 The long-term significance of this research is that establishing these relationships will further the current understanding of how iron status impacts and is impacted by aerobic exercise and physical performance. This knowledge could lead to improved physical activity interventions, which help reduce chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes in populations with high prevalence of ID, such as the U.S. and China. It will also help to inform iron interventions designed to alleviate ID in physically active populations, such as rural Chinese laborers and women in developed countries who participate in aerobic training to improve fitness. 