Men's Nutrition: Iron, Diet, Blood Donations, and More...

See what Dr. Lonnie Lowery says about iron in men's diets.

By Dr. Lonnie Lowery

I'd like to quickly share some information of a men's issue that's come up recently: iron in the diet.

Although the public often gets the message that iron is "good", it's possible to get too much of a good thing - especially for men who don't menstruate (lose blood and thus iron monthly). Sometimes I even wonder if the 97% female majority of a major dietetics group doesn't influence this message somewhat. Yes, iron deficiency, which can eventually lead to anemia, is the world's number one nutritional deficiency. And yes, one can feel fatigue even before full blown iron deficiency anemia (small pale and reduced red blood cells) hits. But it's partly a gender issue - especially in developed countries like the U.S. where meat and iron fortification are plentiful.

You see, most men accumulate iron between their teen and middle years, up to a point that (debatably) increases heart disease risk (iron is a pro-oxidant) and could even damage cells (liver, muscle, etc.). You "damage" muscle cells and tendon cells enough with chronic weightlifting.

So what does one do?

Find balance.

Mix-up protein foods and don't rely too heavily on just meats (highly absorbable heme iron) or rely too much on eggs and dairy, which actually block iron availability somewhat. (And, if coupled with frequent blood donations could be bad.)

If you're a guy who knows he's not anemic, consider the "Silver" (iron-free) type of multivitamin/multi-mineral tablets. It's likely that you eat too much iron from the foods you already ingest; you probably don't need even more from your supplements!

Even a low-moderate amount of supplemented vitamin C (~250 mg is a common dose) or vitamin C-rich foods like citrus, strawberries, red bell peppers, etc. will further up your absorption of iron.

Some foods decrease iron absorption such as tannins in tea, phytates in whole grains and oxalate in spinach.

Do you consume lots of these?

Get used to reading Nutrition Facts panels on food labels. Iron is one of the "highlighted" minerals that you'll always see there. Men don't need more than 8 mg daily (teens 11 mg) and you probably shouldn't consume more than 30mg per day.

If you are concerned enough to donate blood - helping yourself and others - consider this: the Red Cross does a simple density check on a finger prick sample to check if you are "ready" to donate. However, it's possible to be low iron (e.g. if you've been donating 4-5 times per year for a long time) and they'd still clear you. I personally don't appease the "vampires" more than twice per year these days.

Whether you're a guy or a gal, the information in this list is helpful when adjusting iron intake (upward or downward), thus affecting bodily stores over the weeks and months.

I'll leave you with two related email questions from readers…

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Lonnie,

Great article this week. I do have a question regarding donating blood.

The last time I gave blood successfully was about 1.5 years ago, and they came back showing I had high liver enzymes. I wasn't taking anything at the time ... not protein supplements, no androgens, nada. Then, last Fall I tried to donate again, but I was denied because of my high levels. I was told that I placed on a list that bars me from giving blood. I'm 20 years old, 190 lbs currently.

Do you know how long this ban lasts and/or is there any way around it? I think the high levels may have attributed to overtraining, but I'm not sure.

Thanks!
Justin Case

Hello Justin,

Of course I don't know all the specifics, but weight training men often have elevated ALT and AST. These enzymes "spill" out of sore, exercise-damaged skeletal muscle and are not just "liver enzymes". You can read "Muscle Masochism I" and II after an online search (Google). I don't know if there is a time limit on the list you mentioned. If muscle microtrauma/ soreness is indeed the etiology behind your high ALT and AST, then taking a week off from lifting before attempting to donate again (at another location?) may help.

Take care,
LL

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I read your online article regarding iron.

I have hemochromatosis and have given blood every week for 12 consecutive weeks. Under Dr.'s care, I take 300mg of T every other week and 500iu of HCG every other day. I still feel like crap compared to when I started to feel last August. Although, the addition one month ago of HCG has proved worthwhile - I really feel it in my testicles.

A question no one can answer is whether giving blood the day after taking a cypionate shot, funnels T from my body. I am somewhat anemic so perhaps that is why I am tired. But maybe also the blood draws are taking T from my stream?

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Justin Time

Hi Justin,
Well, I can't comment on your medical issues but as general info., I suppose it is possible that, since T injections "spike" quickly in the bloodstream (hence the popularity of "slower-release" patches or daily gels), that one may indeed lose more of that T during a subsequent phlebotomy session (500cc out of about 5000cc of blood being removed). I know it sounds like a copout, but I'd discuss concerns with the physician.

And remember one can get tired and exhibit reduced athletic performance from low iron levels well before full blown anemia develops. So always stay aware of your blood iron (or ferritin or transferrin saturation) levels, if and when they start to fall from the treatments

Good Luck!
LL

An Article from Men's Health

Is Exercise a Waste of Time?

By David Zinczenko

Sometimes, when a news report seems to defy logic, it’s because someone hasn’t done their homework. And that’s what’s happened over at Time magazine with its latest cover story, “Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin.” The article claims that working out is not only useless for weight loss, but can actually lead to weight gain.

