Whey Protein Shake -
Viewing:
Does Exercise Reduce Iron Levels Or Hemoglobin In The Blood?
Do you feel tired always? Exercise should give you more energy, not less. So if you are feeling tired, perhaps you may be iron deficient. How do you know?
Iron is responsible for carrying oxygen with blood throughout the body. It attaches itself to hemoglobin and carries the oxygen. When we exercise, our bodies require higher amounts of oxygen. So if you are iron deficient, it may cause you to perform poorly. Therefore, if you are feeling tired instead of more energetic, you may be iron deficient. But don't go and consume iron supplements right away. Consult your doctor first. The danger of iron supplements is that the amount is usually too high for the body. And you may end up poisoning your system.
As for the question, does exercise reduce iron levels, the answer is yes. With increased usage, the iron in the body becomes depleted quickly. This leads to tiredness. So all the protein shakes that you consume are helping to build muscles but your blood doesn't carry enough oxygen in the system to provide you with more energy!
The good news is, iron deficiency doesn't affect most people. If you go to the gym daily to workout, the risk of becoming iron deficiency is very low. But if you engage in endurance exercises such as marathon running, then there is a chance that your iron levels may become depleted. When that happens, you find that your performance can drop dramatically.
Other individuals who become iron deficient may be affected by an inability to absorb iron - e.g. poor kidney function. When the body cannot absorb iron, this leads to health problems known as iron anemia. If you suspect that you suffer from iron anemia, go and see a doctor to test it out. The doctor will test the hemoglobin count in your blood. As iron is needed to produce hemoglobin, a low count will imply that you have low levels of iron in your body.
How to increase iron and hemoglobin
Here are some common approaches to increase iron and hemoglobin. But regardless of which approach you choose, be sure to work closely with your doctor.
The first approach, which is the more sensible approach, is to increase the intake of water (h20) and iron rich foods. A simple change to your diet can make all the difference to your health.
Foods that are rich in iron include red meat such as beef. Tuna, pork and chicken also contains iron. For vegetable sources, beet root and dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli also provide rich sources of iron.
Of course, while you are increasing your iron levels, make sure that you don't use up the iron too quickly. In other words, rest! If you have been doing marathon running and you have been tested to be low on iron, then give your body time to increase the iron levels in the body. You will start feeling better a lot quicker.
You can also take medications prescribed by your doctor to increase iron levels. There are some drugs that will stimulate the body to produce more hemoglobin.
A blood transfusion can also increase hemoglobin quickly but this is usually used as a last resort.
