Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. If you suspect you have anaemia or any health condition, consult a healthcare provider.
What Every Cyclist Needs to Know
As an Olympic cycling coach, I’ve seen what happens when an athlete’s engine is running on empty—and iron deficiency anaemia is one of the sneakiest culprits. One week you’re crushing intervals, and the next you can’t get out of zone 2. Let’s talk about what’s really going on under the hood
What Is Anaemia?
Anaemia occurs when your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells or hemoglobin—the protein that delivers oxygen from your lungs to your muscles.
Why does that matter? Because oxygen = performance. Without it, fatigue sets in faster, recovery stalls, and intensity becomes nearly impossible to maintain. Hemoglobin also helps buffer lactic acid and transport carbon dioxide. It’s critical—especially for endurance athletes.
Common Causes of Anaemia in Athletes
1. Sports Anaemia (Pseudoanaemia)
This isn’t a deficiency—it’s a dilution. With endurance training, your plasma volume increases. Your red blood cells stay the same, but the concentration drops.
Key point: This is normal and usually doesn’t require treatment.
2. Iron-Deficiency Anaemia
This is the one that hurts performance. Common causes include:
– Menstrual blood loss (particularly heavy cycles)
– Plant-based diets low in heme iron
– Low-calorie diets lacking micronutrients
– Frequent blood donation or unaddressed blood loss
– Folic acid or Vitamin B12 deficiency—critical for red blood cell formation
3. Hormonal-Related Anaemia
– Low testosterone (especially in aging male athletes or RED-S)
– Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
– Liver or kidney dysfunction (affects erythropoietin and red cell production)
Prevention & Treatment: What You Can Do
Step One: Get Tested
If you’re chronically tired, short of breath, or not recovering well—don’t guess. Get a full blood panel and discuss iron, ferritin, B12, and folate levels with a qualified medical professional.
Step Two: Eat for Iron
Recommended Daily Iron Intake:
- Men: 10–12 mg
- Women: 18–20 mg
Higher needs if menstruating, vegetarian, or training heavily.
Iron-Rich Foods:
- Red meat, dark meat poultry
- Spinach, kale, broccoli, swiss chard
- Lentils, quinoa, beans (white, kidney, chickpeas)
- Pumpkin seeds, oats, grits, white rice
- Dried apricots, raisins, sweet potatoes
- Dark chocolate
- Cook meals in a cast iron skillet
✅ Always combine iron-rich meals with Vitamin C (like citrus, peppers, or tomatoes) to boost absorption.
Female Athletes: Special Consideration
Heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding significantly increases the risk of iron loss. If your energy plummets post-period or you struggle with performance fluctuations mid-cycle, ask your doctor for ferritin and hemoglobin tests.
Final Thoughts
Iron deficiency is not a “tough it out” issue—it’s a red flag. If untreated, it can lead to chronic fatigue, poor performance, and injury risk. But when managed proactively, most athletes bounce back stronger than ever.
Low iron? Low energy? High time to fix it
👉 Learn how coaching at Cadence & Grit supports your physiology