This is the Most Important Nutrient for Cyclists and You're Probably Not Getting Enough of It
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 พ.ย. 2023
- Iron is probably the most important nutrient for cyclists and other endurance athletes and the kicker is that this population also tends to struggle with iron deficiency. Find out why Iron is so important, why athletes need more of it, and what you can do if you have low iron.
Support my work on Patreon and get access to weekly Q&As: / dylanjawnson
Interested in coaching? Click here: www.ignitioncoachco.com/coach...
Training plans are available on Trainingpeaks and Today's Plan: www.dylanjohnsontraining.com/...
Get 10% Rule 28 gear with the code DYLAN: www.rule28.com/discount/DYLAN
WWBHDD? T-shirts and stickers: teespring.com/stores/dylans-s...
Get 15% of Silca products including the lubes discussed in this video when you use the code "dylan" at checkout: silca.cc/
Jukebox: www.jukeboxprint.com/
Factor Bikes: factorbikes.com/
Flow Formulas Nutrition: flowformulas.com/collections/all
Rule 28 Kits: www.rule28.com/
CeramicSpeed Drivetrain Components: www.ceramicspeed.com/en
Silca Cycling Components: silca.cc/
Follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Strava for more content:
Instagram: @dylanjawnson
Twitter: @djdylansjohnson
Facebook: Dylan Johnson Cycling Coach
Strava: / strava
Research in this video:
cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10....
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9091669/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18408...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/...
link.springer.com/article/10....
link.springer.com/article/10....
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24195...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19880... - กีฬา
I was hoping it would be cake...
It's a good substitute 😂
Hypergain-beast mode in the 🧁 flavor
Dark chocolate has nice dose. As do almonds and coconut meat. With the right ingredients you may be onto something 🤔🍰
@@waynemorris2249 Unfortunately grain flour inhibits absorption of non heme iron found in chocolate, so... chocolate alone and lots of it might be a better option 😂
At least cupcakes. If not a whole cake.
It's EXTREMELY important to get an iron test before supplementing with iron. Iron overload is very toxic and the body lacks the ability to effectively remove built up iron. My iron levels have always tested on the high side and an iron supplement would be just about the worst thing I could possibly take for my health.
Correct, I have genetic haemochromatosis which is exactly that! the noticeable symptoms are very much in line with anemia.....long term iron overload generally leads to liver cirrhosis followed by death! So all in all not something should be self diagnosing!!
@@markarnold4367 Exactly. It's important to recognize that people differ in their ability to uptake iron. We should not be self diagnosing ourselves based off of preconceived notions about who should be deficient in iron but rather based on objective measurements that prove whether we need supplementation or not. As for myself, I have been following a vegetarian diet for over a decade while doing long endurance training, and despite the common advice you hear on the internet that vegetarians and athletes need iron supplements, my iron levels have always been high. Carefully watching my diet to avoid processed foods with fortified iron and regular tea consumption have been the things that have kept my levels from reaching toxicity. Iron supplements often come with 100% or more of the daily value of iron, which is great for treating a known deficiency with regular follow up testing, but popping a pill everyday because you fear deficiency could be a disaster waiting to happen.
@@markarnold4367 iron overload, u wanna drink coffee and milk
Yep. And, among other things, too much iron can cause gout and kidney stones. Not something that should be self-diagnosed.
High hemoglobin, but iron levels are on the lower side, has always been like that when I got tested/donated blood. That's why I started using supplements with a bit of iron in it.
Oh. My. God! You put your main point in the first word of your video notes!!
99.999999% of YT videos force you to watch your precious life trickle through your fingers before getting to the point.
Finally someone on TH-cam that gave advice on supplements and vitamins to get blood work done to see if deficient of those minerals or vitamins before beginning supplementation . The countless TH-camrs and some claiming to be medical professionals to go out and gobble up vitamins without even telling their listeners to get blood work done to see if deficient . They might suggest just going off symptoms and as dylan suggested symptoms can mean many things .
Well done Dylan . You win the prize for responsible content.
Ive posted more blood tests on youtube since 2009 than anyone else. ZERO of my athletes develop any deficiencies.
