Oslo Footballplayers Iron Supplementation and Training (FIT) Study (Oslo-FIT)

Norwegian University of Life Science (NMBU)

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Intestinal Health; Endurance Performance; Iron; Athletes; Hemoglobin; Microbiota

Treatments: Dietary Supplement: Iron supplement (27mg)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04526678

969159570_KBM_SKB2020

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of the study is to characterize the diet and iron status of young female elite football players and examine the relationship between iron intake, iron status, hemoglobin levels, intestinal health and sports performance. In addition, the effects of low-dose iron supplements on iron stores will be investigated and whether such supplementation affects intestinal health, microbiota composition and biomarkers for oxidative stress.

Full description

Iron deficiency can lead to fatigue and anemia. Because iron is necessary for the formation of new blood cells (hematopoiesis), it is an extensive practice internationally among athletes to take iron supplements in the belief that this will improve endurance performance and oxygen transport capacity by increasing red blood cell production. Although iron intake in menstruating women has shown to reduce the prevalence of anemia and iron deficiency as well as increasing hemoglobin values and iron stores. However iron supplementation increases the risk of iron excess and can result in undesirable effects such as constipation and abdominal pain as well as negative impact on intestinal epithelial permeability and increase in oxidative stress. Because iron is important for the replication and survival of almost all bacteria, with few exceptions, the intake of iron also affect the composition of the intestinal bacteria. Not surprisingly, both high and low iron levels affect the composition of the microbiota in the gut.

It is not known if young menstruating Norwegian female athletes cover their need for iron via the diet or whether extra intake in the form of a low-dose supplement could be beneficial in terms of hemoglobin levels and sports performance. Because iron preparations are not prescription and are sold in pharmacies, health food stores and larger grocery stores, this can lead to uncritical intake of iron. Since the use of iron preparations has been documented to be widespread in foreign sports environments, it is important to both characterize the iron status of Norwegian athletes and at the same time examine the beneficial value of iron supplements on sports performance as well as monitoring effects on microbiota composition and intestinal health.

The aim of the study is therefore to characterize the diet and iron status of young female elite football players and examine the relationship between iron intake, iron status, hemoglobin levels, intestinal health and sports performance. In addition, the effects of low-dose iron supplements will be investigated in relation to iron stores, hemoglobin levels and sports performance and whether such supplementation affects intestinal health, microbiota composition and biomarkers for oxidative stress.

Enrollment: 26 estimated patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 16+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Female elite football players from two selected football clubs

Exclusion criteria

• Pregnancy
• Medical conditions that are worsened by taking iron supplements
• Already taking iron supplements

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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26 participants in 2 patient groups

Iron supplements

Experimental group

Description:

The intervention group will ingest 27 mg iron supplement per day for three months while the control group will not ingest iron supplements.

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: Iron supplement (27mg)

Control group

No Intervention group

Description:

The control group will not ingest iron supplements.