This contention hinges mostly on a recent study done at Louisiana State University. Scientists there divided sedentary women into four groups: One group didn’t exercise, and three others performed different amounts of physical activity. All of the groups were told to stick to their typical diet.

The results: The women who exercised the most didn’t lose any more weight than those who didn’t exercise at all over six months. How can this be?

Well, first understand how much exercise these women were doing. The group that exercised the most burned around 1000 calories a week, or about 140 calories a day. The other two exercise groups burned around 700 and 350 calories a week, respectively.

This isn’t a tremendous amount of exercise—you might burn around 140 calories vacuuming your house—so no one would anticipate a tremendous amount of weight loss. Even so, the researchers calculated how many pounds they would expect each woman to lose, and their predictions were spot-on for the two groups that did lesser amounts of exercise. For these ladies, the exercise did indeed work.

(Make the most of your workout, by tapping into the 100 Greatest Fitness Tips of All Time.)

However, the other group of exercisers fell about two-and-a-half pounds short of their predicted weight loss. The Time story states: “Whether because exercise made them hungry or because they wanted to reward themselves (or both), most of the women who exercised ate more than they did before they started the experiment.”

Not so, according to the published data. The writer of the Time story either misread the results, or conveniently skipped over the parts that didn’t support his assertion. The study authors clearly state that the women in all four groups ate fewer calories on average.

(For an easy way to cut your calories—even when you’re in a hurry—discover the 14 Best Fast Food Meals Under 500 Calories.)

To be fair, the calorie-intake numbers probably aren’t accurate. The study’s lead author, Timothy Church, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., admits that since this data was attained from a survey—and not measured directly—it’s not very reliable. We really do suspect .

This further muddles the findings. And given that the non-exercisers lost weight, too, one could conclude this study proves that sitting on the couch causes weight loss. But Time magazine isn’t reporting that. At least not this week.

Instead, the Time author tries to support his notion that exercise doesn’t help you lose weight by pointing out that some women gained more than 10 pounds over the six-month study. “What the article fails to report is that other women lost even more weight than we expected,” says Dr. Church.

Bottom line: Our responses to diet and exercise are all highly individualized, explains Dr. Church. Sure, some people might compensate for their exercise by eating more, but according to Dr. Church, this isn’t the fault of exercise. More likely, he says, it’s because people don’t realize how easy it is to consume 1,000 calories at the drive-thru compared to burning just 250 calories on a treadmill. “If your weight is a concern for you, exercise is important. But it doesn’t give you license to eat what you want,” cautions Dr. Church. “You still need to pay close attention to what you’re putting in your mouth.”

Even so-called “healthy” food can have a surprising number of calories. Check out our list of the worst salads in America, including a 2,115-calorie salad from California Pizza Kitchen.

As for exercise making you hungrier, Dr. Church doesn’t think that’s the case. And overall, the research is mixed on the matter. But even if exercise does stoke your appetite, you still have the power of choice. Are you going to reach for an apple—or a big bowl of ice cream?

Dr. Church insists that we have much to learn on this topic, and wants you to know this: “When you look at people who lose weight and keep it off, what you find is that almost 100 percent of them not only watch what they eat, but are also regular exercisers.”

Want even more reasons why Time is wrong about exercise? Keep reading.

• Exercise can protect your muscle. A Penn State University study found that people who lifted weights along with a program of diet and aerobic exercise had the same weight loss as those who only dieted (or who dieted and performed aerobic exercise). The difference? The lifters lost 5 pounds more fat because almost none of their weight loss came from muscle. Read: Resistance training didn’t improve weight loss, but it did improve fat loss. And isn’t that what really matters?

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• Exercise may help you stick to your diet. University of Pittsburgh researchers studied 169 dieters for 2 years and found that the participants who didn’t follow a 3-hour-a-week training plan ate more than their allotted 1,500 calories per day. The reverse was also true—sneaking snacks sabotaged their workouts. “One healthy behavior without the other will not work—you need to diet and exercise to maintain long-term weight loss,” says lead study author John Jakicic, Ph.D. That’s because both actions can act as a reminder to stay on track.

• Exercise may target belly fat. While weight loss was similar among all four groups in the LSU study, only the groups that exercised saw their waist size decrease. The Time story downplays this finding, but isn’t it relevant? Think about it: This study actually shows that even a small amount of low-intensity exercise—performed in, say, just three 24-minute sessions a week—could help your jeans fit better. In other words, it makes you thinner. Doesn’t sound like a waste of time to me.

http://mhtoday.menshealth.com/2009/08/is-exercise-a-waste-of-time.html

Article from Men's Health

Q: Is it better to vary reps, or to change exercises?

Aaron, Chevy Chase, MD
Muscle Guy answers from Men's Health

I prefer both. Too much of the same exercises can lead to harmful muscle imbalances, so change exercises every 4 weeks. And although lots of guys perform 10-rep sets, other techniques can quicken muscle growth. For example, alter the number of reps with each workout. An Arizona State study followed men as they used different repetition ranges in each of three training sessions a week for 12 weeks (5 reps on Monday, 15 on Wednesday, and 10 on Friday, for example), and found that their strength increased more than twice as much as that of men who varied reps only on a monthly basis.