Iron AbsorptionIRON BOOSTNCT07517562
The Effects of Acute Erythropoietin on Hepcidin and Dietary Iron Absorption Following Military-relevant Exercise in Energy Deficit: Pilot Study
A study testing Exercise test in people with Iron Absorption, run by Pennington Biomedical Research Center at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Military personnel frequently experience declines in iron status during training and when in the field, which may compromise performance. The overall purpose of this study is to determine why the decline in iron status occurs and potential countermeasures. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 45 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Iron Absorption
- What is being tested?
- Exercise test
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 6 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Sep 2025to 1 Oct 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 45 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Males and premenopausal females ages 18-45 years
- Physically active
Who cannot join
- Low iron stores (ferritin <15 mg/mL)
- Anemia (females: hemoglobin < 12 g/dL, males: hemoglobin < 13 g/dL)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
LSU Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70808
About this study
Military personnel frequently experience declines in iron status during training and when in the field, which may compromise performance. The overall purpose of this study is to determine why the decline in iron status occurs and potential countermeasures. Participants will be given an acute dose of erythropoietin (EPO) or placebo and will complete a 90-minute load carriage exercise test. Prior to the main trial, this pilot study will determine the optimal approach to assess iron absorption following exercise (red blood cell incorporation or plasma isotope appearance), the percentage of iron incorporated into red blood cells with EPO compared to placebo, and the timing of the intervention.
- Conditions
- Iron Absorption
- Being tested
- Exercise test
- Keywords
- Iron, Iron status, Iron deficiency, Iron deficiency anemia, Military, Exercise
- Medical subject headings
- Iron Deficiencies, Anemia, Iron-Deficiency, Motor Activity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Exercise testOther
90-minute load carriage exercise test on a treadmill
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| EPO | Experimental | Recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) Receives: Other: Exercise test |
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | Saline placebo Receives: Other: Exercise test |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Fractional iron absorption
Iron absorption as measured by iron incorporation into red blood cells
Measured: 14 days post-exercise
Plasma isotope appearance
Plasma iron isotope appearance
Measured: 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 360 minutes post-exercise
Red blood cell iron incorporation
The calculation to determine dietary iron absorption accounts for the fact that not all absorbed iron is incorporated into red blood cells. This can either be an assumed constant of 80% or experimentally determined by administering a second isotope intravenously. Pilot testing will be used to assess whether the investigators can use 80% or whether iron uptake by red blood cells is greater after EPO compared to placebo.
Measured: 50 minutes infusion of a stable iron isotope following exercise
Timing of intervention
Blood will be collected over time to ensure blood biomarkers return to baseline following EPO.
Measured: 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 30 days following EPO
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted8 Apr 2026
- Study start1 Sep 2025
- Primary completion31 Dec 2025
- Study completion1 Oct 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Iron AbsorptionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 6 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07517562
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2023-082
- Acronym
- IRON BOOST
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 4 Dec 2025
- Last updated
- 2 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effects of Acute Erythropoietin on Hepcidin and Dietary Iron Absorption Following Military-relevant Exercise in Energy Deficit: Pilot Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07517562
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- IRON BOOST / 2023-082
- Conditions
- Iron Absorption
- Keywords
- Iron, Iron status, Iron deficiency, Iron deficiency anemia, Military, Exercise
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 6 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Pennington Biomedical Research CenterUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Sep 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 8 Apr 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Military personnel frequently experience declines in iron status during training and when in the field, which may compromise performance. The overall purpose of this study is to determine why the decline in iron status occurs and potential countermeasures. Participants will be given an acute dose of erythropoietin (EPO) or placebo and will complete a 90-minute load carriage exercise test. Prior to the main trial, this pilot study will determine the optimal approach to assess iron absorption following exercise (red blood cell incorporation or plasma isotope appearance), the percentage of iron incorporated into red blood cells with EPO compared to placebo, and the timing of the intervention.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| EPO | Experimental | Other: Exercise testRecombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) |
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | Other: Exercise testSaline placebo |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 45 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Males and premenopausal females ages 18-45 years
- Physically active
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Low iron stores (ferritin <15 mg/mL)
- Anemia (females: hemoglobin < 12 g/dL, males: hemoglobin < 13 g/dL)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise test90-minute load carriage exercise test on a treadmill | Other | EPO, Placebo |
Primary outcome
Fractional iron absorption
Time frame: 14 days post-exercise
Iron absorption as measured by iron incorporation into red blood cells
Plasma isotope appearance
Time frame: 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 360 minutes post-exercise
Plasma iron isotope appearance
Red blood cell iron incorporation
Time frame: 50 minutes infusion of a stable iron isotope following exercise
The calculation to determine dietary iron absorption accounts for the fact that not all absorbed iron is incorporated into red blood cells. This can either be an assumed constant of 80% or experimentally determined by administering a second isotope intravenously. Pilot testing will be used to assess whether the investigators can use 80% or whether iron uptake by red blood cells is greater after EPO compared to placebo.
Timing of intervention
Time frame: 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 30 days following EPO
Blood will be collected over time to ensure blood biomarkers return to baseline following EPO.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 Oct 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Related trials for Iron Absorption
Recruiting
Iron Absorption From a Nutritional Iron Supplement
Iron Absorption, Iron Deficiencies
Active, not recruiting
Iron Absorption From IFA and MMS Supplements in Kenyan Women During the Second Trimester of Pregnancy
Pregnancy
Active, not recruiting
Absorption of Iron From Stabilized Lactoferrin: A Study in Women With Iron Deficiency
Iron Deficiency (Without Anemia)
Active, not recruitingObservational study
Ethnic Differences in Iron Absorption (FeGenes)
Anemia, Iron Deficiency, Iron Overload
Active, not recruitingObservational study
Heme and Non-heme Iron Intakes, Gut Microbiota, and Influence on Host Iron Absorption
Anemia, Iron Deficiency, Iron Overload
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Exercise test in people with Iron Absorption, run by Pennington Biomedical Research Center at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Fractional iron absorption (time frame: 14 days post-exercise). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Oct 2026.