I think poor sleep is also a factor. From lab tests, I know I am not iron deficient - yet chronic fatigue, difficulty doing basic physical tasks, and long recovery time are all things that are perpetually part of my life. Sometimes, I'll have a good day and can really hammer the pedals... but a long recovery time always follows. The notion of "early to bed and early to rise" (easier said than done) would probably do wonders for me and many others.
Definitely, especially if you're particularly stressed the night before. Either because of work or other things which makes your sleep quality suffer. I found that having good sleep was key to actually feel fresh again the next day to tackle workouts.
Why not early to bed and normal rise to get more hours of sleep and an increased percentage of sleep time when it's dark?
Same/similar boat, but I get plenty sleep. I'm still thinking thyroid issue for me, despite "normal" on all standard tests
@@robp3431 I have definitely been considering that I am being affected by hypothyroidism, despite tests' indicating "normal" function. However, I can neither rule out poor sleep nor attribute it to my fatigue, until I fix said sleep habits. I can say that I have increasingly been identifying with common symptoms of hypothyroidism, including fatigue/muscle fatigue; cold intolerance; dry skin; and maybe even hair loss. Please let us know if you find out more; you and I (and others) may be in the same boat together.
From my own personal experience/anecdotal point of view I would say the difference between getting 5-6 hours sleep a night and 7-8 hours is night and day in terms of my recovery as I entered my mid 40's. Less niggles, less sickness and better energy levels. Yes, a varied, primarily plant based, whole food diet plays a vital role too but I think without good sleep habits it can only achieve so much. Of course Dylan has a vid on sleep too!
Did anyone else notice "Kangaroo" on the list of food high in iron?
Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!
I'm sticking with Twinkies. Their nutrients are absorbed any time of day or night, before or after training
What’s a twinky?
Sure and wash it down with some bubbly sugar water, get ur diabetes🦖
@@mountaintruth1deeds533 its satire
You have to be careful not to let your Twinkie - beer balance get out of whack, make sure to keep your ale intake up...
My life is just so much more complete when I get training tips from BHD
I love that guy.
A lack of new advice from BHD has a direct effect on whether I get laid or not
Psst: if your iron is a-okay, be sure to get your B12 tested as well. That’s another excellent route to anemia that is VERY overlooked.
Was wondering if someone would mention this given Dylan didn't. The human biological system is massively complex and rarely does one thing in isolation "fix" a problem.
He is vegan
My B12 was low when I was really into endurance training/riding.
Beer!!!!
I dont think its overlooked often. I routinely order it for most of my patients.
Here in Asia, the most common, cheap, and plentiful source of organic iron is the leaves of the Moringa oleifera plant. Just 100 grams of leaves can supply 31% of your RDA. The 100 grams of leaves also contain iron-promoting minerals such as Vitamin C that meet 62% of your RDA Vegans will greatly benefit if they eat Moringa oleifera leaves.
The leaves are added to any common soup but they taste bitter. However, the leaves can be dried, ground, and put in empty gel capsules. The moringa capsules can be stored for a long time.
Also in Asia, cook with wok, not teflon fry pan
May interact w/BP, diabetes and thyroid medications. It concerns a lot on No American people. I might try it though, thanks.
This is such an interesting video, Im Brazillian and here Iron deficiency is really unusual due to our high iron beans diet almost daily lol
What was your wheel and tyre choice though?
Dylan you touched on a fascinating fact. Fitness is overwhelmingly aerobic in endurance athletes. I spent an ENTIRE spring doing "Cross-fit" and was stunned to see myself no faster than if I didn't do the intense Cross routine-- (Laws of specificity).........Friends, Get MD approval before consuming Iron/Excess Iron--it's a simple blood test, Too much and you're F*cked! Not deficient, Don't Do It!
Super hard to overdose on iron unless you are getting infusions. Your body just picks up very little relative to consumption.
agreed. Excess iron can also be problematic and that is actually harder thing to solve vs iron deficiency.
@@13squared2009it's not difficult for a male with fairly high testosterone level
@@Fear.of.the.Dark.donating blood helps
@@13squared2009 It is very easy to overdose, especially if one eats red meat frequently which is rich in heme iron.
I didn't know you lose iron when perspiring. Thanks.
