The Iron Effect

If you have ever been to your family doctor, especially if you are female, you have probably heard one of these dreaded phrases: "you are not getting enough iron," or "you need to start supplementing iron." Well, your doctor has a point; 20-30% of female endurance athletes are not getting enough iron in their diet--that is a SHOCKING percentage! And if trained athletes with nutritional help aren't getting enough, think about how large the percentage might be among those of us who are not athletes. It makes me sad! This crazy statistic is partially due to the fact that female iron needs are 18 mg/day as opposed to the male 8 mg/day. Since women have their monthly menstruation, and lose a lot of blood (where most of our iron is stored), their needs are much higher than males. Because of this high rate of deficiency, I'm going to discuss more of the symptoms that accompany inadequate iron stores more than I would other minerals. For females, these signs are critical to health and wellness. So here's why iron is so important:

Iron is a key component to our blood production and oxygen transportation throughout the body. There is a specific type of red blood cell in the body called hemoglobin that aids in moving oxygenated blood from our lungs to the rest of the body. Myoglobin, an iron containing cell in our muscle, accepts the oxygen from our blood, allowing it to be used by our muscles.


Without this much needed oxygen, you will feel exhausted. Extremely exhausted. With less oxygen fueling our muscles, energy begins to deplete. This also causes weakness to build. If you are an athlete, your performance will probably suffer, especially if you are female.


Besides the oxygenation of our body, iron has other imperative functions: muscle formation, respiration, collagen synthesis (a strengthening and cushioning agent), and immune help. Because of this, a wide range of other symptoms also tend to accompany an iron deficiency:

-shortness of breath and chest pain (problems with respiration)
-pale skin, cold hands and feet, dizziness or lightheadedness (poor oxygenation and circulation)
-brittle nails (lack of protein synthesis)

I don't mean to scare any of you, but it is very clear that iron intake is critical, especially to menstruating females (once you hit menopause, the iron recommendation matches the male recommendation). Thankfully, iron is found naturally in many foods:

-meat and fish of all kinds (red meat providing the greatest amount)
-vegetables of all kinds
-tofu
-beans and legumes (nuts)
-whole grains and breads

If this was starting to make you feel better (especially since I pretended it was the greatest news since sliced bread), there is one more hitch to iron consumption--there are two types of iron: heme and non-heme. Heme iron is absorbed easily by the body and can be absorbed at a rate as high as 35%.. Non-heme iron isn't as usable by the body and can only be absorbed (on a good day) at a rate 20%. This isn't a substantial difference, but you can see how over time it can add up to a big difference.

Now that I have officially freaked you out, I should probably explain how to get both of these sources into your diet. Heme sources of iron are found in meats. All other sources (plants, beans and legumes, whole grains) are non-heme sources of iron. Consequently, if you are not a big meat eater (myself included in this group), it is especially important for you to eat a LOT of a wide variety of non-heme sources. Thankfully, many of these non-heme sources are combined with foods that are non-meat sources of protein, which vegetarians typically try to eat a lot of. Therefore, as vegetarians eat their numerous plant sources of protein, they are simultaneously eating iron.

Also, I am not suggesting, if you are an avid meat-eater, that you should only consume red meat since it is the best source of heme iron. Red meat has its own number of problems that accompany it if eaten in excess. As always, the best way to get the nutrient you need is to eat a wide variety of foods containing that nutrient: a little bit of heme iron every day or every other day, and a few sources of non-heme iron every day is all you need. That is sufficient, even for females, to reach the 18 mg/day recommendation. So don't fret! I feel like explaining iron is a bit of a roller coaster of emotions: part of the time you feel confident in your consumption, and part of the time you are ready to give up.

As you can see, iron can be a little intimidating. But if you practice the principles I have taught you (eating a wide variety of foods, moderation, and having joy with the food you eat), getting enough iron is simple and easy.