1*PhD Scholar, Saveetha College of Physiotherapy, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, India. Email ID: smitajoseph77@gmail.com
2Assistant Professor, Centre for Global Health Research, Saveetha Medical College & Hospital, SIMATS, Chennai, India. Email ID: muthupandisankar.smc@saveetha.com
3Professor and Dean, School of Paramedical Allied and Health Care Sciences, Mohan Babu University, Tirupathi, India. Email ID: jagatheesanphd@gmail.com
4Professor and Principal, Saveetha College of Physiotherapy, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, India. Email ID: emailprathap@gmail.com
5Professor and Head, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St. John's Medical College, Bangalore, India. Email ID: rejiann@gmail.com
6Professor, Saveetha College of Physiotherapy, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, India. Email ID: vinodhkumar.scpt@saveetha.com
7Associate Professor, Saveetha College of Physiotherapy, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, India. Email ID: Vignesh.scpt@saveetha.com
Ayurveda conceptualizes male infertility as a systemic imbalance affecting Śukra Dhātu, the culminating essence of tissue metabolism... [Full abstract text follows]
Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia remain among the most common nutritional disorders in pregnancy, necessitating widespread use of oral and parenteral iron therapies. Despite advances in iron formulations and delivery systems, therapeutic responses vary considerably, indicating that maternal physiological factors beyond drug design play an important role. Physical activity, increasingly recommended as a non-pharmacological intervention during pregnancy, induces systemic adaptations that may meaningfully influence iron absorption, distribution, and bioavailability. This narrative review examines current evidence on maternal physical activity as a physiological modulator of iron pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics during pregnancy.
We synthesise findings from clinical, physiological, and translational studies that explore exercise-induced changes in gastrointestinal function, hepcidin regulation, insulin sensitivity, inflammatory status, and cardiovascular dynamics, all of which are central to iron absorption and systemic handling. The review also discusses the role of enhanced uteroplacental perfusion and placental transporter activity in shaping maternal–fetal iron transfer. Emerging evidence suggests that regular, structured physical activity may improve iron bioavailability by reducing inflammation-mediated iron sequestration, optimising metabolic control, and supporting efficient placental iron transport.
Implications for both oral and intravenous iron therapies are considered, with particular attention to how maternal activity status may influence dosing efficiency, therapeutic response, and fetal iron exposure. By integrating principles of exercise physiology with drug delivery science, this review highlights maternal physical activity as an important, yet under-recognised, modifier of iron therapy effectiveness. Incorporating structured physical activity into antenatal iron supplementation strategies may represent a low-cost, adjunctive approach to optimising maternal and fetal iron status and improving pregnancy outcomes.
Keywords: Prenatal physical activity, Iron drug delivery, Iron bioavailability, Pregnancy pharmacokinetics, Placental iron transport
How to cite this article: Joseph SE, Sankar M, Alagesan J, Suganthirababu P, Thomas A, Ramalingam V, Srinivasan V. Physical Activity As A Modulator Of Iron Drug Delivery And Bioavailability In Pregnancy. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026; 16(5s): 966-971; DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.5s.119
Source of support: Nil.
Conflict of interest: None