I'd love to see you put all the nutrition science together in one or a series of videos. Obvs there will be considerable variance between people, but there are some common themes
Thanks for this video Dylan! Glad to see that you are feeling better Bro!💪🏽💯
Always amazed by how professional and science based your videos are.
These type of videos was the reason why i started following you! Love it!👍💪
After some competitions this summer I just could not recover and was feeling tired and sick after all workouts. I went for a blood test, and there it was, low iron. I did not handle the prescribed tablets well and switched to iron infusions (6 over 3 weeks). And this changed my life. I have not felt that good in years.
So get you blood checked!
I recently got diagnosed with anemia and started infusions too. Did you continue racing and training during this time? Not sure if it’s best to keep going or to rest completely.
Hey Sarah, hope it goes well for you and you feel energised pretty quickly again! I paused training a bit before the infusions, as I was at my lowest then. But after the first infusion I felt so much better that I continued training right away. Though I really listened to my body and rested way more.
Excellent wake up call Dylan! Thanks
I was recently diagnosed and treated for anaemia with iron infusion. Apart from being constantly fatigued and lacking motivation to train, the other noticeable symptom for me was RLS (restless leg syndrome). After several tests and medical procedures my doctors put the cause down to my regular blood donations. I've since been given the all clear to resume blood donations but will require regular blood tests to monitor my iron levels.
I like your new videos. But I've missed these. You're such a skilled educator. I look forward to seeing a balanced mix of all your interesting video perspectives and topics. Thank you for all your effort.
this type of science video is the reason I love your channel. science-based content is so rare and even if science is mentioned, there often is the agenda such as selling you products. Please do more of this type of video. I also have anecdote evidence that this type of video gets shared a lot. Whenever someone has a question about training on some cycling related reddit subs, inevitably a comment will share one of your videos. (that's how I found your channel).
Great info for many people beyond just endurance athletes!
Just the information I’ve been looking for! Thank you for all the scientific info to support your video!
Excellent content from D and fantastic humor BHD.
excellent presentation, sir!
Good topic, and enjoyed the humor from BH Johnson!
I’m 72 I was diagnosed being severely anemic a couple years ago from having bloodwork done and having low hemoglobin.
I’ve used Thorne brand Iron Bisglycinate . . The doctor had me take 2 a day for six months which brought my hemoglobin back to the normal range . Now I take one a day to maintain normal range . I feel much better.
Dylan is correct. Get bloodwork done and see how your hemoglobin is doing.
I get my bloodwork done every six months. I get mine through a naturopathic dr .
I've got Iron Bisglycinate as well. Also dealing with unrelated GI issues. Did you find it to cause constipation at all?
Top Dylan Johnson content right here!
Great video, as always! Very informative. I would love to see a video on the impact of vitamin D on athletic performance, especially with the winter months approaching.
Great info. Thanks👍🏼
Great Video, kudos for mentioning the bioavlability of heme iron 👍🏻👍🏻
Love these science videos. Great content!
It is true that iron deficiency should not be self diagnosed. In western populations Haemochromatosis (retaining too much iron) is one of the most common reccesive genetic disorders, and not immediately obvious, even to GPs. It also includes symptoms of tiredness and lethargy. Taking iron with that condition would increase risks to heart liver and joints. On the other hand, our national blood service, the Australian Redcross Lifeblood, currently has a standing recommendation for women 18 - 45 yrs old to take a single course of iron supplements between blood donations, based on research they've been doing over the past two decades or so. Professional athletes are also subject to some special advice around donating blood or plasma.
I take all my medical advice from Backward Hat Dylan.
Thank you, my blood work showed an Iron deficiency and my Dr has recommended a supplement after workouts, but only every other day. Thank you for the validation.
Great vid!!
Great that you're back with science videos!
This video was perfect timing. I just had blood work done (2 days after an ultra event) and numbers were low. Tuis may help explain my fatigue issues.
Thanks for getting right to the point.
A few years ago when I just started getting into cycling and doing more miles, I noticed my hemoglobin levels started dropping. One time, I almost wasn't allowed to donate blood as the level was borderline. I have no prior history of anemia. A simple daily iron supplement stabilized it and eventually returned it to normal without me decreasing load.
Backward’s Hat Dylan: “and still didn’t win” had me laughing so hard I spit my coffee out. You got to gime me some warning, bro.
