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By Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD  How as a woman runner do you prevent anemia?
If you have a diet that is low in iron, you may develop iron deficiency anemia.
Iron is an important part of red blood cells. It helps transport oxygen to your muscles. The symptoms are weakness and rapid fatigue upon exertion.
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The recommended iron intake is 18 milligrams for women; and 8 mg for men. Women require more iron because we lose it through menstrual bleeding.
The average woman consumes less than the recommended intake and is at risk for anemia. As a runner you should pay particular attention to your iron intake. Runners, as compared to other athletes, are more prone to anemia.
We often experience small iron losses via blood in the intestinal track. The pounding on our feet can also damage blood cells and require iron for replacement. Red meat is among the best dietary sources of iron. Non-meat eaters have a higher risk of becoming anemic compared to meat-eaters. Humans absorb the iron in meat (and in other animal proteins) twice as efficiently as the iron in plants. For example, spinach is a relatively iron rich plant, but only 3% of its iron is absorbable. Eating animal protein enhances the iron absorption of plant-iron when the two types of food are eaten together. Hence, if you were to eat spinach along with some chicken, meat, or fish, the animal protein would help you to better absorb the iron in the spinach. Similarly, adding lean hamburger to chili enhances absorption of the beans' iron. Vitamin C enhances iron absorption. Plan to eat vitamin C-rich foods along with meals, such as orange juice with cereal, tomato on a sandwich, vegetables with dinner. Some fruits rich in vitamin C include oranges, grapefruit, cantaloupe, strawberries. Some vitamin C-rich vegetables include broccoli, spinach, peppers, tomato, potato. Breads, cereals, and other grain foods are good sources of iron only if the words enriched or fortified are on the food label. In general, grains offer very little iron, and their iron is poorly absorbed. You can significantly boost iron absorption of enriched grains by eating a source of vitamin C with the meal. For example, orange juice with breakfast cereal boosts iron absorption 2.5 times. When cooking, use cast iron skillets and pots to help prevent anemia. Cast iron offers more nutritional value than does stainless steel cookware. The iron in tomato sauce increases from 3 to 88 mg/half-cup sauce when the sauce simmers in an iron pot for 3 hours. Milk and dairy products are poor sources of iron. Hence, if you rely primarily on cheese, milk and other dairy products for protein, remember you also need to include some other iron-rich foods in your diet. As a woman runner, you might want to take a simple iron supplement such as a multi-vitamin and mineral pill if you don't eat lean red meats, iron-enriched breakfast cereals or grains, and don't use cast iron cookware. Although the iron in meats is absorbed better than that in a pill, supplementing your diet may help protect you from becoming anemic. Top of Page Good Sources of Iron
To help you include more iron in your diet and prevent anemia, here's a list of foods that are good sources of iron (mg).Animal sources (best absorbed)
Beef, 4 ounces roasted — 3 mg
Turkey, 4 ounces roasted dark meat — 2 mg
Tuna, 6.5 ounce can, light — 2 mg
Pork, 4 ounces roasted — 1 mg
Chicken breast, 4 ounces roasted — 1 mg
Fish, 4 ounces broiled haddock — 1 mg
Egg, 1 large — 1 mg Fruit and juice
Prune juice, 8 ounces — 3 mg
Apricots, 8 halves dried — 1 mg
Raisins, 1/3 cup — 1 mg Vegetables
Spinach, 1/2 cup cooked — 3 mg
Green peas, 1/2 cup cooked — 1 mg
Broccoli, 1/2 cup chopped — 1 mg Beans and Legumes
Kidney beans,1 cup canned — 3 mg
Baked beans, 1 cup — 3 mg
Bean curd (tofu), 1/4 cake — 2 mg Grains
Cereal, Total 100% fortified, 1 cup — 18 mg
Wheaties, 3/4 cup — 8 mg
Cheerios, 1 cup — 8 mg
Cream of Wheat, 1 packet — 8 mg
Kellogg's Raisin Bran, 1 cup — 5 mg
Kashi GoLean, 1 cup — 2 mg
Spaghetti, 1 cup cooked, enriched — 2 mg
Bread, 1 slice enriched — 1 mg Miscellaneous
Brewer's yeast, 1 ounce — 5 mg
Molasses, 1 tablespoon blackstrap — 3 mg
Copyright: Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD Nancy Clark's new Sports Nutrition Guidebook (2008), Food Guide for Marathoners, and Cyclist’s Food Guide are available at her website
www.nancyclarkrd.com.
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Other useful links.
Nutrition Advice for Active Women with Amenorrhea
Nutrition Issues in Underperforming Runners
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