TMBRA - Rider Board

[MTH]

Hey Doc,

Quick history: I raced road bikes for a number of years in my teens and twenties. I severly overtrained one season (maybe two??) and was rendered to an incredibly low level of energy, almost bed ridden. The doc told me I had "sports anemia." I recovered, but was amazed at how weak I was. He told me to cook my food in iron skillets, I did...

Now: I started racing mtb this year (Jan.) and have become a bit enamored with it. I am 41, raced beginner class, now catted to sport. I have been training on the road this summer and getting much stronger. Well, I am feeling a sense of the weakness I mentioned above. I am getting a prescription from my doc this afternoon for a comprehensive blood work up.

I am free of any sickness...had my annual with blood tests and checked out perfect health. I know I need to train smarter, rest plenty and drink water.

Question: At 41 am I more suseptible to anemic conditions than at 18-25? If so, what methods are proven effective for prevention? Is it safe to take iron supplements in small doses when the condition occurs? Will vitamin B12 help with low iron if it's low?

I read bits a pieces of helpful info, but seem more confused about this iron stuff, than other bits. It appears to be an underlying condition or a symptom of the exercise itself.

Thanks

[The Bike Doc]

MTH:

Anemia can be due to various problems. Endurance athletes can get a physiologic (normal addaptive) anemia from increasing the plasma volume (the liquid protion of the blood that is not made of the red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets). This occurs due to the body's response to the repetive contraction of the muscles and addaptation to the increased sweating that develops with conditioning. This type of anemia is harmless and does not require treatment. Other causes of anemia can be due to blood loss from the gut from the stress of the endurance training and events, in runners from damage to the red cells from foot strike in poorly made shoes, inadequate iron replacement in mensturating women. Other causes of anemia include inadequate dietary vitamin B 12, thiamin, folate or iron. Some individuals stomachs do not make addequate amounts of a substance called intrinsic factor to allow the gut to absorb vitamin B12.

Your doctor will be looking for changes on your blood tests to indicate anemia and possible reasons for it. Wait for the test results before you start taking suppliments blindly. If your test results show no significant anemia then you need to look for other causes of your tiredness such as over training, a chronic infection, blood sugar problems or other medical problems. Visit at length with your doctor about the test results and what the implications are.

Thanks,
_________________
Paul K. Nolan, MD
AKA: The Bike Doc

[Anonymous]

Hey Man, You gotta keep it fun. Stress on other stuff. Bikes are for making You feel better. Give a ring Bro.

[Guest]

Hey Wamp! You're right, I do need to keep it fun. I'm adopting some old habits and pushing the envelope a little. I'll get ahold of you. Also, you doing the RHR 6 hour this weekent?

[Anonymous]

No, I got this month off. The Ark stuff has been going furious since May and I need to chill. Plus, I crashed hard yesterday at the monkey trail. Handle bar jab in the quad. I got a bruise the size of Texas. Thank goodness it missed the pan handle! Ha. All is good here, things are looking up. Hope to see Ya' soon.

Leonard