Iron (Ferrous Bisglycinate Chelate)

What is Iron?

Iron is an essential trace mineral that plays a starring role in oxygen transport, energy production, and immune function (2). It’s a core component of haemoglobin in red blood cells and myoglobin in muscle tissue, helping to ferry oxygen from your lungs to your working muscles, which is important when you’re hauling a pack up a mountain (1,2).

Why Do Outdoor Adventurers Need Iron?

Trekking, hiking, and long-distance outdoor activity significantly increase your demand for iron (7). You’re sweating more (which means you're losing more), your muscles are hungry for oxygen, and your mitochondria are in overdrive. Inadequate iron = fatigue, shortness of breath, poor thermoregulation, and decreased endurance – a rough combo when you’ve still got 17km to go.

Women, vegetarians/vegans, and endurance athletes are particularly prone to deficiency, which can sneak up slowly with subtle symptoms like irritability, brain fog, and poor recovery.

Dietary Sources of Iron?

There are two types of iron in food:

• Heme iron (from animal sources like red meat, liver, and sardines). This is highly bioavailable (1,3).
• Non-heme iron (from plant foods like spinach, lentils, and pumpkin seeds). This is less efficiently absorbed and more easily blocked by other compounds like phytates (found in nuts and legumes) and calcium (1,3).

What’s the Best Form of Iron For Hikers?

Enter Ferrochel®, a patented form of ferrous bisglycinate chelate. Unlike standard iron salts ( ferrous sulfate and ferrous fumarate), Ferrochel® binds iron to two glycine molecules, forming a chelate that protects it as it passes through the stomach (9). This dramatically improves absorption while reducing common side effects like nausea, constipation, and stomach cramping (8).

Unlike other supplemental forms of non-heme iron out there, it’s gentle on the gut, doesn’t compete with other minerals for absorption, and has clinical backing for improving iron status without the unpleasant trade-offs, making it the gold standard for active people and adventurers who need reliable performance from their supplements (9).

It’s a more expensive ingredient for this reason, and not one you’ll commonly find in the supplement aisle. As a non-heme form, it’s suitable for vegetarians and vegans, is more shelf stable, and the iron content is standardized and consistent for safe consumption. 

To say we’re excited about being able to include this form in Optiventure is an understatement. 

Key Information About Iron

Deficiency Stats

Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency globally, with up to 33% of the world’s population deficient (2). Yes, 33%. That’s huge.

In Australia, iron deficiency affects around 8% of adults (5), with rates up to 22.3% in menstruating women (4), and up to 35% of endurance athletes (6,7). Women are up to three times more likely to be deficient than men (6). 

Why Optiventure Has 12mg amount of Iron Bisglycinate Chelate

Optiventure includes 12mg of elemental iron in the highly absorbable Ferrochel® form, a strategic dose that supports oxygen transport, energy production, and red blood cell maintenance without weighing down your gut. 

Our dosage recognises that most outdoor adventurers are hitting their iron needs for daily life, but could benefit from a boost to help their performance. It will prevent the slow creep of deficiency that can be experienced by active people. Importantly, it’s super gentle on the gut, unlike almost every other supplemental form of iron out there (8). 

References

1. Office of Dietary Supplements. (n.d.). Iron: Fact sheet for health professionals. National Institutes of Health.https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/
2. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2025, March 31). Iron.https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/detailed-methodology-information/concepts-sources-methods/intergenerational-health-and-mental-health-study-concepts-sources-and-methods/2020-24/biomedical-collections/iron
3. Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. (n.d.). Iron. Eat For Health.https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/nutrient-reference-values/nutrients/iron
4. Abbott, J., Black, K. I., & Marles, E. (2025). Updating the diagnosis and management of iron deficiency in the era of routine ferritin testing of blood donors by Australian Red Cross Lifeblood. Medical Journal of Australia, 222(8), 422. https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.52636
5. Rangan, A. M., Aitkin, I., Blight, G. D., & Binns, C. W. (2008). Factors associated with iron status in 15–30 year old females. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 17(1), 77–84. https://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/APJCN/17/1/77.pdf
6. Peeling, P., Blee, T., Goodman, C., Dawson, B., Claydon, G., Beilby, J. R., & Prins, A. (2007). Effect of iron injections on aerobic-exercise performance of iron-depleted female athletes. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 101(4), 437–445. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-007-0517-6
7. Australian Institute of Sport. (n.d.).Iron deficiency. https://www.ais.gov.au/position_statements/best_practice_content/iron-deficiency2
8. Jordie A J Fischer, Arlin M Cherian, Jeffrey N Bone, Crystal D Karakochuk, The effects of oral ferrous bisglycinate supplementation on hemoglobin and ferritin concentrations in adults and children: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, Nutrition Reviews, Volume 81, Issue 8, August 2023, Pages 904–920, https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuac106
9. Balchem Human Nutrition and Health. (n.d.). Ferrochel® ferrous bisglycinate chelate. https://balchem.com/hnh/mn/albion-minerals/ferrochel/