# How does low iron effect cycling?



## summerdays (11 Mar 2012)

I know it will make you feel tired - but does it make you get out of breath any quicker? I'm currently suffering and have been put on iron tablets.

Are you supposed to take it any easier or just carry on as normal and sort of ignore the tired bit? (I'm not the worlds fastest cyclist anyway but I am finding hills SO hard at the moment on my commute and I notice I do seem to be going slower overall). 

I'm trying to up my meat intake (I'm not a huge meat eater), and adding orange juice and apricots into the mix. 

Just asking to see what others have found helpful.


----------



## jonathanw (11 Mar 2012)

If the low iron and therefore iron supplements are prescribed because your haemoglobin (in red blood cells) is low, then yes it could make you get "out of breath" more quickly as it will affect your oxygen carrying capacity (because each gram of Hb carries a set amount of oxygen) and therefore oxygen delivery to your tissues. This will be more noticeable during exercise. Going slower is a way of reducing your demand and therefore will help you match oxygen delivery with demand.


----------



## T.M.H.N.E.T (11 Mar 2012)

Red meat is good for Iron,just don't use Contadors butcher


----------



## deanE (11 Mar 2012)

I have a relatively low iron level but never thought I had a problem other than when, after 40 years of giving blood, they raised the iron level threshold and told me I couldn't donate anymore. However I started cycling since last July and have booked to do a century sportive in July and have been thinking of taking an iron supplement as part of training plan. Any one else do this?


----------



## Yellow Fang (12 Mar 2012)

deanE said:


> I have a relatively low iron level but never thought I had a problem other than when, after 40 years of giving blood, they raised the iron level threshold and told me I couldn't donate anymore. However I started cycling since last July and have booked to do a century sportive in July and have been thinking of taking an iron supplement as part of training plan. Any one else do this?


 
Similar thing happened to me. The blood transfusion service normally won't take my blood any more. I don't think my slightly low haemoglobin count makes me feel tired. I used to eat liver  and try iron tablets, but I don't think they made much difference. The nation blood service nurse told me not to take iron tablets so as to be able to give blood.


----------



## qwiksilver (12 Mar 2012)

low iron is not a problem if you duck under it as you cycle 
but seriously drink a pint of guinness each night, they used to prescribe that to pregnant women instead of folic acid its a better source of iron than red meat due to the time it takes to get into your system


----------



## lulubel (12 Mar 2012)

qwiksilver said:


> but seriously drink a pint of guinness each night, they used to prescribe that to pregnant women instead of folic acid its a better source of iron than red meat due to the time it takes to get into your system


 
My mother took that advice when she was pregnant with my brother. He was a huge baby, and she put that down to the Guinness!


----------



## Arsen Gere (13 Mar 2012)

From what I read there are 3 stages to iron defficency and anaemia. First sign is low ferritin. Ferritin has a role to play in lactic acid build up. So low iron would effect cycling. Third stage is anaemia which effects your ability to transport oxygen and co2 as described earlier.

A litre of sweat contains about 3mg of iron.
Runners are more prone to anaemia than cyclists, it is thought that the impact on the road damages red blood cells. However there is no evidence that anaemia is more prevelant in athletes than the general population, but ferritin deficieny is higher in endurance athletes.

Iron is stored in your bones, so the amount in your blood needs time to build up. It also has a lethal dose and iron supplements are a killer of children who mistake them for sweets.

If you want to absorb iron from food drink something with vitamin C, it increases absorption and avoid caffeine with meals as caffeine inhibits absorption.

Low iron levels can inhibt your immune system.

http://jn.nutrition.org/content/122/3_Suppl/782.full.pdf

HTH


----------



## summerdays (17 Mar 2012)

Sorry I haven't replied before now ... computer failure after posting this!!!

I think it's low ferritin - that's what the tablets are, I'm on two a day.


----------

