Micronutrients and hydration

Iron, calcium, vitamin D, B vitamins, sweat sodium and the dehydration level that hurts performance.

The outline, topic by topic

Each topic is weighted the way the exam weighs it.

Iron: what is it?
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A component of haemoglobin and myoglobin.
Deficiency is common in female athletes and runners.
A tired, breathless female runner has very low ferritin. What should be suspected?
- Iron deficiency
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
- Vitamin D deficiency
- Dehydration
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Iron deficiency
Ferritin measures iron stores. B12 deficiency also brings fatigue and breathlessness, but with normal ferritin.
Calcium and vitamin D: what is it?
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They build and maintain bone.
A shortage raises the risk of stress fractures.
Why is sodium added to drinks for long efforts?
- It gives energy to the working muscles
- It replaces sweat sodium and helps retain the water drunk
- It reduces how much you sweat
- It replaces the potassium lost in sweat
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It replaces sweat sodium and helps retain the water drunk
Sodium carries no calories and replaces only sodium; it also limits the risk of hyponatraemia.