Aspire guide
Printable Handouts
Printable Handouts manual
Iron Check — Print Handout
A one-page iron screening handout with ferritin targets, the Hepcidin Rule for supplementation, and altitude-specific recommendations.
Why this matters
🖨️ This is a print-ready visual handout.
Read time
3 min
Audience
Athlete + Parent
Use it for
Printable Handouts
Start here
A good iron check catches the athlete before 'just push through it' does more damage.
Coach prompt
Which athlete on your team has earned an iron conversation with their family this month?
Print & share
Printable handout preview
One-page sheet
Iron Check — Print Handout
Read time
3 min
Audience
Athlete + Parent
Start with the printable
A good iron check catches the athlete before 'just push through it' does more damage.
Best next move
Use it this week
Which athlete on your team has earned an iron conversation with their family this month?
Quick reference map
Use the guide like a structured handout
Protocol
Start here
Jump to this section and use it like a coaching quick reference.
Overview
Do This Now
Jump to this section and use it like a coaching quick reference.
Timeline
Common Mistakes
Jump to this section and use it like a coaching quick reference.
Overview
The Hepcidin Rule
Jump to this section and use it like a coaching quick reference.
In the library
Format
Read the full ebook here, then jump to the one-page handout when you need the shareable version.
Best use
Open the sections you need, print the handout, then send both to coaches, parents, or athletes.
Quick start
Start here
A one-page iron screening handout with ferritin targets, the Hepcidin Rule for supplementation, and altitude-specific recommendations.
Who to check
Start with athletes who keep fading without a clear reason
- Unusual fatigue, pale look, slow recovery, and declining times are common clues.
- Female distance runners and heavy menstrual losses raise suspicion faster.
What to ask for
Ferritin plus CBC gives a useful first pass
- One number rarely tells the entire story.
- Coaches should know the names of the labs even if they do not interpret them clinically.
What not to do
Do not hand out iron supplements like candy
- Supplements without a plan create side effects and bad assumptions.
- Some tired athletes are under-fueled, overtrained, or sick instead.
Do This Now
- Ask your doctor for a ferritin test (not just CBC)
- Target: Females >40 ng/mL • Males >50 ng/mL
- Take iron every OTHER day with vitamin C (not with dairy or coffee)
Common Mistakes
— Luke Rodriguez, MS, RDN
Only checking hemoglobin — ferritin drops months before hemoglobin does
Taking iron daily (every-other-day absorbs better)
Taking iron with breakfast cereal + milk (calcium blocks absorption)
The Hepcidin Rule
Every-other-day dosing is more effective than daily.
Every-other-day dosing is more effective than daily. Hepcidin spikes after each dose and blocks absorption for ~24 hours.
Quick reference
Key targets to keep in view
Use these as planning anchors when you turn the manual into weekly actions.
Most useful lab
Ferritin
Treat this as a decision anchor, not a trivia stat.
Add with it
CBC
Treat this as a decision anchor, not a trivia stat.
Coach move
Notice + refer
Treat this as a decision anchor, not a trivia stat.
Coach takeaways
Common miss
These are the cues worth repeating before the week gets busy.
Notice the pattern
Fatigue plus risk factors is enough to ask.
Request the right labs
Ferritin and CBC are the usual starting point.
Do not freeload diagnosis
Coaches screen and refer; clinicians diagnose.
Coaching emphasis
What to reinforce with athletes this week
A good iron check catches the athlete before 'just push through it' does more damage.
- Unusual fatigue, pale look, slow recovery, and declining times are common clues.
- One number rarely tells the entire story.
- Supplements without a plan create side effects and bad assumptions.
- A good iron check catches the athlete before 'just push through it' does more damage.
Takeaway
Coach bottom line
A good iron check catches the athlete before 'just push through it' does more damage.
- Which athlete on your team has earned an iron conversation with their family this month?
Coach cues
Field reference
Use these short cues when you need to turn the manual into a quick conversation or decision.
Primary focus
Printable Handouts
A one-page iron screening handout with ferritin targets, the Hepcidin Rule for supplementation,…
This week's cue
Which athlete on your team has earned an iron conversation with their family this month?
Use this sentence in the next team conversation.
Key themes
handout • printable • pdf • iron check
These are the anchors to reinforce, not the entire lecture.
Best follow-up
Open the handout with your team
Use the printable handout to keep the message simple.
What to do next
Use it this week
Which athlete on your team has earned an iron conversation with their family this month?
Source topics
handout • printable • pdf • iron check • ferritin • iron deficiency runner