Iron supplements?

I have one small correction to the values I gave for my Feritin level it was 3 ng not 9 ng I looked it up in the copies of the blood test I asked for my records.

I'm a triathlete.... so it's ok to train 15 hours a week. And, I was speaking of Acyclovir- this is probably anti-viral. Nonetheless, when I get cold sores, it's an indicator that my body is stressed out- so taking iron, vitamins, whatever keeps me from getting to that "stressed" level.

Get blood work done first.

If the results are okay, you might want to reconsider. If you are low, adding iron is a good idea as long as blood work is monitored.

Sample recommendation (consult a doc)

130 mcg/day with vitamin C on empty stomach. Start with 65 mcg/day to see how you tolerate it. Some people get constipation.

Add fortified foods with iron (cereals and such).

After 6 to 8 weeks, follow up blood test. Assess from there.

Can someone in the know please summarize all the things we need to know about this subject? What tests need to be done? What are the ideal ranges for endurance athletes? What else do we need to know regarding iron and testing and anemia?

The best and most expensive supplement is Niferex.

Fe O. Sal wrote:

20-200 is quite a large range. If that range is "normal" wouldn't it be better to be on the high side of that if you are a distance runner? Would you be able to carry more oxygen then? Would that increase your aerobic capacity? The same question would apply to hemoglobin and hematocrit - wouldn't it be better to be on the high side of the normal range?

Also, if I am shopping for iron supplements, what should I be looking for - there are all kinds of products on the market?

The normal range is for health purposes. Labs do not have special standards for athletes. Having more is not automatically going to make you better. Ferritin is the storage form of iron so new RBCs pick it up.

Endurance athletes will get a plasma volume expansion so that actually they will have a lower hematocrit.

Ferrous sulfate is the best in terms of absorption. Feosol is one brand name.

not kilgore wrote:

I repeat.

This could be valuable as I know a lot of people who take iron as if it were candy.

Is there a test to measure if you are overloading? Blood testing. This is why frequent and regular testing should be done.

If your serum ferritin is within the normal range and you are taking a supplement can you safely remain supplementing.

Depends on test results.

If you have overdosed how would you know?

Check WebMD for symptoms on hemachromatosis.

Is there a way to de-tox?

What are the results of over-loading?

Liver damage.

d2 XC wrote:

does anyone know roughly how much an iron test would cost? well, i'm not sure if iron test is the best word for it. a test that would see how my iron and red blood cells compared to normal. and does insurance normally cover it (assuming that i haven't had any symptoms of problems, just having the test for preventative measures). thanks.

Go to your doc. Tell him/her that you are feeling a little run down and tired. The doc orders blood test (chem 19 or 21). Ask the doc to add on the ferritin analysis. You might have to pay part of the latter.

Do not tell the doc that it is for athletic assessment. Insurance is not there for that.

guest wrote:

does anyone take iron gluconate? or is iron sulfate recommended? i am a female who was anemic last year, and i am wondering if i should switch to a sulfate as opposed to gluconate form of iron.

Sulfate form is better absorbed.

How much is too much? Is 30 mg per day to much?

I was diagnosed with anaemia and low iron back in July and am currently taking 3 x 200mg iron supplement tablets each day.

I first became aware that I was having problems when I started blowing up after around 2 miles in my races…I would be cruising comfortably then suddenly I would literally ‘hit the wall’ and would have to battle just to finish the race, never mind chase a PB. At first I thought I was just struggling with heat when running but a blood test soon revealed that I was anaemic.

Being a non-vegetarian male the doctor was concerned that I may have a source of bleeding somewhere or I wasn’t absorbing iron so I underwent the usual ceoliac test, bowel cancer tests, and ulcer tests. Thankfully these were all clear so the doc just put it down to hard training and a poor diet.

I’ve been on supplements for around 3 months now, my levels have just returned to the normal range (albeit at the low end of the normal range) and I am no longer considered to be anaemic. I have started back training, just focusing on building up the aerobic base and although I am no where near as fit as I was last May I can definitely feel an improvement to how I was feeling back in July.

Hopefully a few more months of iron tablets will see my levels rise further into the mid range of the normal levels and my performances will start to improve. I guess time will tell.

The long and short of the message is that if you feel you may be anaemic I would strongly recommend that you see your doctor. The causes of anaemia are wide and varied and in the worst case scenario could be very serious.

Hi there! Which brands of supplements do you think are the best? I would like to get some from https://www.canadapharmacy.com/ but I am not sure which are really good. Thank you in advance for the help!