Daily iron supplements give women a significant physical boost, according to a new study.
They experience a marked improvement in their exercise performance, says Dr Sant-Rayn Pasricha from the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health.
The improvement brought about by daily oral supplements is particularly apparent for elite athletes and for women who had been iron deficient or anaemic.
Women who are given iron are able to perform a given exercise at a lower heart rate and higher efficiency than before, according to the study, which is based on a review of several small studies.
"When we merged the data we found this impressive benefit from iron," says Dr Pasricha.
He says it is the first time researchers have been able to confirm iron supplementation has beneficial effects on exercise performance.
Women of reproductive age are at high risk of iron deficiency due to menstrual blood loss.
"It may be worthwhile screening women, including women training as elite athletes, for iron deficiency," says Dr Pasricha, whose study is published in the Journal of Nutrition
"Athletes, especially females, are at increased risk of iron deficiency," he says.
This could be because of their diets and inflammation caused by excessive exercise.
Iron deficiency can also produce fatigue and lethargy and eventually result in iron deficiency anaemia.
