Iron and Vitamin D Status in Female Gee-Gees Varsity Athletes

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to measure the nutritional status of iron and vitamin D in varsity female athletes from the University of Ottawa and the possible relationship with their dietary patterns (mixed diet or plant-based diet). Among 63 athletes interested in participating, 17 completed the study. Nutritional intakes were assessed during sports season using two 24-hour recalls with the self-administered dietary assessment tool (ASA24). A blood sample was taken to measure indicators of iron and vitamin D status. The results revealed that 5% of the athletes suffered from vitamin D deficiency and as much as 47% had suboptimal vitamin D levels. No athletes suffered from iron deficiency anemia (IDA), but 26% had iron deficiency (ID). The vitamin D intake for 94% of athletes was below the estimated average requirements (EAR) and the use of supplements helped athletes attain the EAR. In contrast, 94% of athletes were able to meet the EAR for iron and the use of supplements caused athletes to exceed upper limits (UL). Lastly, due to the small number of plant-based athletes recruited, it was not possible to establish any relationships with this dietary pattern.