I recently started feeling like crap, please help me interpret my blood test.

How do you sleep? How many miles are you running? What pace are you running at?

I am consistently amazed at how many posters will go to the trouble of getting medical tests done (blood work, MRI, whatever), and instead of DISCUSSING THE RESULT WITH A DOCTOR, they post the result on letsrun and actually expect a meaningful answer.

SMH.

I have a book called "The textbook of running medicine". I don't understand a lot of it. However there is a chart that talks about all of the forms of anemia.

One of them shows that if your mean corpuscle volume (MCV) is between 100-120 then it's called Nonmegaloblastic macrocytic anemia.

It says "evaluate for alcoholism, hypothyroidism, liver disease, and myelodysplasia".

I had high MCV and MCH on a test 13 years ago and it turns out i was hypothyorid.

Except, I have discussed this with a doctor, who said everything is normal, which is why I am posting on here for more opinions. Doctors don't know everything, especially when it comes to distance running.I have gotten meaningful advice from letsrun in the past. So go away.

insert humorous name here wrote:

I am consistently amazed at how many posters will go to the trouble of getting medical tests done (blood work, MRI, whatever), and instead of DISCUSSING THE RESULT WITH A DOCTOR, they post the result on letsrun and actually expect a meaningful answer.

SMH.

Rashid Driouch wrote:

I've started feeling like crap. All my energy is gone. I start out each run out of breath and hungry, and I have to push myself just to make it through easy runs. I feel out of breath and my legs burn when climbing stairs. And my motivation to get up and do stuff has gone out the window.

I've had bouts of no energy on runs in the past two years, and took liquid iron, which I think actually made me feel a lot better; but I never had any blood tests to justify taking iron. Now that I've finally gotten my first blood test, I am perplexed, because most of the numbers look normal.

This is the textbook definition of over-trained. Unfortunately, more is less in this scenario my friend. If you feel this poorly, then I'd advise taking a break. While you say nothing stands out in your blood test (I'm just assuming you're right, I only know about iron and hemoglobin deficiencies, other than that I'm afraid I couldn't help you detect problems just based off the actual results). Nevertheless, I'd suggest going to a nutritionist and asking them about your diet and what might be causing this lack of energy.

Were you on b-12 supplement when you were eating fruitarian? Seriously consider trying it for a week.

Riverdale Runner wrote:

How do you sleep? How many miles are you running? What pace are you running at?

I usually get about 7 hours. Though there is usually 1 or 2 days a week where I need to stay up late and get ~5 hours. And when I can sleep in I do, and get 8-9 hours.

My usual easy run paces were 6:50's no problem, but in the past few weeks 7:10 has been a struggle.

kod3200 wrote:

This is the textbook definition of over-trained. Unfortunately, more is less in this scenario my friend. If you feel this poorly, then I'd advise taking a break.

I've been maintaining ~30 mpw average for the past year through all of this inconsistency. I don't think I've ever had a consistent enough bout of training in the past two years to be over trained; I would barely call what I've been doing for the past year and a half training.

If your doc says the lab work is normal and you're this fatigued, sounds like you're overtrained and need to take a break.

"But...but...but...I have a race..."

Kiddo, your body is telling you it isn't ready for that race. Take a break. And try to make a habit of getting more sleep.

college soph wrote:

Were you on b-12 supplement when you were eating fruitarian? Seriously consider trying it for a week.

No. When I did that two years ago during senior year of HS, it was just fruit for about 2.5 months. I started it during an injury, and actually had a promising first performance of that track season considering the injury, then times just consistently got worse as the season went on until I bombed at championships. That season went form 4:30/1600m to ~4:47/1600m.

Rashid Driouch wrote:

I usually get about 7 hours.

And when I can sleep in I do, and get 8-9 hours.

Get more regular sleep.

No. When I did that two years ago during senior year of HS, it was just fruit for about 2.5 months. I started it during an injury, and actually had a promising first performance of that track season considering the injury, then times just consistently got worse as the season went on until I bombed at championships. That season went form 4:30/1600m to ~4:47/1600m.

Interesting-I recently began eating a vegan diet, and I'm currently injured. Hopefully I don't end up with similar results. And for the record, I just started b 12 and I feel like it made a considerable difference in my energy during the day.

9/10

That hematocrit makes me smile.

college soph wrote:

Interesting-I recently began eating a vegan diet, and I'm currently injured.

What a surprise #sarcasm

I just started b 12[/quote]

All b12 supplements are non-plant sourced. In other words, you're not vegan if you're substituting with b12.

truth876 wrote:

I have a book called "The textbook of running medicine". I don't understand a lot of it. However there is a chart that talks about all of the forms of anemia.

One of them shows that if your mean corpuscle volume (MCV) is between 100-120 then it's called Nonmegaloblastic macrocytic anemia.

It says "evaluate for alcoholism, hypothyroidism, liver disease, and myelodysplasia".

I had high MCV and MCH on a test 13 years ago and it turns out i was hypothyorid.

Except that he is not anemic at all. His hemoglobin/hematocrit are nowhere near being low. They are great. Evaluating the MCV is usually only helpful when you've already established that a patient is anemic (which the OP is absolutely NOT).

I would look elsewhere for causes of fatigue. Overtraining is very likely.

You are going through peri-menopause. See about taking hormone replacement supplements

Rashid Driouch wrote:

My usual easy run paces were 6:50's no problem, but in the past few weeks 7:10 has been a struggle.

You shouldn't be struggling at all. Run at 7:30 pace.

It is amazing how many doctors don't understand the demands of running, even slow hobbyjoggers.So what might be normal for a couch potato, it might not be for a 'serious recreational athlete'. MDs that don't run just don't get it.I just had a blood test as part of a routine exam and the PA was incredulous when I asked him a question or two about what is tested. What about low T. Was that tested?

Rashid Driouch wrote:

Except, I have discussed this with a doctor, who said everything is normal, which is why I am posting on here for more opinions. Doctors don't know everything, especially when it comes to distance running.I have gotten meaningful advice from letsrun in the past. So go away.

insert humorous name here wrote:

I am consistently amazed at how many posters will go to the trouble of getting medical tests done (blood work, MRI, whatever), and instead of DISCUSSING THE RESULT WITH A DOCTOR, they post the result on letsrun and actually expect a meaningful answer.

SMH.

[quote]LI Runner wrote:

What about low T. Was that tested?

This. Non meat eaters have a hard time producing testosterone, which you NEED to feel good as a male. Also check your SHBG levels. If they're high, any testosterone you're producing is basically useless.

Talk to your doctor about the results.