How to boost your iron intake

With races approaching and training volume/intensity increasing, now is a great time to get your blood tested.

I recommend comprehensive testing at the start of the year and routine blood testing on specific markers (ex. iron panel) every 3-6 months throughout your training cycle. Recognizing individual trends can help you better understand the role of your diet, training and lifestyle choices on your health.

Iron deficiency anemia can be prevented and it's also very treatable. However, most athletes are not diagnosed until health and performance are severely compromised. At this point, it can take several months for the body to return to optimal health.

Routine blood testing from companies like Athlete Blood Test can help you understand what's happening inside your body so that you can train and perform at your full capacity.

While it's never too late to get tested, do yourself a big favor and don't wait until you are sick, injured, burnout, exhausted or struggling with low energy levels to determine if you are dealing with a nutrient deficiency.

Proactive blood testing - why I recently got my blood tested

 

Blood analysis provides an opportunity to look inside your body, giving insights into your diet and training and their effects on performance and health. 

When athletes consider blood testing, it's usually during a time of illness, a drop in performance or injury. In other words, it's done as a reaction to a physical setback. However, don't wait until it's too late. 

Anytime you are about to experience a new type of stressor (ex. new training block, return to training after injury, overcoming an illness, approaching a significant increase in training volume, altitude training), a blood test can give you valuable information about your current state of health. The only way to know what's going on in your body is to test what's going on inside your body. Many times, early diagnosis of a condition is easier to treat before complications develop. Sadly, athletes will only consider blood testing when symptoms are significant - but at this point, health may be severely compromised. Although blood testing may look expensive, costly and inconvenient, it's a simple way to stay on top of your health. 

From August 10th until August 20th, Karel and I will be in Breckenridge, Colorado. The town of Breckenridge sits at 9,600 feet above sea level. Greenville, SC sits just below 1,000 feet. 

Karel will be participating in Breck Epic - a 6-day mountain bike stage race. Originally, I was going to also participate but I was worried about performing at altitude and also decided that I wanted to focus on XTRI ICON which is quickly approaching on September 1st in Livigno, Italy. While Karel is racing, I will be helping him out however I can, and training. Although I am not going to Breckenridge to intentially train at altitude for performance gains, this opportunity will give me a good understanding of what my body can do physically at a high elevation. Livigno sits at 5,958 feet and I'll be cycling up to 9,000 feet. 

Anytime I change my training location or routine, I always get a bit nervous for my body as it tries to adapt to new stressors. For the past four years, I've remained healthy and uninjured (minus one sickness in October 2021 due to COVID). My body is in a great place physically and I've been so happy with the training and racing I've been able to do over the past few years. But training at altitude worries me. 

At around 5,000 feet the body senses changes in the oxygen level. As you gain elevation, the pressure in the atmosphere decreases. Although the percentage of oxygen in inspired air is the same at all altitudes (~21%), the fall in atmospheric pressure at higher altitudes decreases the partial pressure of inspired oxygen (how many molecules of oxygen are in a given volume of air). Because there is less pressure to push oxygen molecules together, there are fewer oxygen molecules in the same volume of air, reducing the oxygen availability in the air reduces the oxygen saturation in the blood and brain of unacclimatized people. The next time someone says that there is less oxygen in the air at elevation, you can correct that person and say that it's the pressure in the atmosphere that decreases at higher elevation. Because of the reduced air pressure at high altitude, the volume of air you breathe into your lungs contains less oxygen molecules in each breathe. 

To help the body adjust to lower oxygen levels, your body is forced to change its physiology (acclimatization). The first change is faster and deeper breaths to take in more oxygen. This can lead to shorteness of breath and feeling lightheaded. Heart rate will increase to supply more oxygenated blood to the tissues. The higher the elevation, the dryer the air. This means moisture avaporates more quickly from the skin, which can lead to dehydration if fluid intake is not a priority. Increased urination is a response to changes in the body's acid/base balance, which can also increase the risk for dehydration. Low oxygen can affect brain during sleep and the altitude can suppress the appetite. And lastly, with less oxygen reaching the muscles, which means a decline in performance compared to what you can do at sea level. Altitude sickness is a common concern and symptoms begin 6-48 hours after exposure. Symptoms include headache, nausea, lethary, dizziness and difficulty sleeping. 

Many athletes opt to train at altitude before competing at sea level because of the beneficial adaptations that influence endurance performance (although not every athlete is a good responder to training at altitude). Adaptations include: 

• Increased hemoglobin concentration (protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen)
• Increased thickness of blood (more red blood cells)
• Increased red blood cells (kidneys sense oxygen deficiency in the blood and secrete the hormone erythropoietin (EPO) which stimulates the bone marrow to accelerate the production of red blood cells)
• Increased capillary density (improves the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to your muscles)
• Increased tissue myoglobin concentration (better supply of oxygen to the cells in your muscles)

For those who can train at altitude for 3-4 weeks, the greatest benefit is more red blood cells which allows the blood to carry more oxygen. When returning to sea level, the muscles get an extra (natural) boost. 

