Iron regulation and absorption in athletes: contemporary thinking and recommendations

[MR. BMJ]

Iron regulation and absorption in athletes: contemporary thinking and recommendations - PubMed

Exercise can affect iron regulatory hormone activity, which subsequently impairs iron absorption, potentially contributing to the high rates of iron deficiency seen in athletes. Future research should continue to examine strategies to optimize iron absorption, with consideration to the timing...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Recent findings: Building on the well accepted knowledge that hepcidin concentrations increase in the 3-6 h period following an acute bout of exercise, recent studies have shown that this links to a reduced fractional iron absorption from the gut during feedings provided 2 h postexercise. Further, a window of enhanced iron absorption has recently been identified to occur 30 min either side of exercise commencement/completion, which allows for strategic iron intake to optimize absorption around exercise. Finally, there is burgeoning evidence to show that iron status and iron regulation change throughout the menstrual cycle and with hormonal contraceptive use, which could have implications for iron status in female athletes.

Summary: Exercise can affect iron regulatory hormone activity, which subsequently impairs iron absorption, potentially contributing to the high rates of iron deficiency seen in athletes. Future research should continue to examine strategies to optimize iron absorption, with consideration to the timing, mode and intensity of exercise, the time of day, and in females, the menstrual cycle/menstrual status.

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May be worth trying out and then monitoring RBC & Hct/Hgb levels and how they are effected. Maybe take your more iron-rich foods (red meat, etc) in the 3-6-hr post w/o window where absorption is blunted from the increased levels of hepcidin. I always use whey and milk or almond milk/whey etc. post-w/o. Calcium absorption is also enhanced around workouts, but calcium also inhibits iron absorption as well. Of course, if you need more iron, then it would be beneficial to take it around workouts (or during low dairy/calcium-rich feedings). If you are a female, then it is good to know since they have their menstrual periods, so taking iron around workouts is a no-brainer for them.