Iron and energy supplementation improves the physical work capacity of female college students.

A nutritionally controlled study was conducted on two groups of 15 female college students aged 16 to 20 years, selected from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India. The girls were either anemic (hemoglobin 7.7 g/dl) but energy adequate (AEA), or anemic (hemoglobin 7.4 g/dl) and energy deficient (AED). The AEA group was given iron supplementation (60 mg iron/day) for 6 to 9 months along with 100 mg of ascorbic acid, and the AED group was given iron as well as energy supplementation for 3 months. There was a significant (p < .01) increase in weight, body mass index, mid-upper-arm circumference, and body fat in the AED group after iron-energy supplementation. Hemoglobin, serum iron, transferrin saturation, total iron-binding capacity, and unsaturated iron-binding capacity were below normal in both groups; however, after iron and iron-energy supplementation, there was a significant (p < .01) increase, and these indices were in the normal range. There was a significant (p < .01) increase in exercise time and maximum work load tolerance after iron and iron-energy supplementation. Combined energy and iron deficiency had a greater adverse effect on physical work capacity than energy or iron deficiency alone.