Menstrual blood loss as an initial trigger for adaptation of iron metabolism in eumenorrheic female athletes—An exploratory study

• Published in: Physiological reports Vol. 13; no. 16
• Main Authors: Nolte, Svenja, Maier, Celina, Klügel, Simon, Weyh, Christopher, Hacker, Sebastian, Badenhorst, Claire, Krüger, Karsten
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.08.2025; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Adaptation; Birth control; Blood; C-reactive protein; Erythropoiesis; erythropoietic response; Erythropoietin; Female athletes; Ferritin; Hematology; Hepcidin; Hormones; Immunomodulation; Infections; Iron; Iron deficiency; iron homeostasis; Menstrual cycle; menstrual cycle monitoring; Menstruation; Metabolism; Original; Peroxidase; Physiology; Questionnaires; Reticulocytes; Risk factors; Sex hormones; Sport science; Womens sports; Women’s Health Research in Basic and Translational Physiology; Germany

Iron deficiency is a risk factor for impaired performance and recovery. While exercise‐related iron losses are well‐documented, the role of menstrual blood loss (MBL) as a physiological trigger of iron regulation remains underexplored. This study examined whether MBL in eumenorrheic female athletes...