Serum mineral levels according to iron nutrition state and physical activity in young women

Abstract

The iron nutrition status influences other micro‐mineral status through interacting in the intestinal absorption or in the uptake into tissue. The iron‐deficiencies of women are usually not a kind of an anemia, but a state of only iron storage depletion without anemia. Extracellular mineral concentrations can be changed by exercise through water and electrolyte loss of sweat. We compared the minerals levels in serum according to body iron stores and physical activity in young women. We collected bloods of young collegiate sedentary women and physically active athletic women, and serum concentrations of Na, Cl, Ca, Fe, Zn, Se were measured by neutron activation analysis method. The proportion of females with iron depletion(ID, serum ferritin <20μg/L) were 50% in sedentary and athletic women, respectively. The subjects were divided into 4 groups according to physical activity and iron storage. The serum Na, Cl and Ca level showed increasing tendencies in sedentary with normal iron status compared to the athletes with ID, although no significant differences among 4 groups. The serum Fe levels did not show significant differences among 4 groups, although lower values in the athletes than sedentary women. The serum Zn and Se concentrations were the highest in athletes with normal iron status and the lowest in sedentary with ID. In conclusion, this study suggests that the serum Se and Zn concentrations in young women might be influenced by the chronic physical activity and iron status. This study was supported by the MOST of Korea