Modulation of hepcidIN With Co-supplementation of Iron and FORMulated Curcumin in Recreational Athletes

Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia are common among endurance athletes (Keller et al., 2024) partly due to a repeated post-exercise elevation of hepcidin, a hormone limiting iron entry through the intestine (Larsuphrom and Latunded-Dada, 2021). Oral iron supplementation also causes stimulation of hepcidin (Ishibashi et al., 2017) that adds on to the exercise-intrinsic stimulation of this hormone further reducing iron absorption. Both oral ferrous iron therapy and performance running are known to cause undesired gastrointestinal symptoms (Tolkien et al., 2015, Peters et al., 1999). Curcumin, a polyphenol from turmeric, has been previously shown to reduce hepcidin levels in resting individuals (Laine et al., 2017) and to protect the gastrointestinal (GI) function (Szymanski et al., 2018) but its effect on active individuals supplementing with iron remains unclarified. The objective of this research study is to learn about the effects of a formulated curcumin (HydroCurc®) on intestinal health and regulation mechanisms of body iron levels in recreationally active athletes supplementing with iron. The main questions to answer are: Does HydroCurc® influence iron regulatory mechanisms in resting conditions? Does HydroCurc® influence iron regulatory mechanisms in post-exercise conditions? Does HydroCurc® alleviate iron supplementation- and exercise-related gastrointestinal adverse events Researchers will compare HydroCurc® to a placebo (a look-alike substance that contains no drug) to see if there are any significant changes. Participants will: * Perform a fitness test * Take iron and HydroCurc for seven days * Complete questionnaires on their gastrointestinal health * Complete anthropometric testing * Undergo blood sampling