Zinc and copper status in women by physical activity and menstrual status

Zinc and copper status of 33 eumenorrheic and 12 amenorrheic runners and 19 eumenorrheic and 8 amenorrheic nonrunners was studied. Three-day diet records and fasting blood samples were collected and analyzed. No indices of zinc or copper status differed as a function of menstrual status. Although zinc intakes of runners tended to be higher than nonrunners, plasma zinc concentrations tended to be lower. Runners had significantly higher erythrocyte zinc concentrations than nonrunners (12.4 +/- 0.2 vs 11.5 +/- 0.3 micrograms/g; p less than 0.05). Copper intakes of runners also tended to be higher than nonrunners. Mean plasma copper concentration of runners was significantly higher than nonrunners (18.8 +/- 0.5 vs 16.1 +/- 0.6 mumol/L; p less than 0.01) but erythrocyte copper was significantly lower (1.06 +/- 0.02 vs 1.26 +/- 0.03 micrograms/g; p less than 0.01). The observed differences between runners and nonrunners suggest that chronic exercise may induce redistribution of zinc and copper.