Low dietary zinc decreases erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase activities and impairs cardiorespiratory function in men during exercise.

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial looks at the intervention named in the title.

This study determined the effects of low zinc intake on carbonic anhydrase activity in red blood cells (RBCs) and cardiorespiratory function during exercise.

Why It Was Studied

The role of zinc in promoting physiologic function during exercise is not well understood.

Although some zinc-containing enzymes are postulated to regulate energy expenditure, data are limited on the effect of restricted dietary zinc on metabolic responses during exercise.

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 14 men taking part.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were adults, men only.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized, double-blind and crossover study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got the intervention named in the title and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

As a double-blind study, the assignments were hidden from both participants and investigators until the end.

In the crossover set-up each of the men took both the intervention named in the title and the comparison in turn, acting as their own control.

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Carbonic Anhydrases, Diet, Erythrocytes, Exercise, Heart Rate, Oxygen Consumption and Zinc.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and crossover study in 14 men.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 5 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 2005 (The American journal of clinical nutrition), a journal based in United States.

More context: all human trials.