1.
A brief review: the implications of iron supplementation for marathon runners on health and performance.
Zourdos, MC, Sanchez-Gonzalez, MA, Mahoney, SE
Journal of strength and conditioning research. 2015;(2):559-65
Abstract
The marathon is considered one of the most demanding endurance events, imposing an enormous amount of physiological stress on bodily structures, the metabolic machinery, and organ systems. Scientific evidence has conclusively shown that marathoners are in need of special nutritional strategies to maintain performance and health. Indeed, among competitive athletes, marathoners are at greater risk to develop anemia, bone mineral density loss, immunosuppression, and other clinical syndromes that may affect performance. Inadequate dietary intake of the micronutrient iron has been identified as one key factor in the development of the above mentioned anomalies. In fact, iron is one of the few nutrients recommended as a supplement by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), and Dietitians of Canada. Therefore, the aim of this review article is to discuss the role of iron on the marathoner's health and performance. Special emphasis will be given to the physiological mechanisms accounting for the additional iron need in this group of athletes and the nutritional strategies intended to counteract iron deficiency.
2.
Effects of venesections and restricted diet in patients with the insulin-resistance hepatic iron overload syndrome.
Piperno, A, Vergani, A, Salvioni, A, Trombini, P, ViganĂ², M, Riva, A, Zoppo, A, Boari, G, Mancia, G
Liver international : official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver. 2004;(5):471-6
Abstract
GOAL: We evaluated the effect of venesections and restricted diet on iron and metabolic indices and liver function tests in patients with insulin-resistance hepatic iron overload (IR-HIO). MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients were divided in three groups: (a) patients without any therapy who were followed-up for 36+28 months; (b) patients venesected; and (c) patients on dietary treatment. In each group baseline and end-point levels of serum iron and metabolic indices, and liver function tests were compared by Student's paired t-test and the relationship between serum ferritin and the other variables during treatment was evaluated by linear regression analysis. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS In the follow-up group, iron and metabolic indices did not change over time. Serum alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, cholesterol and triglycerides significantly decreased after iron depletion. Serum glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, ferritin and liver function tests significantly decreased after dietary treatment. Transferrin saturation decreased below 20% during phlebotomy treatment in 52% of the patients. In conclusion, our results show that IR-HIO patients had relatively low amount of iron overload that seems not to increase even after a long follow-up period. Both venesections and diet improved iron, metabolic and hepatic indices. Data suggest a relationship between hepatic iron overload and insulin resistance, and a role for both iron overload and insulin resistance in hepatocellular damage. The behaviour of iron indices during venesections suggests an impaired iron release from hepatic cells.