I have not been feeling 'right' for a while and I have a whole load of women problems going on. I had some blood tests done and it turns out I am very low on iron and very very low on ferritin.
I have still managed to improve on my distance and time so I might be olympic standard when I get back to full health. ha ha
Problem is now I am low on iron I seem to have given it in to it all and feel really naff.
I don't eat a bad diet at all but I can only think the extra stresses of running three times a week have had a massive effect. I am now dosing up on spatone and I have some multi-vitamins.
Anyone else found that running has left them a bit depleted?
Written by
loubee33
Graduate
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I feel physically more tired overnight after a decent run, ie I tend to sleep a bit heavier, but overall I feel invigorated by the running and generally have much more energy during the day and feel less stressed as well. I think it is the endorphin's.
Hi Have had the same thing in the past, normal haemoglobin low serum iron low ferritin, took spatone and ferrous gluconate between 4-6 daily easier on the tum and better absorbed than ferrous fumerate or ferrous sulphate you caould also try ferroglobin from holland and barratt. I kept my running as I found it helped keep my energy levels up
I second these recommendations. I have thallessimia, and running depleted my iron levels. Spatone is very easy on the stomach and less likely to cause some of the side effects that tablets may have. Of the tablet forms, gluconate worked best for me.
I would be much more inclined to think the most likely culprit is the 'woman problems' rather than the running - in fact I suspect that you might have felt even worse had you not been running.
It is possible that it is your absorption rather than your intake which is the problem. Tricky customer iron!
I got low iron when I was pregnant and couldn't tolerate the iron pills. I ate iron rich foods. I now have a beetroot and spinach smoothie every day - a bit of apple juice, a good handful of spinach and a vac-packed beetroot all whizzed up in the liquidizer (plus any other fruit or veg which is lying around or needs finishing up) which not only gives me lots of digestible iron, but also helps keep me ... um ... moving too! A very easy way to get your five a day as well. It's a win win! Like Maisie I tend to feel more energised when running than when not, so I guess it is your low iron which is causing the fatigue, especially if you are losing a lot of blood through menstruation. Take it easy, eat plenty of iron rich foods (the odd Guinness doesn't go amiss either) and see how it goes.
Having said all that, I did a big workout on the stepper and the rowing machine this morning, and now I am absolutely knackered and heading for my bed with a cuppa and some trashy tv.
I agree with all the above - the low iron levels will be causing the fatigue. Trying to run with anaemia is knackering and very frustrating, as I have experienced myself, but the good news is that a course of iron tabs from your GP should make you feel significantly stronger within about a month, if you can also address the reason why you are becoming anaemic in the first place. I found ferrous gluconate really easy to tolerate, but then I do seem to have a concrete stomach.
I suspect that you ladies might not eat enough RED meat!!!! I recall seeing a pic once of the amount of spinach you would have to eat to give you as much absorb-able iron as a piece of steak - it was huge.
I went through a similar thing a couple of years ago and my anaemia was only picked up when I went in for an op (which was subsequently postponed). I had also attempted the Couch to 5k then and had really struggled with it and only realised after it all that being anaemic definitely affected my stamina. I took gluconate, ferritin levels picked up, had my gallbladder op and felt much better.
Avoid caffeine an hour before and after taking any iron supplements as it affects the iron absorption and try to boost your vitamin C levels too as that really helps. (I used to drink orange juice with my dinner). I would listen to your body and hope that you bounce back soon :0)
I have had a similar experience and it floors you when you run. I have been on ferrous gluconate, if you want to PM me I can Give you more details. the thing I found that helped me with the running when I was at my worst waiting for the iron to kick in was run for 6 min take a break and walk till I felt better then run again. This is because the average person activates the ferrtin stores for oxygen after about 7-10 min running. If you don't have them that's when you get floored. I managed to keep my fitness up throughout the treatment doing that. Just making sure I didn't overdo it as that would be counter productive to the treatment. I hope you feel better soon.
Loubee, you poor thing. If you have a low ferritin it means that your iron stores are very depleted- presumably from years of 'Wimins Problems'! Low ferritin equals low iron stores and it makes you feel pretty awful. Plus your haemoglobin is low, too. (Just for the record, it's possible to have normal haemoglobin but horribly low iron stores.)
You need iron and really your GP should be supervising this. Ferrous gluconate or similar are the way forward and also red meat. You can bath in spinach etc but unfortunately the iron in vegetables is very difficult to absorb.
With iron supplements you must avoid taking them with dairy and, if I remember rightly, tea and coffee. The reason being is that they chelate the iron and make it unavailable for absorption. Vitamin C (just some fruit is ok) helps the absorption of iron.
I'm afraid that I don't know anything about Spatone, but what I would say is that taking high-dose iron supplements without having your bloods checked now and again can eventually mean getting too much iron in your body. This is dangerous. Hence, the suggestion that your GP should supervise!
There was a really useful post last year from a C25Ker about anaemia. She might be able to dig it out again for you!
I think the depletion is due to womens problems but they got worse when I started running which is all a bit odd. However I know low iron can be linked to heavy periods so I am wondering if I was already low and then the running has exacerbated it? The doctor prescribed iron tablets and having being anaemic when I was pregnant I know that they do not suit me at all. I have an appointment next week to go and get it all sorted. I think running has kept me going to be honest and I do feel energised by it. That is absolutely fascinating about the breathlessness RFC. I have experienced exactly that! In fact I was wondering if I had exercised induced asthma as I was struggling as you say about 7 - 10 minutes in to get my breath. It all appears to be linked. I am now taking a multivitamin and three spatone a day and will see what the doctor
says next week. Spatone is water infused with iron and to be honest I managed to get my levels up really quickly with it when I was pregnant. The midwives were very impressed.
I always naturally have low iron levels. Sometimes I take iron other times I don't bother. From lots and lots of experience, it will definitely be making you tired and a bit yucky. My advice would be to listen to your body, sleep lots, don't worry too much about what your eating and take any medication you have been given. After a week or so you will be feeling better. Put your C2K aside if you don't feel up to it, just do the level of exercise you feel up to. Go easy on yourself!!
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