If you’re iron deficient, your running could suffer, according to Dr. Dheeraj Khiatani (Medical Director) & Tim Cushway (Founder & Director) from The Iron Suites Medical Centre. (This article was posted originally on the Global Run Club website.)
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Iron deficiency is the world’s most common nutritional deficiency.
It can lead to fatigue, decreased exercise capacity, and a slower post-exercise recovery. Iron is also a key element for a fully functioning immune system. Despite these staggering rates and significant impacts, iron stores are rarely proactively checked. Have you ever seen serum ferritin on your lab report?
Runners and endurance athletes have up to 70% higher iron requirements than their sedentary counterparts. This is due to foot-strike (which can lead to haematuria – or blood in the urine – from the blood cells literally being pounded to death over thousands of strides), inflammation (due to the stress of strenuous exercise which then reduces the amount of iron our body can absorb from food) and increased sweating.
Iron deficiency affects nearly one in three women, and this is due to menses and pregnancy (especially multiple pregnancies close together).
Women with moderate to heavy menses can lose one liter of blood (or 500mg iron) annually and each pregnancy requires ~1,000mg iron (or one-third of an average women’s total iron stores).
Read more, including suggested treatment
Our friend, Dr. Bryan Hay of HIGHBAR has developed this brief YouTube video on how to improve spine mobility and posture specifically for runners with a few simple exercises.
During these times where we cannot meet at the track for a formal workout, motivation to push yourself harder may wane. Indeed, for many club members, motivation to lace up their shoes and hit the pavement comes from preparing for a race and/or running with friends. With only virtual races on the horizon and track workouts on hold for now (though Tuesday and Thursday tempo sessions are available), setting some personal training goals might help fill the void.
Make a list of 3 to 5 running goals that you would like to achieve in the next 6 weeks. For example, run 4-5 days per week, increase my weekly mileage by 10%, run 6-10 hill repeats weekly, improve my time by (fill in the blank with your goal) seconds on a routine neighborhood course, plan to go for a run with 1 or 2 others once a week, etc.
Put this list on your mirror, read it every day, and be able to say after 6 weeks, “I DID IT!”
Just a reminder that all Club members receive a 10% discount at Rhode Runner on North Main Street. Just be sure to tell the friendly staff that you’re a member. They’ll confirm it in the database. This is a fabulous opportunity and the folks there are great at finding that perfect sneaker.
One of our club members, Thom Spann, is actively engaged in collecting running shoes that would otherwise be discarded and donating them to the Providence Cobras, a local track club for community youngsters under his direction for the past 45 years.
Your gently used sneakers will make a huge difference. Just bring them to track and give them to Thom, or if he isn’t there for that particular workout, to Bob or Anne who will get them to Thom.
