Runners and their iron needs

Ososlo

Interesting article:

As a runner, you need to be informed of your unique iron needs.

An iron deficiency is one of those nasty conditions that can disguise itself
as being overtrained or under-rested. A drop in performance, an onslaught of
fatigue, runners watch as their running takes a nose-dive and there seems to be
no ‘logical’ reason as to why.

Getting a blood panel as soon as you notice a dramatic change in your running
is typically one of the first suggestions from a coach, with iron levels being
one of those red flags to watch out for, particularly for females. “For
someone going through these types of situations, the first thing I would
ask is about their sleep, nutrition, iron, etc.,” says Kelly McDonald, assistant
coach at Cal Poly.

For competitors asking their bodies to perform at one hundred percent, even a
ten percent drop in how one feels is a lot — call it the athlete’s magnification
glass to the layman’s perception of tired.

RELATED: Exhausted? Take a second look at your blood
tests.

Ferritin is an intracellular protein that stores iron in the body and
releases it in a controlled fashion. The amount of ferritin stored is reflective
of the amount of iron stored. For runners in training, the ‘normal’ recommended
ferritin levels are markedly different from their sedative counterparts. If you
don’t have a physician used to working with athletes, they may wind up telling
you that you are in the ‘normal’ range and have nothing to worry about when, in
fact, an iron deficiency may be hampering your training. Thus, as a runner, you
need to be informed of your unique needs and be sure to speak up to your
doctor.

What is ‘normal’?


For the average person, normal ferritin levels are quantified as 12-300
nanograms per milliter (ng/ml) for men and 12-150 ng/ml for women. To put it
bluntly, an athlete running with a 12 ng/ml ferritin level will be feeling the
effects of anemia and their training will be suffering. Runners need to be much
higher on that scale.

“Every athlete is different in terms of levels,” says McDonald. “I’ve seen
athletes build their ferritin level to above 20 and they feel great, while
others don’t perform well until 40.” Still others elite athletes will aim for
levels upwards of 70 or 100 ng/ml. Part of figuring out what your ideal ferritin
level is involves getting your blood work checked regularly throughout your
training phases. “As an athlete I liked to get checked prior to each season and
also after, to see if my levels increased or decreased,” McDonald said.

How to Get Iron-Heavy Blood


The first place to start would be to seek out iron-rich foods such as
spinach, red meats, clams, oysters, and liver. Even then, most runners should be
supplementing on top of that. With the rigors competitive athletes put their
bodies through in training, diet alone is typically not enough to reach adequate
iron levels.

— Pills: This is the easiest place to start; iron pills can
be found over the counter and may also be labeled as ferritin or ferrous
glycinate. Talk with your doctor and coach to come up with a dosage that fits
your situation; dosages depend on gender, weight and iron level, but 1-2 doses
of 65mg of elemental iron has worked for many runners when they are in
maintenance mode. CAUTION: Ingesting too much iron too fast will leave you
feeling sick and is potentially dangerous. Gradually increase your iron dosage
and if you’re taking multiples, spread them throughout the day. Vitamin C helps
boost iron absorption and taking Calcium at the same time will inhibit it. “A
plan that I’ve seen effective is taking iron daily an hour after dinner with
orange juice, not with calcium!” explains McDonald.

— Liquid: Professional runner Sara Slattery turned to a
liquid supplement when she was first diagnosed as anemic, “I started taking
liquid iron, 2 teaspoons two times a day, and my levels went back up [from 13]
to 45 within a few months.” Eventually she switched to pills, “liquid iron was a
pain to travel with and was really rough on my stomach.”

— Iron Infusions: Those with extremely low iron needing to
boost their levels quickly may ask their doctor about iron infusions. IV
treatments are typically done in three successive days where the patient will
sit for a few hours as the iron is gradually dripped in. From personal
experience, IV infusions were able to bump my iron levels from the single digits
and into the high 20s within just a few days and into the 30s soon thereafter.
After iron IV’s the patient will continue on iron pills, liquid iron or a
combination of both to continue upping their levels and, from there, maintaining
adequate stores.