Have you every thought of doing these as a podcast? I listen to loads as I drive and this would be added to my default listens
Good job getting right to it. So many videos take too long to answer the question.
Excellent information. And very funny too!
Another great evidence based video Dylan on cycling, health and training. Keep up the great work and thank you.
thanks for the video!
Thank you. I stopped taking caffeine and I see a huge difference in my stamina and over all energy.
Nicely done. Great to see this content back on your channel!
BHD was on fire today! Great info as always.
This video couldn't have come at a better time! I was diagnosed with low iron and Dr recommended to take a supplement. Lately I've been "off". Tired, fatigued and sore. Sure enough, I ran out of Iron a month or so ago, with the intent to pick up more but haven't. I'll fix that today!
Always refill prescribed medicine, it is difficult to see an underlying condition return slowly 😊
Excellent information 😁✌️
Nice video buddy - this is something that I promote a lot and with my UC problem and bleeding etc I have to supplement it a lot - ps taking out the trash is always an energy sapper hahaha - I also have Vit D plus several B vits measured - especially B-12. Great work as always
Great video and good info, Dylan. I must admit I was surprised to see you not break down iron nutrition into some of its more individual components, particularly hemoglobin and ferritin. I’ve been an endurance athlete for quite a while, and started to get all the symptoms you described a few years ago while on a Whole Foods, plant based diet. I concluded I may be iron deficient, and got tested. Hemoglobin was fine and ferritin came in at like 29, which is technically in range (29-400 usually), so nothing was flagged. I went deep into the literature on my own, and found quite a bit of research advocating ferritin levels to be at least 50, hopefully 70, and ideally above 100 for endurance athletes. I started supplementing and after 6-12 months, my ferritin had massively increased and all my symptoms were gone.
I think this would be helpful territory for endurance athletes to know, imagine you’ve dabbled in this, and would be interested to know what you’ve found in the science as well.
Did you continue with a plant-based diet? Supplements only? Asking because I was just tested, low Ferritin, and I’m a vegetarian.
I did not. I still don't eat much red meat though. My ferritin levels still drop without supplementation. There's some research showing that once you've dropped, it can take a while for the body to maintain higher levels on its own, but I'm still not entirely sure why my levels haven't stabilized on their own. I'm trying to decrease the amount of supplementation over time and have those ferritin levels stay high.@@daveanolik8837
@@Anxiouslydisengaged thx man. Asking my doc too - but we’re pretty much on our own regarding our health care.
Agreed! I am a person that menstruates so do lose a larger amount of blood than your average non-menstruater, and also only eat iron rich meat in particular one or twice a fortnight. A couple of years ago I had my bloods tested after a few months of fatigue, and I had ferritin level of 4!! Jumped on iron and vit C supplements for about 6 months, and ferritin levels were back to acceptable levels. I now always supplement my diet for a week or two after menstruation.
omnivores tend to not suffer this issue.
Dylan - is your "optimal gravel tyre width" project still happening with Josh (I recall you had the aero data, waiting for rolling resistance data) to show your findings. Eagerly waiting for your video on that!
Very nice video.
Dylan you´re gettin funnier and funnier. I love it! Glad some science content is back, as much as i enjoy the racing videos the science ones were the ones that made me hook. Much Love
These are my fave Dylan videos.
Ditto. Prefer science videos.
Obviously, coffee is the most important nutrient in sports
As always… Awesome Dylan! 👍🚴♀️🚴♂️🚴♀️🚴♂️
great video.
The thing with presented symptoms is: exessive or prolonged state of overall fatigue can be caused by several other deficiencies of even viral infections (first that comes to mind are thyroid hormones and, on the infection side, something like Epstein-Barr virus). So as you mentioned, thorough blood and hormones screening is essential before jumping into hard suplementation.
Regarding bloodwork: according to my partner's knowledge (medical professional) it's important to perform a wider panel for iron, that will include TIBC (total iron binding capacity), transferrine, ferritine, hemoglobine (CBC) and iron. That is if you want to get a full picture, as 'just iron' test will not suffice. While you are doing such tests, you can also do the Vitamin D check, as it has some obvious crossover syptomps with iron deficiency (e.g. being tired all the time, etc.).
