The importance of iron for the marathoner

When an athlete comes to me complaining about exhaustion, the first two topics I explore are:

-       Is the athlete eating enough?

-       Are there any recent iron labs els to review?

Iron carries oxygen to your muscles. Without enough of it, your muscles are essentially running on less oxygen than they need. For an endurance athlete whose entire sport depends on oxygen delivery, even a small deficit has a big impact. This is why low iron feels like heavy legs, constant fatigue, and declining performance that doesn't make sense given your training. It can be so frustrating, but a lot of athletes tend to chalk this up to overtraining, hormones, or even aging. Additional signs and symptoms of low iron are rapid heartbeat, pounding or “whooshing” in the ears, a craving for ice or clay, restless legs, a cold intolerance and/or hair loss.

Why runners are especially vulnerable to low iron:

·       Foot strike hemolysis- running destroys red blood cells through the impact from the bottom of your feet

·       Sweat losses- sweat rates and the amount of iron lost in sweat vary greatly among individuals. Athletes can lose a small amount of iron which can add up quickly if you are a heavy sweater.

·       Female athletes losing iron through menstruation

·       Not eating enough

·       High training volume increases demand

Add all this up and it can take a toll on your body.

What to do about it:

·       Ask your doctor for an iron panel and to include ferritin

·       Foods to include are red meat, dark leafy greens, legumes and fortified breakfast cereals

·       Cooking in a cast iron skillet can add some iron to your food

·       Pair iron rich foods with vitamin C to improve absorption

·       Ask me, if you are on the low end of normal you need a game plan to figure out how to get iron up!

Don't supplement blindly. Taking iron supplements without testing first can be dangerous! Too much iron is harmful, and you won't know what you need without knowing your levels first.

Speaking of supplements, did you know I have a FREE guide on supplements just for the endurance athlete? Download it now!