Iron Supplementation

 Hi Team.

In speaking with a number of college coaches and some of our own athletes, it has become apparent to me that the vast majority of us could benefit from some sort of iron supplementation.

As runners, we rely on our blood's ability to transport oxygen to our muscles.  In running, however, we are especially prone to losing iron.  Every time we take a running step, some of the red blood cells in the blood vessels of our feet are crushed.  As a result, many runners (especially females), struggle with iron deficiency anemia.

Just this season, Cailin was diagnosed with almost zero iron in her blood.  Coincidentally, her running was terrible and she was always tired.  Her doctor put her on an iron supplement and within 3 weeks she went from doing some of the worst running of her life, to becoming our top runner.  

I understand that most of you have blood iron levels within the normal range.  However, if you can boost your iron levels (and by extension your hemoglobin levels) by just one percent, you will see a dramatic improvement in your running.  After all, 1% faster in a race that takes 20 minutes is 12 seconds, 2 percent is 24 seconds and 3 percent is 36 seconds faster......I think that for most of us, it's worth a shot.

There are two options for iron supplementation:  Tablet form and Liquid Ferretin.  Ferretin is an iron bearing molecule found naturally in our blood and is one of the products that your body would make from any sort of iron you consume.  Many coaches recommend that their athletes take liquid ferritin.  While this is the case, iron can also be taken in a pill form.

Here is a link for Flora's product, which has been recommended to me.

Here is a link to a review of iron supplements.  

Remember, you are probably getting a fair amount of iron for your diets, so you don't need to take huge amounts.  As a matter of fact, iron supplementation can sometimes lead to upset stomach or constipation.  So your best bet would be to take a small dose.