Top Performance - Iron & calcium

Female endurance athlete

Q: "Are there any special nutritional needs for females? I’ve heard iron and calcium can be a problem."
A: For many female athletes, the struggle to keep body weight and body fat at a desirable level becomes the dominant issue of nutrition. In some cases it can take over your life and make eating and sport – activities that should be pleasurable – full of misery and frustration.

Part of this problem is in setting targets that are healthy, good for performance AND achievable. This is understandable, since in our society females are rarely satisfied with their shape and weight, no matter what it is. Even when loss of body fat is warranted, many female athletes are tempted to follow quick weight-loss schemes and fad diets – risking frustration and failure to achieve long term weight control, as well as the risk of nutritional deficiencies. Your menstrual cycle is often a casualty of inappropriate weight loss and other poor nutrition practices. Whatever the cause, absent or irregular periods should always be discussed with a sports physician. Hormone balance is important for the health of your bones - and strong bones are not only important for your sporting career, but also to reduce the risk of osteoporosis later in life.

It is important to set yourself a healthy weight and body fat level, and a happy attitude about your body. It is often useful to get some expert help with this. Even if it seems that male athletes have an easier time with their body fat levels, be pleased with all the benefits of your winning diet.

Iron and calcium are important nutrients for all athletes, but are often in short supply in the diets of female athletes. The best calcium sources are dairy products, with low-fat and reduced-fat types playing a major role in a winning diet. We should all include at least three serves in our daily food intake. Calcium is important for strong healthy bones, especially during teenage years when peak bone mass is being laid down. A regular menstrual cycle is also important for this process.

Iron is important for good oxygen-carrying- capacity in your blood and muscles, and iron deficiency may cause fatigue and loss of performance in heavily training athletes. Many athletes find it difficult to meet the iron needs of heavy training. Female athletes have even greater requirements to cover the iron losses due to menstruation.

Strategies to eat iron & calcium

Include red meat and other iron-rich foods (shellfish, liver) in your meals at least three times per week. These can be added to high-carbohydrate dishes such as meat sauce on a pasta dish, roast lamb in a sandwich or kebabs with rice.
Enhance the absorption of the iron found from plant sources (whole grains, breakfast cereals, legumes, leafy green vegetables etc) by adding meat or a vitamin C food at the same meal. For example, drink a glass of orange juice with your breakfast cereal, or add a little meat to beans to make chilli con carne.
Don’t self diagnose iron deficiency simply because you are tired. Only take iron supplements on the advice of a sports dietician or doctor. They may be useful in the supervised treatment and prevention of iron deficiency but they are not a substitute for a better diet.
Eat at least three serves of dairy foods a day, where one serve is equal to a glass of milk, a carton of yogurt or a slice of cheese. Low-fat and reduced-fat types are available. Dairy products can be added to a high-carbohydrate meal (eg milk on breakfast cereal, cheese in a sandwich, flavoured yogurt added to fruit salad).
Note that calcium-enriched brands of soy milk are a suitable substitute for milk. Fish eaten with bones (eg tinned salmon or sardines) are also a useful calcium source.
Increase your calcium serves to 4-5 per day if you are growing, having a baby or breast-feeding. Note that female athletes who do not have regular menstrual cycles also require extra calcium and should seek expert advice from a sports physician.
See a sports dietician if you are a vegetarian, or unable to eat dairy products and red meat in these recommended amounts. With assistance you may find creative ways to adapt your eating patterns to meet iron and calcium needs, or to use mineral supplements correctly.

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