Key nutrients for adolescent athletes – Iron
Iron
Iron is a mineral involved in many important bodily functions. Iron is responsible for carrying oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body via the blood supply (called haemoglobin) and the muscles (called myoglobin). Iron is also involved in the proper functioning of the immune system, which helps us fight illness and infection.
Iron comes from a range of foods and is found predominantly in red meat and iron fortified products, such as breakfast cereals. Animal based sources of iron are called haem iron and plant-based sources of iron are called non-haem.
The average person needs to absorb just a small amount of iron each day to stay healthy (around 1 mg for adult males and 1.5 mg for menstruating females). To achieve this, however, we need to consume several times that amount. This is because our bodies absorb only small amount of the iron contained in the foods we eat.
Iron lost from the body through sweat and blood losses, making iron deficiency, a common nutritional deficiency. Menstruating females are therefore at greater risk of iron deficiency. Athletes are also likely to have greater iron losses due to more frequency sweating.
Symptoms of severe iron deficiency including tiredness, fatigue and poor recovery from exercise.
Symptoms of severe iron deficiency (called anaemia) have more dramatic symptoms including;
- Severe fatigue and lethargy
- Cramps
- Headaches and shortness of breath
- Reduce exercise performance
The most at risk of iron deficiency or anaemia may be pregnant women, menstruating females (particularly teenagers and athletes), vegetarians with an inadequate protein intake (particularly of haem-iron sources) and athletes (particularly menstruating females in high-impact or endurance sports).
If non-haem sources are combined with haem sources in the same meal they are better absorbed e.g. legumes combined with meat (e.g. Mexican Mince and kidney beans or Beef and Chic Pea Curry)
Haem Iron: Are our Best Absorbed Sources
Organ meats e.g. liver, kidney, liverwurst, pate
Lean red meat e.g. beef, lamb
Also veal, pork, poultry, fish and seafood (to a lesser extent)
Non-Haem Iron: Poorly Absorbed Sources
Wholegrain breads and cereals (these are often fortified with iron)
Legumes e.g. soybeans, lentils, baked beans
Eggs
Green leafy vegetables e.g. spinach, silverbeet, asian greens
Dried fruit – e.g. apricots
More ways to increase your iron absorption from food.
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Include Vitamin C within or around the same time as the meal e.g. citrus or tropical fruits and juices, red capsicum,
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Include lean red meat (or liver or pate) in your meals three to five times per week (this doesn’t have to be large amounts (100-120g is OK), as the frequency of eating haem-iron sources may be more important than the quantity eaten)
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If you are not including haem-iron (meat, poultry, seafood) at a meal, be sure to include a good source of non-haem iron i.e. eggs, a wholegrain cereal food, some legumes
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Only drink tea and coffee between meals iron containing meals, as there are substances within each that inhibit absorption of iron from food
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Choose iron-enriched breakfast cereals where possible
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If you are vegetarian, work extra hard on the appropriate mixes of non-haem foods at each meal.