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Episode overview:

Alannah McKay completed a Bachelor of Science (Exercise, Health, and Sports Science) at the University of Western Australia in 2014. Subsequently, Alannah completed a post-graduate position within the Physiology department at the Australian Institute of Sport, where she was involved in preparing many Australian athletes before the 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic games. Since Alannah has submitted her Ph.D. titled “The Effect of Dietary Manipulation on Iron Metabolism and the Immune System in Elite Athletes,” which was undertaken in partnership with the Australian Institute of Sport, Western Australian Institute of Sport, and the University of Western Australia. Alannah joined Australian Catholic University as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in 2020. Her research will continue to explore the impact of diet and exercise on a range of health outcomes in athletes, with a specific interest in iron metabolism.

Episode highlights:

(20:48) Iron metabolism and low-carb diets: 3 week ketogenic intervention followed by <24 hours of carbohydrate intake, low carb diets decrease hepcidin, the acute carb intervention did not restore hepcidin, low carb states are when you are at greater risk for iron deficiency

(39:40) What iron supplements to use: ferrous sulfate, 100mg of elemental iron, maltofer, deficiency versus topping off, tailor frequency and dosing, avoid multivitamins

(47:39) Frequency of supplementation: absolute and relative absorption, the more iron you consume the more you absorb, alternate day dosing is well supported, mechanistic reasoning

Additional resources:

Papers discussed-

CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND TREATMENT OF IRON DEFICIENCY IN ATHLETES

Acute carbohydrate ingestion does not influence the post-exercise iron-regulatory response in elite keto-adapted race walkers

Chronic Adherence to a Ketogenic Diet Modifies Iron Metabolism in Elite Athletes

Six Days of Low Carbohydrate, Not Energy Availability, Alters the Iron and Immune Response to Exercise in Elite Athletes

Acute carbohydrate ingestion does not influence the post-exercise iron-regulatory response in elite keto-adapted race walkers

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