Iron plays a key role in oxygen transport and energy production,
making it a key micronutrient for all of us especially athletes interested in
peak performance. Iron deficiency is
more common with athletes because intensive exercise increases iron loss, and
female athletes are at even greater risk because of menstruation and
insufficient dietary intake. To combat
this deficiency some dietitians have recommended athletes supplement with iron
but this approach has been criticized by other dietitians because of the
increased risk of iron toxicity associated with supplementation. In addition to risks of toxicity other common
side effect complaints from iron supplementation include nausea, abdominal
discomfort, and constipation.
Sufficient iron is of importance to athletes because of its
important roles with maximal oxygen carrying capacity to active muscles and
efficient oxygen utilization, two aspects that are critical for
performance. The more oxygen you can
deliver to muscles and the more efficient you get at using it, the more you
enable yourself to work intensely for a longer period of time. Iron can be found in dietary sources in two
forms haem and non-haem, haem sources are derived from animals and non-haem from
all other iron sources. The absorption
rate of haem sources is 40%, whereas the absorption rate for non-haem sources
can greatly vary.
Tannic acid (found in coffee and teas) and phosphates (found in
soft drinks), along with calcium can decrease our iron absorption but
fortunately vitamin C increases iron absorption.
Consume foods rich in iron like:
-beef
-pork
-seafood
-legumes
-fortified cereals
-dried fruits,
-dark green leafy vegetables.
Try avoiding thing like soda, coffee, and tea when you consume
these iron rich sources to enhance maximal iron absorption and instead pair
your iron rich foods with high vitamin C fruits and vegetables like citrus
fruit, strawberries, papaya, bell peppers, and pineapples.
References
Alaunyte, I., Stojceska, V., & Plunkett, A. (2015). Iron and
the female athlete: A review of dietary treatment methods for improving iron
status and exercise performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr Journal of the
International Society of Sports Nutrition.
Erick Avila, owner of www.ergogenichealth.com a
company that provides individualized training programs and nutritional
consultations for athletic events and weight loss. Erick works as a strength
& conditioning coach/nutritionist with a variety of professional boxers
including two ranked in the top 50 of their respective weight divisions. He’s experienced having worked in both sport
and clinical settings, with focuses ranging from general weight loss to
hormonal optimization. Erick has
bachelors degrees in Exercise Science & Nutritional Science.
