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Jul 2011
10:44am, 6 Jul 2011
772 posts
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curly45
But as Moraghan's article demonstrates for female runners especially Hb levels and serum levels can be normal and it can still be causing problems with aerobic performance and Vo2 max drop off as well as recovery and adaptation to training stimulus. Not may GP's understand runners needs as different to that of non training general public unfortunately. Mine are good and will do tests on request provided you can offer explanation of why you need it (for example, I am a runner and I have been feeling breathless, i suspect iron may be to blame would be good enough).
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Jul 2011
10:46am, 6 Jul 2011
773 posts
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curly45
Speaking of which I am all of those things and am going to trial iron + vit c tabs for a week or two and see if it gets better.
I'd be interested in anyone's experiences with long-term cure/future prevention with dietry changes on low meat (not a veggie but dont eat a lot of meat as it doesnt go down well with hard sessions).
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Jul 2011
10:56am, 6 Jul 2011
8 posts
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TamsB
Curly 45 - exactly.
The whole point of this thread was that my Hb levels were 'normal' (albeit at the low end), but my running performance was severely reduced. I was then advised by a research dietitian to look at my ferritin levels, which turned out to be low. As Moraghan's article points out, ferritin levels may not accurately indicate the problem, but I believe they are likely to give you a better idea of your iron status in relation to your running performance than Hb levels.
Thus, if any of you do ask for a blood test, make sure that the doctor includes ferritin levels. My doctor did by default, but it still took a couple of visits before she accepted that low ferritin levels could affect my running performance even when Hb levels were 'normal'. She seems to be on board now though.
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Jul 2011
11:20am, 6 Jul 2011
9,451 posts
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JohnnyO
The quoted paper shows that there may be an effect of iron supplementation, but it doesn't prove it. Its a very small study with a lot of dubious post-hoc analysis published in a non peer reviewed, pay per publish journal. It has never been repeated (or any repeat has not been published).
That isn't to say that it is not true, and I haven't done a full systematic review of the issue so I certainly couldn't say that it is or isn't. I just worry that people start taking medications or demanding tests from their GPs, or even accusing their GPs of not understanding them, based on one paper that has methodologocal issues.
If it works for you, thats great, but that isn't (scientific) proof.
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Jul 2011
11:22am, 6 Jul 2011
35,514 posts
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plodding hippo
This is interestin g to me as a renal physician
we run our patients with ferritins of 100-500 (normal range 10-30 in our lab)
I wonder if runners get functional iron deficiency
Ferritin is useful if its low, but can be falsesly elevated by infection/inflammation, for example
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Jul 2011
11:27am, 6 Jul 2011
8,506 posts
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HellsBells
our labs always include a CRP with a ferritin to resolve the inflammatory issue
my own numbers are Hb 9.8 ferritin 9 CRP 1
Not surprisingly I feel pretty crap most of the time, it's just worse when I run!
I thought things were getting marginally better, then another period from hell has presumably used up all the extra iron I've taken over the last couple of weeks!
believe me, if your iron levels are similar to mine, you certainly know about it and not just when you run
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Jul 2011
11:29am, 6 Jul 2011
35,516 posts
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plodding hippo
Time to sort the periods Hells bells!
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Jul 2011
11:30am, 6 Jul 2011
8,508 posts
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HellsBells
Uss next week, nice gynaecologist week after that!
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Jul 2011
11:32am, 6 Jul 2011
35,517 posts
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plodding hippo
hexcellent
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Jul 2011
11:39am, 6 Jul 2011
774 posts
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curly45
Johnny - are you talking about Am J Clin Nutr? Its OA but has IF and uses peer-review (only about 25% of articles are accepted for publication which is high for a top of category journal granted but isnt outrageous). Its certainly doesnt appear to be pay-per-publish as you put it, just gold OA. Its also hosted by HighWire press which tends to suggest it isnt fly by night.
The study may well be flawed, but its obviously of interest to the field. Early studies often are small sample sizes, but at least it used a placebo control group.
(not my field but I do work in journal publishing ;))
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Low serum ferritin/ anaemia
May 2025