Research summary · Nutrition and energy
Diet, supplements and iron status in active females
A female-focused review compares oral iron, other supplements, food-based strategies, nutrition counselling and combined approaches for iron-status outcomes.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention trials
- Journal
- Sports Medicine
- Population / context
- Physically active females · Multiple sports
What the publication reports
Forty-two publications were included. In pooled analyses, ferrous sulfate increased haemoglobin by 0.42 g/dL and ferritin by 12.61 ng/mL on average, but results varied substantially across populations and interventions.
Limits and interpretation
Heterogeneity was moderate and trials differed in baseline iron status, dose and duration. Group averages do not justify unsupervised supplementation: testing, clinical interpretation and the risks of unnecessary iron remain relevant.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
The Effect of Diet and Dietary Supplements on Iron Status of Active Females: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Interventional Trials
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42271116DOI: 10.1007/s40279-026-02464-xFull text at the sourceReader discussion
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