In November’s webinar we focused on the topic of iron and the female athlete.

We covered questions such as why are exercising females more susceptible to iron deficiency, what does it mean if you’re a heavy menstrual bleeder, what are the do’s and don’ts of iron absorption and what are the facts behind supplementation? Plus much more!

To watch the full webinar, click here. If you have any follow up questions, feel free to email them to us at fitrwoman@orreco.com

Below are some of the common questions around iron and the female athlete answered by our webinar panellists and Orreco scientists Dr Georgie Bruinvels and Prof Charlie Pedlar.

What is iron’s role in the body and what are the symptoms of iron deficiency?

Dr Charlie Pedlar: “Iron has a fundamental role in producing red blood cells which are packed with haemoglobin and carry oxygen to the muscles. We have this constant turnover of red blood cells in the body so these cells are always being made.

“As soon as you compromise that process then you’ll start to see symptoms associated with iron deficiency. The further you move along the continuum from iron replete to fully anaemic, you’ll see fatigue, lethargy, headaches and experience more breathlessness. You’ll also need more sleep because it’s all to do with oxygen transport so if the oxygen carrying capacity of your red blood cells is decreased, everything is going to feel harder.”

Are females more susceptible to iron deficiency, and why? 

Dr Georgie Bruinvels: “Females are at higher risk of iron deficiency, especially if you’re a heavy menstrual bleeder. If this is the case you should ensure you’re eating enough iron regularly in your diet. It also often affects women who do sports where there’s a degree of impact such as running, basketball, even field hockey where you are loading the ground. We know that impact can cause the breakdown of red blood cells and increase iron losses. Also sweat can cause iron losses as well.”

Key points:

• Menstruation and heavy menstrual bleeding can make you more susceptible to iron deficiency due to blood loss  
• Exercise and sport with a degree of impact such as high intensity running and jumping or a degree of impact can break down red blood cells
• Iron losses can also occur in runners through a process known as foot strike haemolysis
• You can lose iron in sweat‍

‍Which foods contain iron?

• Red meat
• Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli
• Beans, such as red kidney beans, edamame beans and chickpeas
• Nuts
• Dried fruit – such as dried apricots
• Fortified breakfast cereals
  
  What are the do’s and dont’s of iron absorption?

Prof Charlie Pedlar: “Consuming iron with vitamin C helps with absorption whereas certain things like tea and coffee can actually compromise the uptake of iron.”

Key points:

• Consume iron alongside sources of vitamin C such as orange juice
• Tea, coffee, red wine and cocoa contain tanins and polyphenols which compromises iron uptake
• Leave a period of time before consuming iron post-exercise
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When should you go for a blood test?

Dr Georgie Bruinvels: “If you have a history of heavy menstrual bleeding that warrants you the ability to have a blood test at the doctors to check for your iron status. This also applies if you’ve had a major blood loss in the past. You would ideally want to have this checked over a period of time and build up information of how you vary as an individual. 

Should I be taking iron supplements?

Dr Georgie Bruinvels: “I feel keen to emphasise the fact that it shouldn’t be a case of ‘Hey, you’re a runner or you play sports and you sweat a lot and you menstruate, so you should take iron supplements.” There should be a blood test conducted prior to that to ensure you really do need the iron. 

“Taking iron when you don’t need it is not ideal as iron is toxic and too much in your system is not something you should be aiming for. It’s all on an individual case scenario and the biggest take home message would be to have a blood test first. I would also say, you’d never do harm optimising your iron dietary intake, so that’s always a good preventative measure.”

Catch up on the full webinar here.

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