IRON

Iron has an important influence on the oxygen transport in the blood, and a to have sufficient of iron in the blood and stored in the body is an important condition for a good cardiovascular performance. Females are more exposed to anaemia (lack of iron) than men because of an increased loss during their period, also the women used to have a lower intake of iron due to eating less in general. Youth in growth has an important need of iron as well as young athletes.

Symptoms of anaemia

Typical symptoms of anaemia are tiredness, dizziness, headache, decreased work capacity etc. You can also have less appetite, more frequent and longer endurance colds and infections, higher heart rate frequency resting. These symptoms can also be a result of “normal” tiredness or overtraining and are not enough to decide whether you are anaemic or not.
If you have any doubt about your levels of iron you should contact a doctor to check it; having iron supplements will not improve the symptoms unless you have a real anaemia.
A combination of the following factors increase the risk of getting anaemic:
A lack of iron in the food.
Little variety in the food and/or a low energy intake might create difficulties to cover the body’s need of vitamins and minerals, including iron.
Increased need of iron.
Intense training stimulates the production of red blood cells and veins in the body and therefore increases the need for iron.
Children and youth in growth have an increased need of iron.
Loss of iron during training.
As you sweat you increase the loss of iron.
Loosing blood through bleeding injuries or having the period.
“Foot Strike” injuries on the red blood cells in the feet caused by running on hard surface with the wrong (bad) shoes.

How to diagnose anaemia

If you have a decreased work capacity during a longer period, or any other symptoms of anaemia you should contact a doctor or a nutritionist to study your situation. This is done through a blood analysis where levels of iron in the blood below the reference levels normally confirm a diagnosis. As a routine the doctor could measure the concentration of haemoglobin
and s-ferritin to see how serious the anaemia is.

Treatment of anaemia

The treatment of anaemia is to increase the intake of iron through the diet if it has been poor on products rich on iron, and additionally take any kind og iron supplement during a period. Whether you should take any kind of supplement or not depends on how serious the anaemia is; if you get diagnosed anaemic and your levels of iron are very low it will be totally necessary with a iron supplement. Be aware that the body has limited ability to segregate iron, and an access of iron might lead to an overdose similar to get poisoned by the proper iron. A doctor or a nutritionist should always control extra supplementation of iron.
Increase the levels of iron through your diet
Have bread with cereals
Eat low-fat red meat, chicken or fish every day.
Product with a high level of vitamin C  - this increase the assimilation of iron and should be included in the diet together with the product with high levels of iron.
Tea and coffee inhibit the iron assimilation and should not be taken together with the meals. (1 hour before and after the intake)

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