blood cells from the lungs to the working muscles, so is especially important for athletes due to the high work demands placed on their muscles during training. Yet, many athletes, particularly those involved in endurance activities like runners, struggle with maintaining good iron status.

A recent study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that the impact that hard workouts have on an iron regulatory hormone could be playing a role in sinking levels.

The acute inflammation associated with intense exercise paired with a depletion in muscle glycogen stores can increase levels of hepcidin, a hormone that reduces iron absorption which may contribute to poor iron status. And when an athlete fails to consume a sufficient amount of calories during nonexercise rest periods, hepcidin levels stay elevated, thereby increasing the risk for low iron. With suppressed absorption rates, the iron needed for red cell production would first be drawn primarily from body stores, requiring the need for adequate iron reserves at the outset coming from a diet with plentiful bioavailable iron over a longer term.

These results also emphasize the need that endurance athletes to be educated on the importance of meeting their overall high energy needs. However, there could be some sex differences in the hepcidin response to exercise, with males seeing a bigger increase than females.

See also: Iron Levels for Athletic Performance