Sports Performance

You would think athletes, with their healthy physical condition and often high-protein diets would have no problem with keeping iron levels up. Yet “athlete’s anaemia” is well documented.¹

Iron is part of the muscle protein myoglobin, which means the more muscle you have, the more iron you’ll need. As well, heavy exercise can cause red cell damage, or haemolysis, increasing iron needs further.

This means athletes must be particularly vigilant with keeping up their iron stores, or it can seriously affect their performance.

Women need much more iron than men do – 12 to 16mg (RDI) compared to 7mg - almost double the amount. Female athletes have the disadvantage of being both women and heavy exercisers, putting them in one of the highest-risk categories for anaemia.

Why else is iron important for sports performance?

Iron is an essential part of haemoglobin, the red colouring of blood, which helps carry oxygen to every part of the body. Basically, this translates into energy - the first sign of iron deficiency is often constant, unexplained tiredness. But iron does much more than that. It also plays a part in many enzymes and co-enzymes, especially ones involved with the immune response, so it helps the body fight off sickness and infection. It is also essential for healthy eyes, brain function, memory and concentration, all of which are vital for athletes and active people.

Less available iron in your blood can also impede the fat loss process, not only because it saps energy, but because the oxygen carried by haemoglobin is needed in order for cells to burn fat.

Are you getting enough iron?

Lean red meat is the richest source of iron – not only that, but it is also the type of iron (haem) best absorbed by the body. Poultry and fish come second. Grains, iron-enriched breakfast cereals, vegetables, legumes (beans and lentils), nuts and eggs, also contain iron but it is much less well absorbed (around 1-2% compared with 25% from red meat).

Spinach was once recommended as a rich source of iron. Yes, it does contain iron – but it is not well absorbed. The fibre and oxalates in vegetables tend to bind and hold iron, so it cannot be properly utilised by the body. Seems Popeye was wrong!

Other substances which can interfere with absorption include bran and whole grains, coffee and tea. So if you’re adding a tablespoon of bran to your iron-enriched cereal, then washing it down with a short black ….. it’s highly likely you’re getting very little iron at all. A better choice may be a glass of orange juice – vitamin C greatly increases iron absorption from non-meat sources.

“B” smart for more energy!
Iron is a top vitality-booster but it has friends, too. B-vitamins (particularly B6 and B12) also play an important role in the energy process, helping “unlock” energy from food to obtain the maximum nutritional benefit. So make sure you have plenty of sources of vitamin B in your diet, or get a balanced supplement which contains them.

Strong bones, strong performance
Excessive physical activity can have an impact on bone density, which can lead to osteoporosis later in life. To help maintain strong healthy bones throughout your training years, be sure to include plenty of calcium-rich foods in your diet. Alternatively, a supplement with calcium can help make up the shortfall.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D is also important because it aids calcium absorption. Sunlight helps the body produce vitamin D naturally, so moderate amounts of exposure (with appropriate sun protection) is recommended. Vitamin D is also found in cod liver oil supplements and fortified dairy foods.

Omega Benefits
We all know the health benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids but they are particularly important for sports people, helping promote a healthy immune system, good eyesight and healthy joint tissue. Fish, or a fish oil supplement, is the best source of Omega-3.

Zippy Zinc!
Zinc is essential for tissue health, healthy skin, hair and nails. It is involved in tissue repair and wound healing. Adequate zinc levels are vital for effective weight training, as bulking up is essentially repair of damaged muscle tissue.