Although I'm not going to altitude for specific changes in my physiology, I know I'm going to be physically impacted for ten days. Because of this, it was very important that I do not go into this high-stress training environment with any health issues. 

That's why I reached out to Athlete Blood Test. 

As a long time partner with Athlete Blood Test, the team provided me with two complimentary Iron panel blood tests. As a 31-year lacto-ovo vegetarian female who menstruates regularly each month, I was most concerned with my iron stores. Iron is a necessary mineral for production of red blood cells. Altitude increases the body's need for iron. However, you do not want to supplement with iron unless you have a blood test that tells you what you are deficient in. Ferritin measures the body's iron stores in the tissues (not blood) and is a more sensitive test for iron deficiency.

Because my last blood test was on June 27th, 2022 (over a year ago) and since then I reduced my iron pill dosage from daily to once every week (since my iron and ferritin stores were in a great place), I wanted to check in with my body to see if I needed to adjust anything before and during my time at altitude. I also wanted Karel to get tested because he will be the one racing and if he had any nutrient deficiencies going into the race, that would have severely compromised his performance and health. 

The process of getting our blood taken after receiving the confirmation of our Athlete Blood Test was super simple. I scheduled an appointment for me and Karel at the nearest Lab Corp (~8 miles away) and we were in and out in less than 15 minutes. A few days later, I received an email from Athlete Blood Test with our results and detailed feedback on my labs. 

Here are my recent (and past) lab results. Last year I had my blood tested before we participated in the 7-day Haute Route Alps. Currently, I'm in the last part of my build to XTRI ICON and I've done a considerable amount of endurance training and racing this year. In the past year, my numbers are trending down. Although I feel great (healthy, strong, fit) and I'm performing really well, I don't want this decline to continue in route to my event on Sept 1st, especially after being at altitude for 10 days.
I'll be taking Iron again (every other day this week and then daily while at altitude). I take Thorne Iron Bisglycinate. I'll also be taking Vitamin B12 from Thorne. I do not take any other supplements. 

As for Karel, his labs are in a great place. He was supplementing with iron once a week since last year to get his ferritin levels up. He experiences a lot of nerve issues (foot/hand) and iron can be related to restless leg syndrome. Again, you should never supplement with iron unless you know your numbers. As you can see from Karel's labs, his ferritin levels have doubled in the past year. He still experiences RLS every now and then but it is considerably better since last year. 

If you'd like to read more about blood testing and altitude, the Athlete Blood Test has a great article on this topic. 

While I'll be training carefully while I am at altitude, I have peace of mind knowing that my body is in a good place nutritionally and physically. 

Test, don't guess. Be proactive with your health. Spending time, money and effort on preventative health can keep you healthy so you can continue to enjoy and get the most out of your active lifestyle. 

If you are interested in getting your blood tested, I have a few great discount codes for you to apply: 
Iron Panel for $90
Use code TRIMARNI15 (for single panels)
Use code TRIMARNI25 (combo panels: gold + bronze, etc.)

Do athletes need regular blood tests?

A few millimeters of blood holds a vast amount of personal information. Although a blood test may appear costly and inconvenient, blood testing offers a quick, reliable and straightforward way of receiving a powerful amount of personalized information that can help you maximize health, overall well-being and performance.getting your blood analyzed with careful interpretation by a sport-specific professional can show how your genetics, training, nutrition, recovery and lifestyle factors impact your biomarkers.  Why guess when you can test? 

Let's look into a few reasons why athletes (and fitness enthusiasts) should get routine blood tests: 

• Health - Blood tests are not just for optimizing performance. First and foremost, a blood test can check for certain diseases, conditions and deficiencies. Because every biomarker has a range or specific number that represents "normal," you can learn if you have a shortage or excess of a specific factor in the blood. A blood test is a portrait of your current health. A nutrient deficiency may be easily corrected with a supplement whereas other metabolic biomarkers are influenced by genetics and lifestyle factors. 
  
  
• Performance - Because your ability to perform to your best ability is influenced by training, nutrition and recovery, blood testing is a window inside your athletic body. You can receive vital information on nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, hydration status, muscle health and injury risk and uncover long-term or recent patterns/reactions from your lifestyle choices, nutrition habits and training methods. 
  
  
• Understand your body - Periodic testing gives insight into your unique biomarker levels and how your nutrition, recovery, training and lifestyle impact those levels. Ultimately, this impacts how you feel, think and perform. By focusing on your "inside" you get to know what is specific to you as an athlete - and as a human. However, every athlete is different....especially athletes. It's important to have a trained professional (specializing in athlete biomarkers) review your labs before making any changes with fueling, training and recovery. 
  
