Background Strenuous physical activity promotes inflammation and depletes muscle glycogen, which may increase the iron regulatory hormone hepcidin. Hepcidin reduces dietary iron absorption and may contribute to declines in iron status frequently observed following strenuous physical activity. Objectives To determine the effects of strenuous physical activity on hepcidin and dietary iron absorption and whether energy deficit compared with energy balance modifies those effects. Methods This was a randomized, cross-over, controlled-feeding trial in healthy male subjects (n = 10, mean ± SD age: 22.4 ± 5.4 y, weight: 87.3 ± 10.9 kg) with sufficient iron status (serum ferritin 77.0 ± 36.7 ng/mL). Rest measurements were collected before participants began a 72-h simulated sustained military operation (SUSOPS), designed to elicit high energy expenditure, glycogen depletion, and inflammation, followed by a 7-d recovery period. Two 72-h SUSOPS trials were performed where participants were randomly assigned to consume either energy matched (±10%) to their individual estimated total daily energy expenditure (BAL) or energy at 45% of total daily energy expenditure to induce energy deficit (DEF). On the rest day and at the completion of BAL and DEF, participants consumed a beverage containing 3.8 mg of a stable iron isotope, and plasma isotope appearance was measured over 6 h. Results Muscle glycogen declined during DEF and was preserved during BAL (−188 ± 179 mmol/kg, P-adjusted < 0.01). Despite similar increases in interleukin-6, plasma hepcidin increased during DEF but not BAL, such that hepcidin was 108% greater during DEF compared with BAL (7.8 ± 12.2 ng/mL, P-adjusted < 0.0001). Peak plasma isotope appearance at 120 min was 74% lower with DEF (59 ± 38% change from 0 min) and 49% lower with BAL (117 ± 81%) compared with rest (230 ± 97%, P-adjusted < 0.01 for all comparisons). Conclusions Strenuous physical activity decreases dietary iron absorption compared with rest. Energy deficit exacerbates both the hepcidin response to physical activity and declines in dietary iron absorption compared with energy balance. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03524690.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate molecular processes governing muscle metabolism. Physical activity and energy balance influence both muscle anabolism and substrate metabolism, but whether circulating and skeletal muscle miRNAs mediate those effects remains unknown. This study assessed the impact of sustained physical activity with participants in energy balance (BAL) or deficit (DEF) on circulating and skeletal muscle miRNAs. Using a randomized cross‐over design, 10 recreational active healthy males (mean ± SD, 22 ± 5 years, 87 ± 11 kg) completed 72 h of high aerobic exercise‐induced energy expenditures in BAL (689 ± 852 kcal/day) or DEF (−2047 ± 920 kcal/day). Blood and muscle samples were collected under rested/fasted conditions before (PRE) and immediately after 120 min load carriage exercise bout at the end (POST) of the 72 h. Trials were separated by 7 days. Circulating and skeletal muscle miRNAs were measured using microarray RT‐qPCR. Independent of energy status, 36 circulating miRNAs decreased (P < 0.05), while 10 miRNAs increased and three miRNAs decreased in skeletal muscle (P < 0.05) at POST compared to PRE. Of these, miR‐122‐5p, miR‐221‐3p, miR‐222‐3p and miR‐24‐3p decreased in circulation and increased in skeletal muscle. Two circulating (miR‐145‐5p and miR‐193a‐5p) and four skeletal muscle (miR‐21‐5p, miR‐372‐3p, miR‐34a‐5p and miR‐9‐5p) miRNAs had time‐by‐treatment effects (P < 0.05). These data suggest that changes in miRNA profiles are more sensitive to increased physical activity compared to energy status, and that changes in circulating miRNAs in response to high levels of daily aerobic exercise are not reflective of changes in skeletal muscle miRNAs. Key points Circulating and skeletal muscle miRNA profiles are more sensitive to high levels of aerobic exercise‐induced energy expenditure compared to energy status. Changes in circulating miRNA in response to high levels of daily sustained aerobic exercise are not reflective of changes in skeletal muscle miRNA.