Boron supplements and minerals in female college athletes
What it found
In a one-year trial of 28 female college students, boron supplements changed blood phosphorus and magnesium, but bone mineral density was not directly influenced by boron.
The effects differed between athletes and sedentary women.
What they found
Studies in people
Bone mineral density
Athletes' bone mineral density increased slightly over the study, while sedentary women showed a slight decrease. The authors say boron supplementation did not seem to directly influence bone mineral density.
Blood phosphorus
Blood phosphorus dropped over time in all women and was lower in those taking boron than in those taking the placebo. Sedentary women taking boron had the lowest levels, while sedentary women on placebo had the highest.
Blood magnesium
Blood magnesium rose over time in all women. Sedentary women taking boron had higher levels than athletes taking boron, and exercise in boron-supplemented women lowered magnesium.
Urinary minerals
Calcium in urine increased over time in all women. Urinary phosphorus and magnesium did not change significantly. Urinary boron increased over time and was higher in athletes and in those taking boron supplements.
Dietary intake
Athletes ate more boron in their normal diets than sedentary women, but other measured nutrients were similar. All women ate less than the recommended amounts of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and total energy.
What the authors conclude
“Our 1-year study of athletic and sedentary female college students indicated that boron affected blood phosphorus and magnesium, an effect modified by exercise.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that boron affected blood phosphorus and magnesium, and that exercise modified this effect.
- They advise that before preventive or therapeutic recommendations can be made about boron supplementation for bone disorders, more research is needed on low and unknown boron intakes and on how boron affects bone metabolism in humans.
- They recommend further studies on different boron doses, different physical work capacities, and in males and females of various ages and hormonal conditions.
How it was done
Previous studies linked vigorous exercise in young female athletes to missed periods, stress fractures and higher risk of osteoporosis. Earlier human studies suggested boron might help prevent calcium and bone loss.
They recruited 28 female college students, 17 athletes and 11 sedentary controls, and assigned them to take either 3 mg of boron per day or a placebo for 10 months. They measured diet, blood and urinary minerals, and bone mineral density at the start and end.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a small study of 28 female college students, so the results may not apply to other groups.
- The study lasted 10 months, so it cannot show what happens over a longer period.
- The authors note that the method for measuring boron in blood needs more work to be reliable.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Winthrop University, South Carolina
The paper
- Title
- Effects of boron supplementation on bone mineral density and dietary, blood, and urinary calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and boron in female athletes
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- Public domain. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Meacham SL, Taper LJ, Volpe SL (1994). Effects of boron supplementation on bone mineral density and dietary, blood, and urinary calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and boron in female athletes. Environmental health perspectives. doi:10.1289/ehp.94102s779Free full textPubMed 7889886DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error