I am glad you qualified excess iron intake. "Iron Intake Is Associated with Increased Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events, All-Cause Mortality, Congestive Cardiac Failure, and Coronary Revascularisation in Older Men"
Thank you Dylan
Dylan you’re awesome!!!
BHD on point with his quips in this one!
He also has missed the scientific clips! Rgr
Did I see Jimmi and Francis in some of the background rider clips?? Cool. Love those guys!
Very informative! So, all the hours spent on the indoor-trainer, sweating out interval sessions might be doing more harm than good! As an aside, maybe you could do a video on the blood markers athletes should be having tested on a regular basis.
Glad the science content is back!
Educational as i have supplemented with iron tablets before.
Thank You!
Cream of Wheat is working great for me in getting Iron. I noticed a big jump in my performance, endurance is better, more snap in the legs, better recovery where before it would take 4 days to recover from a hard work vs now its 12 hrs or a day (just as you highlighted Dylan). I also experience reduced episodes of feeling dizzy when standing. And by the way I have been a non-red meat eater for 40yrs (I am 56 yrs old, racing bicycles since 1988) !! So I have probably had deficiency for some time. Important to note, Cream of Wheat taste good and it is easy to take in +40mg of iron per day!!!!!! However I do ride on average 2.5hrs to 3hrs per day in zone 2-3.
40mg per day just from that? I’d go do a blood test right now. Of course that might just be the theoretical availability on their packaging, who knows how much you actually absorb.
Thanks Dylan for this informative science-based video. As a consistent blood donor, I have observed hemoglobin levels have dropped, over time. As well as noticeable drops in energy following donations. In light of cycling training most everyday, it's time to amp up the iron. Thanks again!
In many countries, the frequency is limited to every 3 months, exactly for avoiding people’s haemoglbin levels to be too low (obviously also not desirable for blood to be donated). As an endurance athlete, I’d say you should consider reducing the frequency and then maybe relying less on supplements
Sorry, that was meant for another similar post
@@michaelw7115 no worries. Your points are well taken and constructive. I almost lost a parent twice in the hospital for internal bleeding. There was a lot of blood replacement required. I committed to give/donate back as I am able.
I understand, I used to give too until one day they said I no longer entered the required criteria (having lived more than 7 weeks before the scandal in Great Britain it was considered I was too great a risk from potential BSE infection (mad cows’ disease), funny thing is, they don’t even bother to ask if you are vegetarian (I’m not but close) which would have made it pretty impossible to catch any meat related infection :-) And after all these years with zero symptoms they still won’t relax the criteria. @@bknapp9728
Brilliant - i have missed BHD.
I got a full panel of labs done outside of my normal health insurance - I was deficient in vitamin D and fixing it has made a huge impact. I also started using Boron to help with Free Test conversion and it's been amazing seeing the improvements i've made in less than 10 weeks. Bottom line is the $200 lab work is WELL worth it vs just guessing.
Is it normal to be deficient in Vitamin D for cyclists outside two hours a day?
@@ShadowboostI've been cycling almost every day in the summer of 2020 and yet diagnosed with severe vitamin D deficiency in September
I think it really depends on the individual. I'm only able to train outside about 5 hours a week right now but I don't find myself avoiding sunlight on the other days. @@Shadowboost
@@dandrescher4098 interesting. I'm doing about 14 hours a week and have dark farmer's tan despite heavy sunscreen usage. Would be interesting to get more data points
For sure. I envy those outdoor hours my friend. Keep training hard. @@Shadowboost
👏Excellent information and presentation, DJ!
As a frequent blood donor (every 8 weeks or so), I'm familiar with how low iron affects training and performance. I usually have around 20% lower power output for three to four weeks after donation, if I don't supplement.
Moreover, I remember an article in one of the major cycling magazines about Ryder Hesjedal and how he gets anemic at the end of a grand tour due to iron loss.
Cool topic and awesome presentation of facts as always!
In many countries, the frequency is limited to every 3 months, exactly for avoiding people’s haemoglbin levels to be too low (obviously also not desirable for blood to be donated). As an endurance athlete, I’d say you should consider reducing the frequency and then maybe relying less on supplements
@@michaelw7115 I agree with you, if I was indeed an athlete not a fathlete.
