Skinny Girl's Quest for Muscle

Skinny Girl's Quest for Muscle
Iron Supplements

I hate running. Ok, the word 'hate' is wholly aggressive and I'm trying to like running--really I am. I've never been a runner. I can swim, hike, cycle, walk for miles and miles, play all sort of sports, but just running for running's sake is pretty darn difficult to enjoy. Perhaps the fact that I am prodigiously slow doesn't help. Small children easily speed by, on their tricycles, while eating ice cream cones and going backwards, uphill. Yes, I am that slow.

Fortunately, this blog is not called Skinny Girl's Quest to Run -- thank goodness as it would speedily plummet to a most certain demise.

This spring, I set out to at least attempt to work up to a nice 3 mile or so, easy run, just for a little change-up of cardio activities since I spend hours on my bicycle. I also added in a little swimming which I enjoy tremendously--but that's a topic for another day as is the fact that I'm doing cardio in the first place while trying to build muscle. A big re-think is in order.

I started out with run/walks. About 3 minutes of running followed by 20 minutes of walking (because walking is so much more enjoyable.) I think the theory is to do about 20 seconds of walking, but why push myself? I just couldn't work up to running for longer periods of time, and my mileage was non-existent [think: 15 minute mile pace]. Simultaneously, I was researching supplements and nutrition. As I am pescetarian (vegetarian + fish) with an extremely occasional bit of red meat, I tend to reside on the lower side of the iron scale. This spring, my workouts in February through April were typically done while in a very low energy state. I kept asking my trainer: what should I eat to boost energy? not realizing that my listlessness was probably caused by a lack of iron. Then blood test results hinted to the same--iron was lacking in my system.

Even with this knowledge, I still was unable to boost my energy after filling my daily meals full of iron rich foods like spinach, shrimp, beans, etc., and increasing my still infrequent meals that include a small amount of red meat.

As part of my supplement research however, I had devised a supplement plan that included what I consider two absolutely key supplements needed to help me obtain my goal of building muscle: 1) creatine and 2) iron, in addition to a variety of other supps (to be included in later articles.)

Iron deficiency is known for causing fatigue, shortness of breath with exercise, and poor sports performance(1). Adequate amounts of iron allow for "blood building" (a term I learned from my friends who practice Chinese medicine.) Iron is vital for the creation of hemoglobin and myoglobin in the body. These two globin-brothers carry oxygen in the blood and muscles--probably a good thing for someone trying to build up some muscle.

As a result of the research, I purchased a liquid iron supplement instead of attempting to just add more iron-rich foods to my diet. I selected Floradix Floravital Iron + Herbs for several reasons. First, it had been previously recommended to me--several years back and I'd since forgotten--by my acupuncturist. Second, it's a natural and vegetarian product made from the extract of various flowers and plants. Finally, it passed Consumerlab's test of iron supplements--this is good as you want iron in your iron, not lead (two products tested by Consumerlab were contaminated with lead.)

To my surprise, the product was on sale at my local grocer and I purchased 2 large sized containers. They are a liquid formula and require refrigeration after opening so I planned to store one in a cool place unopened until needed.

It's important to note that the Floradix product contains C and B vitamins in addition to iron. It also must be used within 4 weeks of opening. I mark the jar with the date that I opened it so as not to forget. But, if you do forget, the product will tell you as it will start to sour once the life has reached its useful limit. If you don't plan on taking a full dose daily, you probably should consider one of the smaller sized containers. The large size expired before I was able to use it up.

Additional research indicated that the iron supplementation was a much smarter approach than attempting to increase iron-rich foods and I have since read a theory that spinach, while rich in iron, actually decreases iron absorption in the body(3) contrary to popular beliefs that spinach is good for correcting iron deficiencies. Other interesting theories about iron suggest that one can obtain all of the iron they need by just cooking in an iron skillet. However, this was shown to be incorrect(4). So for all of the men out there fearing high iron intake, perhaps you can eat that iron-skillet fried spinach after all?

So, what does this have to do with running anyway? After the very first day of taking the iron supplement, I was able to run a full mile non-stop. My first mile in years--probably almost a decade. That evening I went out for a run, knowing my turn-around point for a 1 mile run (half mile out, half mile back). I started at a slow jog and didn't stop, just kept trudging along, one foot in front of the other. It may have been dreadfully slow, but I did it, the whole mile without walking once.

Coincidence? Perhaps. Result of the other vitamins in the product (B's and C)? Perhaps. Result of the other supplements yet unnamed? Perhaps. However, my energy has definitely increased as has my strength, muscle development, and fitness in general. I'm pleased with my decision to add an iron supplement.



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references:

(1) http://www.consumerlab.com/reviews/Iron/iron/
(2) http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002422.htm
(3) http://www.healthcastle.com/iron-spinach.shtml
(4) Sharieff W, Dofonsou J, Zlotkin S. Is cooking food in iron pots an appropriate solution for the control of anaemia in developing countries? A randomised clinical trial in Benin. Public Health Nutr. 2007 Oct 15.