The present study is a double-blind, randomized, parallel, placebo-controlled intervention study that has been carried out at two separate trial sites for non-anemic male and female endurance athletes. The reason for selecting different sites for male and female participants was simply based on the availability of the athletic subjects. However, each trial site followed a set recruitment strategy as per study protocols. Participants were asked to complete a health history form, and to be eligible, the following criteria had to be met: (i) no major illness, (ii) 20 years of age or over, (iii) no history of iron deficiency (hemoglobin:13.5–14.5 g/dL (for male); 11.5–12.5 g/dL (for female), (iv) no previous history of known fatigue-related pathology, (iv) not under any medication/taking any iron supplements, (v) no history of somatic, or sleep disorder, and (vi) reported to be regularly menstruating (female participants only). Exclusion criteria were: recent surgery, inflammation or pain (chronic or acute), smokers and having a high habitual consumption of caffeine (>100 mg/day) and alcohol (>20 g/day); pregnancy, and breastfeeding. Also, the researchers used an orthopedic questionnaire to confirm the athlete's eligibility to participate in the study.
Fifty-one healthy adult male athletes with regular exercise habits such as professional soccer and futsal player (Criacao Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan) were recruited for this study. Participants were evaluated at Otsuma Women's University, Tokyo, Japan trial site-1 between October 2019 and November 2019 (average temperature: 18 °C; average humidity: 78%) in an intervention study to determine the influence of dietary iron supplements on fatigue, sweating, and lifestyle profiles of these professional male athletes. The study protocol was approved (No. 2019-035-2) by the Otsuma Women's University Life Science Research Ethics Committee. Also, forty-four healthy adult female athletes with sweating habits and hot yoga experience were evaluated at Nippon Sport Science University, Tokyo, Japan trial site-2 between October 2019 and November 2019 (average temperature: 17.3 °C; average humidity: 77.2%). Sweating habits indicate the fitness level of the athletes. The athletes who are very fit sweat more than their less-fit counterparts during a workout because they need to generate more heat to maximize their evaporative cooling capacity. The study was approved (No. 018-H040) by the Ethics Committee at the Nippon Sport Science University, Tokyo, Japan.
The study procedures were conducted according to the guidelines and ethical standards laid out in the Helsinki Declaration. Procedures were verbally explained to the participants and informed consent was signed by all participating athletes. All participants received detailed information on the purpose of the study (including health hazards, privacy protection, and data management). The study compliance was assured, and the fidelity of the informed intervention was checked.
Fifty-one healthy adult male athletes with regular exercise habits such as professional soccer and futsal player (Criacao Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan) were recruited for this study. Participants were evaluated at Otsuma Women's University, Tokyo, Japan trial site-1 between October 2019 and November 2019 (average temperature: 18 °C; average humidity: 78%) in an intervention study to determine the influence of dietary iron supplements on fatigue, sweating, and lifestyle profiles of these professional male athletes. The study protocol was approved (No. 2019-035-2) by the Otsuma Women's University Life Science Research Ethics Committee. Also, forty-four healthy adult female athletes with sweating habits and hot yoga experience were evaluated at Nippon Sport Science University, Tokyo, Japan trial site-2 between October 2019 and November 2019 (average temperature: 17.3 °C; average humidity: 77.2%). Sweating habits indicate the fitness level of the athletes. The athletes who are very fit sweat more than their less-fit counterparts during a workout because they need to generate more heat to maximize their evaporative cooling capacity. The study was approved (No. 018-H040) by the Ethics Committee at the Nippon Sport Science University, Tokyo, Japan.
The study procedures were conducted according to the guidelines and ethical standards laid out in the Helsinki Declaration. Procedures were verbally explained to the participants and informed consent was signed by all participating athletes. All participants received detailed information on the purpose of the study (including health hazards, privacy protection, and data management). The study compliance was assured, and the fidelity of the informed intervention was checked.
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