Resistance exercise decreases iron absorption without deteriorating the iron status in rats (907.2)

Abstract

To investigate the effects of resistance exercise on the dietary iron balance and the iron status, rats were divided into a sedentary (S) or an exercise (E) group and given different diets in terms of energy and iron sufficiency for three weeks. The energy‐deficient groups consumed 70% of the energy that was consumed by the energy‐sufficient groups. The iron‐deficient groups consumed a diet containing half of the iron (20 mg Fe/kg diet) of a standard diet. The E groups showed significantly higher fecal iron excretion compared to the S groups, thus resulting in a significantly lower apparent absorption, regardless of the energy and iron sufficiency of the diet. The iron status in the blood was not significantly lower in the E groups than the S groups. The iron content in the liver, heart and spleen did not differ between the E and S groups. The renal iron content of the rats that consumed the diet with sufficient energy but deficient iron was significantly higher in the E group than in the S group, while no such differences were observed in the kidneys in the groups that consumed other diets. These results suggest that, although resistance exercise decreases the dietary iron absorption, it does not appear to worsen the iron status in rats.