Marie Spano

Do Female Athletes Need More Vitamins and Minerals?

Marie Spano, MS, RD, CSCS

Many active women ask me if they need extra or “mega” vitamin and mineral supplements to support their activity level. And though regular physical activity does increase your total calorie needs and your need for protein and carbohydrate, you don’t need extra vitamins and minerals. But, you do need to be aware of two minerals that women often fall short on: calcium and iron.

According to national data, many women consume far less calcium than the recommended Adequate Intakeⁱ. In premenopausal women, calcium intake helps maintain strong bones and prevent stress fracturesⁱⁱ. An active female athlete who engages in weight bearing activity (running for instance) yet doesn’t consume enough calcium will increase her risk of developing stress fractures, tiny cracks in a bone that hurt! And, in postmenopausal women, calcium intake can slow bone loss thereby preventing brittle bones (osteoporosis). The women who are most at risk for low calcium intake are those who restrict their food intake and those who consume few dairy products.

What can you do to get more calcium? Dairy products are the best source of calcium and, even those who are lactose intolerant can often consume some dairy with no problems, especially if they do so on a regular basis. Milk contains the most lactose followed by yogurt, cottage cheese and cheese. Other sources of dairy include calcium fortified orange juice, fortified cereals, some protein shakes and nutrition bars.

According to national survey data, many women fall short on their iron intakeⁱ. And, active women, in particular, may be more at risk than their sedentary counterparts. In some studies examining iron deficiency in female endurance athletes, more than 1 in 4 women tested positive for iron deficiency^iii,iv. And, iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia can make a couch potato feel tired. Add intense physical activity to low iron levels and you’ll find it hard to make it though each day without a nap or two. Iron carries oxygen to your working muscles and, even marginal iron deficiency may impair athletic performance^v,vi.

The best sources of iron include meat, poultry and fish, all of which contain heme iron – the most absorbable form. If you hardly touch those foods or are a vegetarian, try cooking in a cast iron skillet and consuming iron fortified cereals, beans, chickpeas, oat bran, spinach and bread.

If you are an active female, you don’t need to buy mega doses of vitamins and minerals to support your activity levels. However, you should pay particular attention to your calcium and iron intake. If you suffer from frequent stress fractures talk to your doctor about getting a bone density exam. Likewise, if you feel sluggish and like your athletic performance has taken a nosedive, talk to your doctor about getting your iron levels checked for both iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia.

ⁱ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Intake of Selected Minerals for the United States Population: 1999–2000. Advance Data from Vital Health Statistics. Washington, DC: Department of Health and Human Services; No. 341, April 27, 2004.
ⁱⁱ Lauder TD, Dixit S, Pezzin LE, Williams MV, Campbell CS, Davis GD. The relation between stress fractures and bone mineral density: evidence from active-duty Army women. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2000;81(1):73–79.
ⁱⁱⁱ Malczewska J, Raczynski G, Stupnicki R. Iron status in female endurance athletes and in non-athletes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 2000;10(3):260–276.
^iv Risser WL, Lee EJ, Poindexter HB, et al. Iron deficiency in female athletes: its prevalence and impact on performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1988;20(2):116–121.
^v Brownlie T 4th, Utermohlen V, Hinton PS, Giordano C, Haas JD. Marginal iron deficiency without anemia impairs aerobic adaptation among previously untrained women. Am J Clin Nutr 2002;75(4):734–742.
^vi Hinton PS, Giordano C, Brownlie T, Haas JD. Iron supplementation improves endurance after training in iron-depleted, nonanemic women. J Appl Physiol 2000;88(3):1103–1111.