A Galway camogie player who spent years struggling with extreme fatigue is backing calls for greater awareness of how low iron levels can impact female athletes.
Midfielder Ally Hesnan is at the top of her game and was part of the squad that beat Cork at the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship at Croke Park last year.
But her packed training schedule often led to her feeling dizzy, tired and with heavy legs, especially after gruelling matches.
“When I was younger I was so full of energy," Ally, 21, recalled. "Then when I got to about 18 or 19 I would get lightheaded after matches. The team would be going out for a few drinks and I’d have to try so hard to get the energy. I was really tired, I just wanted to lie down. I was wrecked.”
Tests showed Ally had low levels of iron, an essential nutrient which helps make red blood cells to transport oxygen around the body. If you haven’t got enough it can mean symptoms including tiredness and fatigue, brain fog, headaches and dizziness.
Women with heavier periods are at risk due to the blood lost through menstruation, as well as people with vegetarian diets and women who regularly exercise.
Last year Ally took part in research conducted by Atlantic Technological University (ATU ) in partnership with Irish iron supplement brand Active Iron, which found that 40 per cent of inter-county camogie players are low in iron.
She is now part of Active Iron’s campaign to call for an end to women ‘suffering in silence’ with tiredness and fatigue, and wants to normalise the conversation around inadequate iron levels especially for the girls following in her footsteps.
“A few years ago I was put on some iron supplements but they were too harsh on my gut so I didn’t carry on taking them," Ally said. "It was a choice between being tired or feeling really bloated and uncomfortable.
“Then last year I was involved in the research and the supplements they were using were Active Iron. They are the only ones I found easy to take.
“About three weeks after I started taking them, I noticed training was easier. I didn’t have such heavy legs afterwards. After training I would usually feel so deflated but now I wake up the day after a match and I’m ready to go to work.”
Ally’s intense calendar includes training five days a week alongside studying psychology at University of Galway. She also works in a cafe at weekends, so it’s imperative she’s in peak fitness.
Although a recent hand injury, sustained during a match, may mean she gets a little rest as she’ll be forced to sit out for six weeks.
“I think in the last five to 10 years camogie has gone to a whole other level,” Ally said. “You have to be quite physical. It’s not just about being fit, you have to take the hits. But I really do think it’s important to talk about things like low iron. It can have such a big impact.”
Nóra Ní Fhlannagáin, sports dietitian, lecturer and researcher at Atlantic Technological University, Galway, who conducted the study into the iron levels of intercounty camogie players, said: “Intercounty camogie players are often training five times a week.
"In games, for a championship match, GPS data shows they're covering a distance of five to seven kilometres in 60 minutes of match play - plus a warm up and potentially extra time. It’s a mix of sprinting, jogging, tackling, jumping and there’s incredible hand-eye coordination that’s required in camogie.
"As we train, we have a higher demand for iron in our bodies because it helps us to release the energy we need.
“Iron is an essential nutrient for cognition as well as energy to support endurance and strength. It’s not just running up and down a pitch, but strength in the gym is affected by low iron. It’s also really important for the immune system.”
In light of the findings from the ATU research, Active Iron is now offering free samples to camogie clubs across Ireland to help raise awareness around suboptimal levels in female athletes and to help players feel the benefits of Active Iron.
If your club is interested in receiving free samples, visit https://activeiron.com/pages/request-a-sample.