I ride and swim for fun these days and supplements aren't a daily supplements, rather just for few days after donation and the rest is done through diet.
I appreciate your input and concern 😊
I'm also a frequent blood donor and a bit sad that I need to stop for a while. My iron was always barely enough to donate, but now I understand I need to get my levels much higher in order to be able to start doing that again.
Nice info, thanks. What’s a good training/diet strategy for the time after giving blood? Whole blood, platelets, power red…
Another thing to keep in mind. Is iron increases sun sensitivity. I have iron levels near the anemic level, but i also have sun sensitivity (EPP). Last year i tried iron to bring my level up a bit but it made me less tolerant to the sun so i stopped the supplement.
Iron makes sense. I have heard my whole life that low iron has a lot to do with fatigue, but I watched a video that downplayed the need for iron especially focusing on iron "loading".
Yo, nailed me to a T.
I had low ferritin and it was awful, not to mention confusing. Doc was ready to prescribe a supplement, but I asked if I could try food first. While liver absolutely works, I wanted to avoid vitA toxicity (and I try to limit animals kinda sorta); blackstrap molasses + fresh/frozen fruit has me Fe-eling fighting fit NBD.
What I did not realize (and NP and Doc didn't know) was it might be because I'm a massive sweater. It also coincided with hyponatremia! Thanks, Mr. Johnson.
Glad to see another science video.
Just bought a metric ton of iron. Thank you!
Thank you! I miss the science videos!
Science videos are back. Love to see it!
bloodwork test during the summer revealed that I am low in iron, And that it’s the absorption rate that’s causing the deficiency.
Have yet to do anything about it, but this video has helped me open my eyes to the topic, Going to bring it up to my doctor, Hopefully he suggests supplementation
It's also possible to have mold toxicity if you're experiencing chronic fatigue. It happened to me. I was the only one in my family to have severe symptoms. My kids and wife had mild symptoms but not enough to raise concern. I had it really bad. Chronic fatigue, dizziness, mood swings, pressure in my head and neck, itchy and watery eyes, trouble sleeping and the list goes on and on. Just be mindful of mold and how it can affect your body and nervous system. It's no joke.
I thought this was going to be about sleep and rest (I know not nutrition). I am constantly explaining to friends how important rest is and that training more isn’t always better
An interesting article I read suggested that in trained athletes ferritin levels are low because iron is stored in the heamoglobin mass itself and the reticuloendothelial system of the liver instead.
Great video Dylan. Thanks! This helps me out. Now heres the challenge .. If we are iron deficient, and want to eat a plant based whole food diet, theres but so many chickpeas and raw spinach i can eat :-) Whats an endurance athlete to do, get a year supply of supplements like BHD?? Not to mention all the caffeine we all use on and off the bike..
Eat processed plant whole food. eg: beef.
Good point
Hey Dylan, great video! I'm checking my iron!! But, your discount code doesn't seem to work for the Silca lube ;-(
Thank you
Wow, this was a very timely video for me to find. Recently got a new Dr and she was surprised to find that I've had low ferritin for years and no other doctors had flagged it. I'm now trying to raise from an almost non-existent ferritin level of 10, back up. I cycle a lot and have definitely noticed a drastic drop in energy over the past couple of years. No idea why levels are dropping.
Has anyone tried venofer injections to top up their iron levels more rapidly? I'm a bit impatient and from what I've read it's a slow process, so was hoping that might get me feeling better more quickly.
Anyways, thanks for this info! I knew my ferritin needed work, but didn't realize how much that might be impacting other areas of my life.
While running cross country in high school, going into my junior year after training harder than ever during summer. I was just hitting a wall, completely dead halfway into races. My times didn't make sense to me with my workout numbers and miles I was running. Got bloodwork done and my iron was very low. After taking iron two weeks later I was back and way faster. Still take iron to this day.
I've got haemocromatosis so go too much iron but interestingly I'm now cycling 75 mile a week to work & my ferretin levels have only increased by 4 points in a year which is impressive
Welcome back science Dylan!
Ay, top 10 things not to wear while cycling was s-tier gcn content!
thanks for the info! what can you say about beetroot juice? anyone drinking this beverage before working out?