Probably not, especially if you’re only going to be at altitude for a week or so. The The only reason to take supplements before going to high altitude is if you had iron-deficiency anemia to begin with, said Dr. James Levine, a hematologist, or blood specialists, at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
It takes two to four weeks for the body to make enough extra red blood cells, which carry oxygen, to compensate for the thinner air at high altitude, said Dr. David Kuter, chief of hematology at Massachusetts General Hospital. The percentage of red cells in the blood is measured by a test called a hematocrit. “Taking iron to make the hematocrit rise is not going to help,” he said.
What does happen right away in conditions of low oxygen is that red cells begin pumping out a substance called 2,3 DPG, which makes the hemoglobin transport oxygen more efficiently. Over time, the body also begins pumping out another substance called erythropoietin (sold in medications such as Procrit and Epogen), which stimulates production of red blood cells. Some athletes who compete at high altitudes do take erythropoietin, but most doctors don’t recommend this for ordinary travelers because it’s expensive, takes too long to work, requires injection. And most travelers don’t go to high enough altitudes, anyway.
If you’re planning a long stay at altitude, you might consider getting tested for levels of stored iron, called ferritin, because it is this stored iron that the body draws on when it needs it, noted Barry Braun, an exercise biochemist at UMASS/ Amherst. If your ferritin is low, you might consider taking iron supplements before your trip or eating foods high in iron, such as red meat and spinach. But it’s very important to talk to your doctor before taking extra iron: too much iron, a condition called, hemochromatosis, or iron overload, which an be dangerous.