Helping Active Women Avoid Anemia

In brief Many active women, especially those in sports that place a premium on a lean physique, don't consume enough iron, which puts them at risk for anemia. When evaluating an active woman's iron status, it's important to determine her hemoglobin baseline and identify various sources of iron loss from the medical history. Hemoglobin, hematocrit, and serum ferritin levels are most often the only laboratory values needed for evaluation. Treatment of anemia and iron deficiency focuses on improving iron intake through food and supplements and monitoring the patient's progress. Prevention tactics include diet counseling for those with known risk factors for anemia.