Training & Nutrition - Sooooo im anemic.....

Just thought I would pose this question out there to anyone who might want to throw a few cents in.

After bloodwork was done over the last two years it appears that I suffer from mild anemia, about a year ago I also suffered from a decreased blood iron level. Now interestingly enough I don't feel "fatigued" and none of the other symptoms of the anemia seem to be showing. Funny thing is that I enjoy sort of time-trialing when I race so beware all ye fellow Cat 5s if my anemia gets fixed :p

But in any case has anyone heard of something similar to this? Perhaps I just have a naturally low blood count?

Just thought I would pose this question out there to anyone who might want to throw a few cents in.

After bloodwork was done over the last two years it appears that I suffer from mild anemia, about a year ago I also suffered from a decreased blood iron level. Now interestingly enough I don't feel "fatigued" and none of the other symptoms of the anemia seem to be showing. Funny thing is that I enjoy sort of time-trialing when I race so beware all ye fellow Cat 5s if my anemia gets fixed :p

But in any case has anyone heard of something similar to this? Perhaps I just have a naturally low blood count?

Coincidentally, I have a team who has this exact same issue. He's a Cat 1 who holds records at many time trial courses across the mid-west. He says the only time the problem is an issue is when he does high altitude races (above 7000ft), so he steers clear of those races. Otherwise, he's a BEAST!

Taking multivitamins or getting more dietary iron doesn't help? Maybe I'm uneducated about anemia but I would think that'd take care of it.

You should find out if your amemia is due to low iron, low B12, or some other cause. The first two can often be fixed by diet and/or supplements.

Taking multivitamins or getting more dietary iron doesn't help? Maybe I'm uneducated about anemia but I would think that'd take care of it.

Depends on why he is anemic. For some it's a dietary issue, others it's genetic, and some have various conditions/diseases.

Are you bleeding...
Are you making new cells...
Are you not making new cells...
Is it because of no iron, inability to bind iron, no folate, no B12, no B6, no Thymine...
Is your Thyroid out of whack...
Get this fixed...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anemia

To anwser the more blood chemistry related questions:

Vitamin B levels are in check, Iron levels are fine, most other blood work is fine. Specifically hematocrit is slightly low, total blood count of both whites and reds are low. Apparently other tests indicate nothing else is really wrong with my basic blood chemistry just a low number of cells.

Doctor seems to be pursuing this with vigor (Nice guy cant complain) but part of me wonders if there really is anything to worry about/ if all the tests are really necessary.

Don't forget that if you are changing/increasing your training you can become "Sports Anemic" which is a benign condition that has more to do with change in blood volume than a deficiency in RBC or iron.

http://www.webdietitian.com/new/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=168&Itemid=45

EDIT: I've been through the wringer in the past because of serious problems with my spleen, but if all you are seeing is a slightly low hematocrit and no other problems then I would tell him to give it 6 months and test again.

Are you cold often? Do your hands and feet get colder than the rest of your body? Mine does.

How old are you? And have you had a colonoscopy? I turned up anemic at a checkup a few years ago. Fatigue symptoms had been building up for a couple of years (I thought I was just getting old and out of condition and under stress). Turned out that I had a colon cancer slowly leaking blood. It happened so slowly that I adapted to it as if I were living at altitude.

Got lucky and had a very successful outcome from the surgery. But this is a way to loose quite a lot of blood with no external signs.

Good luck in any case.

Well uhmmm the anwser the age question I am 22 so I hope to hell that I dont have colon cancer....

To anwser the cold question: Yes I do notice that I have Raynaud's syndrome in my hands and feet.

To Anwser Bron tide: I had tests done about a year ago that also showed me as having a slightly anemic blood count so my anemia has lasted atleast 10 months now or so, although back then that was also coupled with a low iron (my iron is now good, yet the anemia remains)

Ok, it's worth due diligence then. I would draw the line at anything invasive unless they can give you a darn good reason.

I had a colonoscopy a few years back so I think we are good there. I was diagnosed with Ishemic colitus. Not to be confused with Ulcerative Colitus. I have never had blood in my stool so I thought I was good. Im 38. the Doctor told me that some people were just anemic and there was no reason why. I think I would have more alarms going off it I hadnt had the colonoscopy but I think I will be ok.

To anwser the more blood chemistry related questions:

Vitamin B levels are in check, Iron levels are fine, most other blood work is fine. Specifically hematocrit is slightly low, total blood count of both whites and reds are low. Apparently other tests indicate nothing else is really wrong with my basic blood chemistry just a low number of cells.

Doctor seems to be pursuing this with vigor (Nice guy cant complain) but part of me wonders if there really is anything to worry about/ if all the tests are really necessary.

I'm a family physician -- I would send you to a hematologist if all the basic tests came back inconclusive. The bottom line is that no primary care doctor (IMO) can responsibly tell a patient anemia is "nothing serious" if they can't find a cause. Get a specialist involved, and let him/her tell you it's "nothing."

So I am mildly anemic as well and also have Raynaulds. Is there a link between the two?

So I just tried to donate blood through my work and it turns out, for the second time in a few years, that I was denied due to low iron. My hemoglobulin level measured 11.4 on Friday. That was the lowest I heard of those who were denied. The min is 12.5.

The first time was a few years back and I didn't really care - I've never been a huge carnivore and I only ran in a few 5K's back then.

Fast forward a few years and I'm getting pretty involved with cycling. Going into Friday, I commented to my girlfriend that I hope I didn't get turned away for low iron, recalling that incident from a few years ago. I generally eat lean stuff, high protein, carbs, but rarely eat red meat, which is a more-easily-absorbed source of iron than veggies, legumes, etc.

As far as my activities go, I've done my first marathons in 2011, getting strong results in MTB racing this year, and doing my first crits as of a couple weeks ago. I wondered why I was blowing up so quickly on climbs and the low iron might be the cause. After all, if my blood can't transport gasses (O2 or CO2) efficiently, I'm at a handicap. Online, I read that symptoms include reduced power, higher than normal heart rate, and some fatigue. I'm sure we've all felt like this, but for me it's been so frustrating and so obvious. I can do well on flats, but as soon as I hit an incline, I die. The pack quickly envelops me and drops me. Also, my heart rate seems about 20 bpm higher than my friends' on the same hills.

I'm reading a bunch online and I'm going to try a diet change to include iron rich foods, side dishes geared toward helping absorption, and supplements. We'll see if I notice any significant improvements...