Iron Deficiency in Athletes – Causes and Treatment

Sportspersons, to us, are synonymous with health and vitality. They are the epitome of energy. On the other hand, iron deficiency, to laymen, is often the taxonomy for a person with poor physical health. Because of this perception, it’s difficult for us to put ‘iron deficiency’ and ‘athletes’ into the same bracket. Even though it’s hard to believe, sportspersons, especially runners, are more susceptible to this deficiency.  According to a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 50 percent of female endurance athletes are deficient in iron, while for men, this value is estimated at 17 percent. 

Some athletes are particularly susceptible to suffering from an iron deficiency. They include:

• Female athletes, particularly in the menstruating age group
• Athletes who are on a purely vegetarian diet
• Athletes with low energy intake 
• Adolescent athletes 

Iron deficiency can be a serious threat to the career of an endurance sportsperson. If it remains untreated for a long time, it leads to severe fatigue. Iron-deficient athletes get easily exhausted, and gradually they start losing the motivation to practice harder or perform better. Hence, it’s important to know why athletes suffer from iron deficiency.

What causes iron deficiency in athletes?

When everyone loses iron through sweat, urine, menstruation, and the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, for athletes, the rate of loss is much higher. Any high-intensity, high-endurance exercise increases the rate of iron losses by nearly 70%. These physical activities destroy red blood cells, especially in the areas near feet, resulting in a shorter red blood cell life span.

Female athletes are even more susceptible to the iron deficiency than their male counterparts due to their menstrual blood loss.

Insufficient dietary iron intake is another reason for iron deficiency. The human body is not very effective at absorbing dietary iron. Those on a vegetarian or vegan diet are more at risk of becoming iron deficient, as the body is even slower in absorbing non-heme iron found in plants. 

Treatment for Iron Deficiency

Fortunately, there are ways to deal with iron deficiency, and all treatment regimens aim at increasing the iron intake into the body. Oral supplements can significantly help you meet the iron deficiency in your body. In more severe cases, intramuscular or intravenous injections are used to provide your body with more iron. On top of all these, iron-deficient athletes are advised to consume iron-fortified products or naturally iron-rich products as part of their daily diet. Thus, dietary enhancement remains the fundamental strategy in iron deficiency treatment.

How About Embracing an All-Natural Solution?

While ingesting oral supplements is an important first step towards fighting iron deficiency, it has its side effects. At IronCatch, we have innovated a side-effect-free supplement that is better tolerated than any standard variety. Composed of all-natural ingredients like fish oligosaccharides, vitamins, and minerals, our gluten-free formulation provides athletes with a reliable way to address their symptoms at the root. IronCatch happens to be the first iron-free formulation to deal with iron deficiency. This food supplement can elevate the iron levels in the body by increasing the absorption of dietary iron by at least 3-5 times. It also profoundly increases the absorption rate of this metal from everyday food consumption.

Get in touch with our consultants to know more about our clinically proven supplements because no disease should hinder your goals.