Anemia is a condition in which the affected person does not have enough hemoglobin in her red blood cells. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. When you don't have enough hemoglobin, your body does not get enough oxygen. This can result in extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, inability to concentrate, chest pain, headaches and dizziness. See your doctor if you have these symptoms, and discuss exercise and anemia.
Causes of Anemia
Anemia can be caused by a number of things. Low levels of iron, vitamin B12 or folate can cause anemia, SportsDoctor.com reports. A number of health conditions can also cause anemia, including leukemia or other problems with bone marrow; poor diet; certain medications; some chronic illnesses such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, or ulcerative colitis; genetics; pregnancy; blood loss, including menstruation; anything that reduces your body's ability to absorb iron, B12 or folate; and any problem with the immune system that would cause the destruction of red blood cells.
Effects of Anemia on Exercise
During exercise, the body redirects the flow of blood from all organs --- except the heart and the brain --- to the muscles. As much as 88 percent of the blood flows to the muscles when the body is at full exertion, SportsDoctor.com explains, because the muscles need more oxygen. Those suffering from anemia have a low red blood cell count and the red blood cells that are present cannot transport as much oxygen as required. As a result, capacity for exercise can be diminished.
Effects of Exercise on Anemia
Exercise can affect and increase your required levels of hemoglobin, making anemia worse. As you exercises, you lose iron through sweat. While this is not an issue for most people, those who are already anemic can become more so as they will lose additional iron from their already-low iron stores. In addition, those people who do aerobic exercise regularly --- and particularly endurance athletes --- are more likely to become anemic. Aside from sweating, anemia in athletes can be caused or exacerbated by gastrointestinal bleeding, increased plasma volume --- not true anemia, because the number of red blood cells remains unchanged --- and the destruction of red blood cells, all of which can happen in endurance athletes.
Treatment for Anemia
Most of the time, anemia is caused by low iron levels in the blood. To ensure that your iron levels remain in the normal range, eat foods that are high in iron, such as liver, steak, pinto beans, eggs, fish, enriched bread and cereal, raisins, dried apricots, molasses, green beans, spinach and other greens. You can also take iron supplements, but it is important to consult your doctor before taking supplements of any kinds. You should also visit your doctor to rule out other causes of the anemia, such as an underlying disease.
