(P32-013-23) Iron Supplementation History, Iron Status, and Hepcidin Response in College Athletes

Objectives: Iron status in the body is regulated by the hormone hepcidin. Athletes need optimal iron for performance, and may be at risk for deficiency.  Thus we sought to determine prevalence, reasons for and monitoring of iron supplementation, and relationships among iron status and hepcidin.

Methods: An online Qualtrics survey of athletes was conducted. Track athletes (4 females, 7 males) who consented to further participation, completed an additional survey, anthropometrics, and scheduled blood collection appointments. Complete blood count, iron status panel, and serum hepcidin (baseline and after a training run) were assessed. Iron status was determined by UW-L Student Health Center and contracted clinical labs, and hepcidin was determined by ELISA.

Results: Of 550 UW-L Division III NCAA athletes from 14 teams, 96 (46 females, 50 males) from eight sports, ages 18-22 yr, responded to the survey. Those iron supplementing included 11 past, 11 present, and 15 past and present (38% of respondents). For those reporting supplementation, more information follows. Referral source: Thirty-two percent reported physician suggestion, 21% reported parent/guardian suggestion, 17% reported coach suggestion, 8% reported other healthcare professionals suggestion, 8% reported teammates/friends suggestion, 8% reported self-referral, 5% reported other, and 3% reported other family member suggestion. Reason(s) for iron supplementation: Forty-four percent reported feeling fatigued, 25% reported poor performance, 5% reported vegetarian diet habits, and 26% reported “other” reasons. None selected vegan diet habits. Previous iron status testing: Thirty-six percent of those with iron supplementing experience reported no iron status testing, while 38% reported iron status testing before beginning, 19% during, and 3% after supplementation. Of the 11 track athletes participating further, 7 (63%) had at least one iron status value suggesting deficiency. Iron indices were increased as expected and post-exercise hepcidin was reduced with iron supplementation.

Conclusions: Results of this study may be of interest to athletes, parents, coaches, and healthcare professionals to inform athletes about recommendations for iron supplementation and status monitoring.

Funding Sources: UW-L Undergraduate Research Grant