Studies on Sweat Losses of Nutrients II The Influence of an Oral Iron Load on the Iron Content of Whole Body Cell-free Sweat

Abstract

The objective of the study was to assess the validity of the assumption that the amount of iron excreted by the sweat glands is influenced by the plasma level. Whole body cell-free sweat was collected in 19 healthy young adult men during 60 min of profuse sweating in an environmental chamber with a hot humid atmosphere. Before the start of the sweat experiment an oral iron load with ferrous succinate tablets was given.

The mean iron concentration of the cell-free sweat collected during the experiments was 34.5 μg/100 ml and the corresponding hourly loss about 400 μg.

In spite of nearly doubled serum iron levels due to the oral iron load, it was not possible to demonstrate any significant influence on the sweat iron content compared with basic values.

Key Words:

• Environmental chamber
• iron
• oral iron load
• sweat losses unacclimatized men
• whole body sweat