Iron status in athletic females, a shift in perspective on an old paradigm

Iron deficiency is a common nutrient deficiency within athletes, with sport scientists and medical professionals recognizing that athletes require regular monitoring of their iron status during intense training periods. Revised considerations for athlete iron screening and monitoring have suggested...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of sports sciences 2021-07, Vol.39 (14), p.1565-1575
Main Authors: Badenhorst, Claire E., Goto, Kazushige, O'Brien, Wendy J., Sims, Stacy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Athletes
Dietary supplements
Estrogens
Females
Hepcidin
Iron
Iron deficiency
iron homoeostasis
iron regulation
iron stores
Medical personnel
Menstrual cycle
Menstruation
Nutrient deficiency
oestrogen
Progesterone
Training
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Summary:Iron deficiency is a common nutrient deficiency within athletes, with sport scientists and medical professionals recognizing that athletes require regular monitoring of their iron status during intense training periods. Revised considerations for athlete iron screening and monitoring have suggested that males get screened biannually during heavy training periods and females require screening biannually or quarterly, depending on their previous history of iron deficiency. The prevalence of iron deficiency in female athletes is higher than their male counterparts and is often cited as being a result of the presence of a menstrual cycle in the premenopausal years. This review has sought to revise our current understanding of female physiology and the interaction between primary reproductive hormones (oestrogen and progesterone) and iron homoeostasis in females. The review highlights an apparent symbiotic relationship between iron metabolism and the menstrual cycle that requires additional research as well as identifying areas of the menstrual cycle that may be primed for nutritional iron supplementation.
ISSN:0264-0414
1466-447X
DOI:10.1080/02640414.2021.1885782