Iron Upkeep


Once anemic, no runner has any desire to feel the effects of even a slight
dip in their iron levels ever again. Maintaining healthy, normal levels for
runners is a combination of eating wisely, taking supplementation, and then
checking their levels regularly with blood panels. “Every person differs as far
as their style so as an athlete, it’s a good idea to get into the same routine
with your intake of iron,” states McDonald.

Read more at
http://running.competitor.com/2014/06/nutrition/iron-level-upkeep-for-runners_63445#JOtjAY4tMBt8FzeA.99

Dubgal72

Yep, I was waiting to rest my theory...

My race performances fell off from about mid may to mid June. There were other factors at play but I came to the conclusion that iron levels were a factor to be considered. I had had a blood test a while back and asked for ferritin levels to be checked. The results came back normal (however I had been training and racing hard) so I stopped my alternate month supplementation.

I restarted iron two weeks ago but rest due to an Achilles twinge and now swollen glands have sidelined my experiment grrr

libelula

Thanks Ososlo, an interesting read.
A couple of months back, I got blood tests done (for a different reason) but my ferritin levels came back as lowish. I was a bit taken aback as I'd only donated blood a couple of months previously and my overall levels were fine then.
I started taking galfer, but I cant tell if it's improving my performance as I had only just started a new 'sort yourself out and train properly' regime when it all came to light. Though in hindsight, maybe my lack of motivation and effort previous to that was all down to my ferritins disappearing

twerg_85

Irish people have high incidence of haemochromatosis, so do get levels checked before taking any supplements.

F.

chickey2

twerg_85 wrote: »

Irish people have high incidence of haemochromatosis, so do get levels checked before taking any supplements.

F.

I was just about to say the same. The symptoms of iron overload are very similar to low iron so it's important to get a blood test done before taking a supplement.

neilc

“Every athlete is different in terms of levels,” says McDonald. “I’ve seen
athletes build their ferritin level to above 20 and they feel great, while
others don’t perform well until 40.” Still others elite athletes will aim for
levels upwards of 70 or 100 ng/ml. Part of figuring out what your ideal ferritin
level is involves getting your blood work checked regularly throughout your
training phases. “As an athlete I liked to get checked prior to each season and
also after, to see if my levels increased or decreased,” McDonald said.

This is interesting. I've gone from 173ug/l last year to 88ug/l this past March. Doc says well within normal range so no problem. Have definitely being feeling more bolloxed than normal recently though.

rom

If you are tired ensure you are getting enough sleep every night and are hydrated. Try that for two weeks. If still tired then it could be something else. I often get like 5-6 hours sleep and that is why I am tired.

Ososlo

rom wrote: »

If you are tired ensure you are getting enough sleep every night and are hydrated. Try that for two weeks. If still tired then it could be something else. I often get like 5-6 hours sleep and that is why I am tired.

5-6 hours!! On a regular basis! Chance would be a fine thing!! Sounds like heaven.
Some of us have to do with a lot less. Last night was 3 hours and then awake for two and then another 1.5 and that was a pretty good night tg for strong Lavattza!!!
I do think some people can function fine with less. Perhaps not function optimally though.
edit: I think tiredness from low iron is a different kind of tiredness. It's a kind of weak tiredness. Tiredness from sleep is a more sleepy tiredness! But you don't feel weak.

average_runner

Ososlo wrote: »

5-6 hours!! On a regular basis! Chance would be a fine thing!! Sounds like heaven.
Some of us have to do with a lot less. Last night was 3 hours and then awake for two and then another 1.5 and that was a pretty good night tg for strong Lavattza!!!
I do think some people can function fine with less. Perhaps not function optimally though.
edit: I think tiredness from low iron is a different kind of tiredness. It's a kind of weak tiredness. Tiredness from sleep is a more sleepy tiredness! But you don't feel weak.

2 young kids, so would spend many a night up or in their bed. Last few weeks the youngest is now sleeping till 7am. So i feel more wrecked now than when i got less sleep!!!