Posted by To look further into the course objective of understanding the function of red blood cells and hemoglobin, I looked into the impact of iron deficiency specifically in the female athlete population. I created a one day cookbook to meet a diet high in iron, folate, copper, zine, and B12, all nutrients imperative to the proper function of red blood cells and hemoglobin.
This abstract, done by Rosie Brennan, is on the iron deficiency in female athletes. The objective of her paper is to understand the function of red blood cells and hemoglobin in iron deficiency. Brennan first wrote how the red blood cells function with Iron and why they are important for carrying oxygen throughout the body. She explains why the lack of oxygen in the bloodstream causes problems like dizziness, fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, and lightheadedness. The explanation of the importance for iron in the bloodstream leads to how iron may be lost in athletic training through sweat and post-training reabsorption. Brennan connects the typical iron loss of an athlete to theories as to why women would be at a 15-52% chance of anemia, rather than men, who are at a 5-11% chance. The reasons mentioned for this are the menstrual cycle and lesser appetite. She first recommends an iron test to see if they are low; if they are then to increase iron intake through diet or iron supplements. Her project was a cookbook that includes meals with high levels of iron, folate, copper, zinc, and B12. This paper was factually accurate and fascinating to read. I can’t wait to try out those recipes!