What is iron deficiency? and what does it cause?
is the depletion of the body’s iron stores and restriction of iron supply
reduction in the oxygen transport capacity and reduction in the oxidative capacity at the cellular level
what are red blood cells called
Erythrocytes
what is erythropoiesis
the making of hemoglobin in the bone marrow
RBCs
What’s there shape?
what is an important thing they contain?
what do they do?
what is there lifespan?
bioconcave disc
contains hemoglobin
transports respiratory gases
lifespans 120 days
what are the 4 iron containing proteins
ferritin, transferrin, hemoglobin, myoglobin
what does ferritin do? where is it found?
iron storage protein
found mainly in the liver, spleen and bone marrow
serum ferritin levels reflect the amount of iron stored in the organs
store iron in cells
what is transferrin and what does it do? where is it produced?
iron binding protein
produced in the liver, brain and testes
transports iron in the blood
what is hemoglobin? where is it contained?
iron containing protein
is contained within RBCs
carries oxygen and returns CO2
carries oxygen from lungs to tissues
what is Myoglobin and what does it do? where is it contained?
iron containing protein
contained within muscles
transports oxygen to mitochondria of the muscle cells
accepts, stores, transports and releases oxygen in muscle cells
who has lower amount of iron stores and why?
women have lower iron levels due to mensuration
what is the most specific laboratory test that can be done to test for iron stores?
serum ferritin tests
what is considered iron deficiency without anemia or with anemia?
WITHOUT
low ferritin and NORMAL hemoglobin
WITH
low ferritin and LOW hemoglobin
what is the threshold for ferritin levels to be a concern
<35
what are 6 factors of athletes at a higher risk for iron deficiency?
female
endurance athletes
low energy availability (REDS)
athletes with disordered eating
vegan and vegetarians
medical conditions such as celiac disease
what are the 5 exercise induced mechanisms in iron loss?
sweating
injuries
gastrointestinal bleeding
hemolysis
hematuria
what are the three types of iron deficiency treatments?
iron supplements - some side effects
iron rich diets - include iron rich products into daily diet
intravenous iron - for those who cannot tolerate or respond well to oral iron
what are some iron rich foods?
lean meat (dark meat)
beans, lentils, nuts, seed
iron fortified cereals
greens - leafy vegetables
dried fruits
what is the best overall source of iron and why? what are the %’s
heme iron sources are better because they absorb better in the body
HEME - 15-35%
NON HEME - 2-20%
how can we improve the absorption of iron?
include vitamin C rich food with iron rich foods
avoid teas, coffee, and dairy products with meals
athletes need __-___% more iron than non athletes?
30-70%
who is at risk for ID?
pregnant women
female
athletes
vegetarians
what is the difference between sensitivity and specificity
sensitivity - measures the ability of a test to
correctly identify individuals who have a
specific disease or condition
specificity - measures the ability of a test to
correctly identify individuals who do not have
the disease or condition
what are some main signs and symptoms if ID?
FATIGUE and POOR ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
dizziness, light headed, mood swings, pale, weakness, headache, cold extremities, etc.
