RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Is iron treatment beneficial in, iron-deficient but non-anaemic (IDNA) endurance athletes? A systematic review and meta-analysis
JF British Journal of Sports Medicine
JO Br J Sports Med
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine
SP 1389
OP 1397
DO 10.1136/bjsports-2014-093624
VO 49
IS 21
A1 Richard J Burden
A1 Katie Morton
A1 Toby Richards
A1 Gregory P Whyte
A1 Charles R Pedlar
YR 2015
UL http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/49/21/1389.abstract
AB Purpose The aim of this study was to determine whether iron treatments improve the iron status and aerobic capacity of iron deficient non-anaemic endurance athletes.Method A meta-analysis of studies that investigated the effects of iron treatment on serum ferritin (sFer), serum iron (sFe), transferrin saturation (Tsat), haemoglobin concentration ([Hb]) and (). Seventeen eligible studies were identified from online databases.Results Analysis of pooled data indicated that iron treatments had a large effect on improving sFer (Hedges’ g=1.088, 95% CI 0.914 to 1.263, p<0.001), sFe (Hedges’ g=1.004, 95% CI 0.828 to 1.181, p<0.001) and Tsat (Hedges g=0.741, 95% CI 0.564 to 0.919, p<0.001) and a moderate effect on improving [Hb] (Hedges’ g=0.695, 95% CI 0.533 to 0.836, p<0.001) and (Hedges’ g=0.610, 95% CI 0.399 to 0.821, p<0.001). Regression analysis revealed a significant interaction between the effect of iron treatment on sFer and treatment duration, suggesting treatments that lasted beyond 80 days appear to have the least effect on sFer.Conclusions These results indicate iron treatments improve the iron status and aerobic capacity of iron deficient non-anaemic endurance athletes.