Iron deficiency is common in athletes. Replenishment and maintain of iron stores with
diet only is a special challenge for them. In addition to nutritional interventions, athletes
reach for supplements with iron. They are considered to be effective, cheap, and
represent a low health risk. We aimed to perform a systematic review, thus evaluate the
literature, and perform meta-analysis, with which we tried to answer the question,
whether, how and how much nutritional supplements with iron affect iron status in
athletes. This review was planned and carried out in accordance with the priority
reporting guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analysis – PRISMA. The review
included studies performed in healthy adult athletes (>= 18 years of age) consuming
dietary supplements with iron. In a systematic review, a meta-analysis found statistically
significant but physiologically small effects of iron supplementation on iron status. In
the studies included in meta-analysis, no other dietary intervention was performed. In
more than 50 % of studies included in meta-analysis, iron stores increased. Meta-analysis has also revealed possible moderate increase in haemoglobin, a decrease in
serum transferrin, a slight increase in transport saturation, and a small positive effect of
iron intake on VO2max values. The work thus represents a systematic starting point for
further treatment on iron deficiency in athletes.
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