PUMPING IRON

Iron is critical for our blood cells to transport oxygen around the body, and a deficiency can impair muscle function and limit work capacity. With that in mind, many athletes supplement with iron to boost their performance. But while iron supplements can aid athletes who are initially deficient, there’s no evidence that it helps in athletes who already have healthy levels, and may in fact cause unwanted gastrointestinal upset.5 So unless you know you’re deficient, simply increasing food sources of iron would be a sensible first line of defence.