Effects of exercise on iron status in mature female rats

Abstract Forty-eight female rats, age 6–8 months, were utilized in a six-week experiment to investigate the effect of exercise to exhaustion and iron intakes on several parameters of iron status. Animals were placed on diets of either 9 ppm or 40 ppm dietary iron and either subjected to exercise or remained sedentary to form the following experimental groups: 9-E, 9-S, 40-E, 40-S. Body weights and food intakes were not affected by iron intake or exercise. Animals that were exercised by swimming exhibited a training effect as measured by muscle citrate synthase activity. Weights of heart, liver, spleen and gastrocnemius muscle were not uniformly affected by exercise. Hemoglobin and hematocrit were significantly higher in the 40 ppm diet, but exercise did not affect either parameter. However, serum Fe and Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) were significantly lowered (p