Thal minor and endurance sports

I am a marathon runner by hobby. I am not a fast runner, but I actually started running marathons about 7 years ago as a way to deal with my panic disorder. I only recently discovered that I have alpha thalassemia minor. Now that I have started to educate myself about this, I am realizing that being a thal minor would explain some experiences I have had while training and running marathons. I have had many experiences with lighheadedness and fatigue, which would subside with rest and healthy eating. I have also noticed that I don't recover as quickly as my running buddies.

I haven't found many resources related to endurance sports and thal minor. I am considering starting a tracker about my experiences with this in hopes to not only help myself be able to maintain this hobby for as long as possible, but also perhaps to help others.

I haven't found many posts on this forum about this topic either, but I just recently joined. Any info would be great!

Folic acid supplements are the only commonly prescribed treatment for alpha thal. If your Hb level is lower than normal, you will have less oxygen available and will of course, tire more quickly. Folic acid is essential for building red blood cells, so it is universally recommended. I tend to suggest natural vitamin E, B complex and magnesium also, as they are all part of the process of building and maintaining healthy RBCs. Avoidance of chemical fumes and fava beans is also recommended to avoid hemolytic events, where RBCs are suddenly destroyed.

Thank you Andy!

I made an appointment to see a nutritionist soon, although I have no idea if what she knows about thalassemia. I ran a marathon with three friends yesterday. Sure enough, they were relatively okay afterwards, but I was much slower, much more fatigued, and very lightheaded, despite taking in a similar amount of hydration, electrolyte replacements and calories. Even today, I am feeling soooo wiped out and they are only complaining of a little soreness. I am hoping that if I can do a better job "front loading" my body with the right nutrition, then I can finish my marathons feeling better and recovering better.

I will definitely look into some folic acid supplements. I am already trying to work in more fresh whole foods in to my diet.

Again, thank you Andy for the information!

hi Mo

im in a smiliar position to yourself i think. im training for my first marathon after running a few half marathons, and i was wondering how youre getting along since last summer?

here's my original post below, wondering if youve had similar experiences?
tom

im new to the site, tho ive been diagnosed with beta thal minor since birth. im 39, male, live in the UK, and a keen runner.

over the past few years ive noticed that exercise (typically running 5 - 10k / or a circuits class) makes me look v pale and grey and gives me pronounced dark circles under my eyes, and i feel sort of tired / hungover i guess. this is noticeable about an hour after exercise and is still obvious the next morning (the effect lasts about 24 hours).

ive ran a few half marathons, and am thinking of training for a full marathon so i went to the GP, and had the usual blood tests, and my iron and haemaglobin were both a bit low as you would expect, but not that much.

the gp and haematology consultant had no real answers for me, or any idea who would.
im wondering:

1. is this a symptom of my thal minor? what is it exactly a sign of?     
2. is there anything i can do about it / minimize it?
3. is it a sign that exercise is actually harmful for me? 
4 is there an expert who i can see about it? 

thanks for any help anyone can offer
tom

Hi there, I just found this forum today while looking for information on Thal minor and running performance. I'm a mid 30s female and have run a couple of marathons, and several 1/2s and 10ks. I was never terribly fast but liked it as a hobby and was decent at it. I have found myself over the years getting winded easily while running, especially uphill even though I do regular hill training, and also just when climbing a few sets of stairs even though I am in pretty good shape from running regularly and cycling. I will run with other women and they will be chatting throughout the run, and I can only blurt out breathless broken sentences. However, they will need to stop and take a walking break whereas I don't, leading me to believe it's their muscle fatigue in their legs that prevents them from running faster/farther, and for me, it's not getting enough oxygen that limits me. I don't actually know which type of Thal minor (alpha or beta) I have and will look into that. I did have surgery following a car crash a few years ago and the surgeon was worried about my low hemoglobin count during recovery, but when I told him I was Thal minor he seems to be satisfied with that. All that said, I'm looking for ways to increase my stamina. Upon initial research on here and elsewhere, it appears Vit D, B, E, magnesium, and folic acid are recommended.  I am currently taking Omega 3 fish oil and Vit D, but stopped taking folic acid after weaning my second child about 5yrs ago, but could easily reintroduce folic acid and add Vit B, E and Mg. I would appreciate any other suggestions or comments. Thanks.

Hello Mo and Becky,
I'm also a midle 30s female ,that after thinking I was dying until May this year ( when a hematologist finally  told me I was alpha thal trait  - 3.7 homozygous ) decided to feel alive again. You can read a little bit of what was going on with me on the spotlight( newbie and iron overload?)
But going back to the marathons . I decided to start to run  what was awesome . I ruined 3 days per week and was doing stationary bike in other 3 says taking just one day off. I did for three weeks and needed to stop  for one. I don't know if is something related to all the iron I took before knowing I was a thal ,but my legs more around the knees got so swollen that I couldn't bend my knees it was an awfull pain. I have complaint before of swollen legs when taking iron ,but if a person doesn't know me it looks normal but is painful .i also have some bruises along them.
Since I learned I was an alpha thal trait I have take care of myself,since I have had lots of pain before I decided to detox my body from the iron( I know iron doesn't go anywhere,but I try to not add more) started folic acid,B complex,vit C,D,E in addition I started a completely raw vegan diet plus Ip 6 .
I was feeling wonderful until started with the exercises. I took this last week off from exercises and I'm starting to feel better again. I don't know if it is the thal or that my body is not ready yet. But I'll keep you posted about my experiments.