Effects of extremely low-volume high-intensity interval training combined with iron supplementation versus iron supplementation alone on postural control in young women with iron deficiency anemia: a randomized controlled trial.

In 30 seconds

This randomized controlled trial compared 8 weeks of extremely low-volume, plyometric-based high-intensity interval training (HIIT) plus oral iron with iron supplementation alone in young women aged 18–25 years with iron deficiency anemia. Both groups improved postural performance, but the training group had greater gains in hemoglobin, muscle endurance, and several postural-control measures. After adjustment for multiple comparisons, between-group differences remained significant for bipedal stance on foam with eyes open (P = 0.001) and semi-tandem stance on foam with eyes closed (P = 0.003).

Key findings

• Both groups improved postural performance after 8 weeks, regardless of whether participants also completed HIIT.
• The training group had greater hemoglobin improvement than the iron-only group (P = 0.042) and greater muscle-endurance improvement (P < 0.001).
• After Bonferroni adjustment, postural-control differences favored training for bipedal foam stance with eyes open (P = 0.001) and semi-tandem foam stance with eyes closed (P = 0.003).

Why it matters

Postural control may be impaired in young women with iron deficiency anemia, and these findings suggest that adding a brief, plyometric-based exercise program to iron supplementation can improve selected balance measures beyond supplementation alone. The results also indicate that improvement occurs with iron treatment in both groups, while the additional exercise benefit was not uniform across all postural assessments.

What to keep in mind

The trial included a small, narrowly defined population of young women with iron deficiency anemia, and outcomes were assessed only 72 hours after the final session; longer-term effects are not established.