Ferritin, Iron & Anemia and What the Labs Really Mean

A single ferritin test isn't the whole story. Coach Nick and Coach Amanda talk with sports dietitian Callie Roseland about the difference between low ferritin, iron deficiency, and anemia, why runners are especially prone to running low, and the ferritin number that actually supports performance versus the number that just clears a lab's "normal" range.We also cover when to (and definitely not to) get iron labs drawn, how hard training affects iron absorption through a hormone called hepcidin, and why more iron isn't always better. GuestCallie Roseland, MS, RD, LDN, CSSD, IFNCP, EP-C is a Sports Dietitian who specializes in helping endurance and mountain athletes fuel for performance, recovery, and long-term health. She has 9+ years of experience in high-level performance nutrition, including more than 7 years as a Tactical Performance Dietitian supporting U.S. Special Operations Forces within a multidisciplinary human performance team.Through her private practice, Fueling Upward, Callie works with adult athletes who lift, run, and climb mountains while balancing serious training with full-time work, family, and real life. Her background in exercise physiology, sports nutrition, and integrative and functional nutrition allows her to take a comprehensive approach to performance, with particular interests in endurance fueling, performance labwork, gut health, hormone health, injury recovery, and optimizing nutrition to support high-level training and performance.Fueling Upward offers 1v1 virtual nutrition coaching, group education, and on-demand resources to help athletes have more energy, ditch gut issues, and fuel the training it takes to cross finish lines and climb mountains.Email: callie@fuelingupward.comIG: @fueling.upward.rdWebsite: www.fuelingupward.comReach out via email at hello@runningexplained.comMore from Running Explained@runningexplained on IGwww.runningexplained.comRate and review the podcast wherever you listen. It helps more runners find the show.