  
• Periodic testing - Blood testing is one of the few "testing" measures where you can't cheat the test. By getting routine blood testing, you can learn more about your physiology, health, nutrition and performance and make necessary changes. To truly benefit from blood testing, it's recommended to invest into at least 6 tests spread over 2-3 years. The first routine test is to screen. The second and third test (at least 3-5 months later) can give feedback on any new training/nutrition interventions. The next two tests can help establish any trends and the last test shares a story over several seasons. It's recommended to test before you start advancing your training (ex. end of your off-season) as well as another test in peak training. If possible, a test in the start of your off-season (at the end of your season) can also be valuable. All of these markers will give insight into how your body is managing the training load, as well as any positive or negative impacts on recovery and nutrition. 
  
  
• A look inside your body...
  Nutrient metabolism and overall health labs: CBS, CMP - glucose, A1C, cholesterol, BUN, albumin, triglycerides, vitamin D, B vitamins, magnesium, iron, zinc, folate, Omega-3 index, etc.
  
  Hydration status: plasma osmolality, plasma sodium, BUN, eGFR, serum creatinine, urine specific gravity, etc. 
  
  Muscle health: BUN, myoglobin, CK, Cytokines, IGF-1
  
  Endocrine health: Testosterone, DHEA, IGF-1, SHBG, Cortisol, LH, Thyroid
  
  Endurance/stamina: Serum Ferritin, TIBC, Total Iron, Transferrin, Transferring saturation, Hemoglobin, Hematocrit 
  
  Female health: Cholesterol, estradiol, testosterone (free and total), TSH, progesterone, DHEA-sulfate, FSH, LH.

• Decoding results - Just because your biomarker is out-of-range or normal, this doesn't tell the entire story. Your numbers are influenced by a variety of factors and what's normal for you may not be normal for your next door neighbor. Depending on your biomarker results, a professional can instruct on how to best supplement for a deficiency or adjust the diet/training for better recovery.

After several years of waiting for the perfect partnership with a blood testing company, I partnered with Athlete Blood Test as my go-to blood testing company for my nutrition consultations. ABT provides individually-tailored, athlete-focused blood biomarker testing to help athletes dial in nutrition, recovery, training and performance. Even more exciting for the female athletes, the Athlete Blood Test She (ABT.she) blood analysis panel empowers women to better understand their physiology by analyzing female-specific sex hormones (ex. estrogen, progesterone, luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone). ABT.she takes into account where you are in your menstrual cycle when analyzing biomarker levels.

If you are interested in using Athlete Blood Test for your blood testing needs, send me an email (Marni@trimarnicoach.com) for a discount code on the test panel of your choice. 

Why is iron so important for athletes?

 

As an athlete, you hear a lot about eating enough calories, staying well hydrated and fueling your workouts appropriately with proper sport nutrition.

Although macronutrients are very important, let's not forget about the smaller nutrients - vitamins and minerals. Micronutrients play an important role in immune function, protection against oxidative damage, bone health and energy production.

Exercise stresses many metabolic pathways and increases the turnover and loss of micronutrients. As a result, a deficient intake or absorption issue can negatively impact health, body composition and performance. Although many vitamins and minerals are of concern - like B vitamins, zinc, magnesium, calcium and some antioxidants - many athletes struggle with consuming adequate iron.

Because iron is an essential mineral that assists in the transport of oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body, we can't expect our muscles to execute the work we ask of them if iron stores are depleted.

Recognizing how detrimental an iron deficiency (or even worse, anemia) is on athletic performance and overall health, athletes will benefit from regular blood testing every 3-6 months.

Remember: Test DON'T GUESS.

For more information about Athlete Blood Test, search HERE or you can send me an email. 

Athlete Blood Test - test, don't guess.

 

I recently consulted with three different athletes who complained of fatigue, injuries and/or lack of appetite and all three had ferritin levels of less than 7 ng/mL. I consulted with another athlete who desired a change in body composition who had a ferritin level of 437 ng/mL.

Ferritin is an intracellular protein that stores iron in the body. For athletes, recommended ‘normal’ ferritin levels are very different from the sedentary. "Normal" ferritin levels are 12-300 ng/ml for men and 12-150 ng/ml for women but from my experience, most athletes will feel they perform (and feel the best) with ferritin levels of 50-100 ng/ml.

I'm happy to announce that I've partnered with Athlete Blood Test as my go-to blood testing company for my nutrition consultations. ABT provides individually-tailored, athlete-focused blood biomarker testing to help athletes dial in nutrition, recovery, training and performance. Even more exciting for the female athletes, the Athlete Blood Test She (ABT.she) blood analysis panel empowers women to better understand their physiology by analyzing female-specific sex hormones (ex. estrogen, progesterone, luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone). ABT.she takes into account where you are in your menstrual cycle when analyzing biomarker levels.

A few millimeters of blood contains an incredible amount of individual information. Although it may appear costly and inconvenient, getting your blood analyzed with careful interpretation by a sport-specific profession can show how your genetics, training, nutrition, recovery and lifestyle factors are impacting your biomarkers. By frequently getting your blood testing, you can be proactive with your health and training. 

In the long run, "testing and not guessing" is a quick, reliable and straightforward way of receiving a powerful amount of personalized information that can ultimately help you maximize health, overall well-being and performance.