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Updated: Jun 13, 2026
03:19
Modifying Levels of Maternal Dietary Folic Acid or Choline to Study the Impact of Deficiencies on Offspring Health Outcomes
Published on: June 28, 2024
Folic acid supplementation improves vascular function in amenorrheic runners
Anne Z Hoch1, Stacy L Lynch, Jason W Jurva
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, USA.
Summary
Folic acid supplementation improved vascular endothelial function, measured by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD), in amenorrheic runners. Eumenorrheic runners showed no significant change in FMD after supplementation.
Area of Science:
- Exercise physiology
- Nutritional science
- Cardiovascular health
Background:
- Amenorrheic runners may experience impaired vascular endothelial function.
- Endothelial dysfunction is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of folic acid supplementation on endothelial vascular function in amenorrheic runners.
- To compare the effects in amenorrheic and eumenorrheic runners.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cross-sectional study involving 10 amenorrheic and 10 eumenorrheic women runners.
- Participants received 10 mg/d of folic acid for 4 weeks.
- Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was measured before and after supplementation.
Main Results:
- Folic acid supplementation significantly improved brachial artery FMD in amenorrheic women (P = 0.02).
- No significant change in FMD was observed in the eumenorrheic control group (P = 0.52).
Conclusions:
- Short-term folic acid supplementation enhances brachial artery FMD in amenorrheic female runners.
- Folic acid may be beneficial for improving vascular endothelial function in this population.
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