Aerobic exercise, because of its reliability on oxygen delivery to working and active muscles, can be negatively affected by a low level of iron in the body. Decreased oxygen to skeletal muscles during activity will cause pyruvic acid to be converted to lactic acid as opposed to sending it through aerobic respiration to produce larger amounts of ATP.
Some of the key symptoms that will be present if you are suffering from iron deficiency are fatigue, headache, weakness, irritability, pale skin color, or an increased heart rate. This list is not all inconclusive, and hemoglobin and hematocrit levels should be tested to determine if iron deficiency is present.
There are a few ways that iron can be lost during exercise. The first is a shortage in hemoglobin due to an iron deficiency. Iron is a key component of hemoglobin, which consists of four globins that are each attached to one heme group. Each heme group binds oxygen to a ferrous ion (Fe2+) that sits at its center. One heme group has the ability to attach one oxygen molecule to it, so the entire hemoglobin molecule can attach a total of four oxygen molecules. Low levels of hemoglobin due to an iron deficiency therefore reduce the amount of oxygen that is delivered to skeletal muscles during aerobic activity. Another way that iron can be lost during exercise is through an incidence called “foot strike hemolysis”. Foot strike hemolysis is the destruction of red blood cells in the feet due to constant impact during running. Other common ways that athletes can have a decrease of iron in their blood is through a decreased ingestion of iron, sweating, a decreased absorption of iron in the small intestine, and through the use of aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs which reduce your body’s ability to absorb iron. Females have an added complication, as they can also lose greater amounts of iron through menstruation.
However it may happen, low amounts of iron will continue to hurt athletic performance if something isn’t done that allows these athletes to consume greater amounts of iron. The most sensible way to accomplish this would be to increase the amount of iron that an athlete includes in their diet. Lean red meats, dark green leafy vegetables, eggs, and nuts are all foods that are naturally rich in iron. Vitamin C also helps to make iron more absorbable, so increasing your intake of foods that are rich in Vitamin C will help to positively affect iron levels. Consuming tannins, which are present in coffee and tea, along with consuming large amounts of calcium can all negatively affect iron absorption and are not recommended to be consumed simultaneously with iron.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001610/
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/iron/#h3
http://www.anemia.org/patients/feature-articles/content.php?contentid=000244§ionid=00015
This is a very interesting post. We've all heard about the different things that can affect athletes' performances, and iron is just one of many. As an athlete, it is important to maintain the correct levels of oxygen in the body, and whether the iron is in food or dietary supplements, it helps.
ReplyDeleteSo basically eat a steak and drink a big glass of orange juice!!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I never thought about losing iron because of foot impact, but it makes a lot of sense.
ReplyDelete