Iron helps transport oxygen to your body’s cells and therefore normal levels are important to your health and athletic performance. The normal range of iron is the same for athletes as for the general population, but varies between males and females and with age. Your iron levels are determined with a simple blood test, which measures your hemoglobin and serum ferritin levels. Exercise, diet and other factors can cause your iron levels to fluctuate. To test and manage your iron levels, consult your physician.
Iron
Two-thirds of your body’s iron is found in your hemoglobin, a protein in your blood that transports oxygen throughout your body. Iron is also in certain enzymes that help regulate bodily functions such as cell growth. Your body stores extra iron and replenishes depleted iron stores from food sources.
Blood Test
Your iron levels can be measured using a blood test that detects your iron in different states such as “stored” or “free." A 2002 article in the journal “Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise” states that serum ferritin is the “most common indicator for iron status." The normal range of serum ferritin for adult males is between 25 and 300 ng/mL, and between 25 and 200 ng/mL for adult females. For children between the ages of 10 and 19, normal serum ferritin is between 25 and 70 ng/mL. Hemoglobin is also commonly measured during iron blood tests. Normal range is 14 to 18 g/dL and 12 to 16 g/dL for adult males and females, respectively. Children’s hemoglobin levels are similar or slightly lower than those of adults. Serum iron or SI and total iron binding capacity or TIBC are additional measurements taken to determine your percentage of iron saturation. Normal iron saturation is 25 to 35 percent.
Exercise and Anemia
Athletes may have iron levels that are at the low end of the normal range because exercise and sports cause a higher breakdown of iron and red blood cells. Female athletes and endurance athletes are at an even higher risk of low iron levels. When you have iron levels below normal, it is called anemia or iron deficiency and leads to a decrease in energy and performance. Athletes can also experience “pseudoanemia”, which is when iron levels are low after strenuous exercise, but return to normal. Consequently, athletes tend to have lower iron levels compared to sedentary individuals.
Diet and Iron Absorption
The Office of Dietary Supplements reports that your daily iron intake should be between eight and 18 mg. Foods high in iron include chicken liver, red meat, oysters, fortified cereal, oatmeal, lentils and soybeans. Iron from meat is absorbed more easily than plant sources. The amount of iron absorbed is further regulated by your intestines, which absorb more iron when your iron stores are low and less when they are full. If you are anemic, take iron supplements to increase iron levels back up to normal.
References
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements; Iron; August 2007
- “Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise”; Hematological Indices and Iron Status in Athletes of Various Sports and Performances; Yorck Olaf Schumacker, et al.; 2002
- The Hemochromatosis Information Center: Iron Tests
- “The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition”; Iron Status and Exercise; John Beard, et al.; 2000
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