Iron Depletion in Athletes

Why is iron essential? 

• Transportation of oxygen around the body 

• Assisting certain enzymes to release energy required for exercise 

• The production of red blood cells 

• Boosting your immune system and fighting off infection

For all of these roles to perform efficiently, a certain standard must be met:

Recent evidence has shown that, elite and recreational athletes require more iron, particularly, female, adolescent or vegetarian/vegan athletes. Those who participate in regular high-intensity training use up more iron and therefore require more to replace it. It is essential to keep on top of it as even low iron in the early stages can reduce performance. 

Why do Athletes require more iron? 

• Iron stimulates the production of more red blood cells required to keep up with the increased rate of delivery of oxygen around the body 

• Muscle growth increases the demand of iron to produce new tissues and blood cells 

• Strenuous exercise can lead to blood loss through minor damage to the lining of the digestive tract 

• Damage to red blood cells in the feet associated with running on hard surfaces (foot strike haemolysis) 

• Iron is lost in heavy sweat

• Low energy intakes or restricted dietary patterns can make it difficult to eat sufficient iron

How do you know if you are deficient?

• Constantly feeling flat or tired

• Not hungry

• Increased frequency and duration of colds and infections 

• Elevated resting pulse rate

• Pale 

How do you increase your iron?

• Eat meat: Haem iron, found in animal protein, is the most readily absorbed form of iron in food - red meat in particular (Note: the redder the meat, the higher the iron content). For this reason, eating red meat a few times a week is recommended when increasing or maintaining iron levels. Sources include:

• Beef 

• Lamb 

• Seafood (e.g. salmon, tuna, sardines)

• Pork 

• Poultry: chicken or turkey 

• Non-haem iron: Non-haem iron is found in some plant foods but is not absorbed as well as haem iron sources. Sources include: 

• Iron fortified breads and breakfast cereals 

• Legumes (lentils, beans) 

• Green leafy vegetables 

• Dried fruit 

• Nuts 

• Take Vitamin C: Pairing foods with Vitamin C increases the absorption rate of iron by up to four times. 

• Avoid tea or coffee whilst consuming iron rich foods as these can prevent the absorption of iron.

Tips for preventing and treating iron depletion

• Increase your intake of iron-rich foods, particularly haem sources

• Eat lean red meat (e.g. kangaroo, beef, veal, lamb) three to four times a week and include other sources of iron on the other days (e.g. chicken, fish, nuts, legumes)

• If vegetarian, eat iron rich plant foods regularly (e.g. baked beans, lentils and breakfast cereals)

• Add vitamin C rich foods to your meals to increase iron absorption (e.g. citrus, berries, green leafy vegetables)

• Avoid drinking strong tea or coffee at the same time as iron rich foods as these can prevent the absorption of iron