General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Donating blood and training Rss Feed  
Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller Reply
2015-04-01 8:05 AM

User image


1630
100050010025
, Kronobergs lan
Subject: Donating blood and training
I have been a blood donor for 6 or 7 years. Not much in the past 2 years (only once) due to anemia cause by womens problem. I my first tri last year without many red cells in my blood. All under control now so I went back and gave blood yesterday. Been feeling tired since, headache (and upset stomach due to the iron supplement I am taking). Should I take a day off today? Any blood donors out there? How do you train afterwards?


2015-04-01 9:07 AM
in reply to: 0

User image


928
50010010010010025
Subject: RE: Donating blood and training
I have had similar women's issues and had to stop donating blood (doctor's orders). Even when my iron got back to "normal". "Normal" for me can quickly go to dangerously low if I donate 500mL of blood. I suspect a similar thing is happening with you.

I used to donate regularly as well and I hate that I can't, but its just not healthy for some of us.

Eta: I live in canada and one of the exclusions for donation is if you are taking an iron supplement for anemia.

Edited by jennifer_runs 2015-04-01 9:09 AM
2015-04-01 9:25 AM
in reply to: jennifer_runs

User image


1630
100050010025
, Kronobergs lan
Subject: RE: Donating blood and training
thanks for your reply. I am not taking iron supplements normally, just for a few days after donating. I hope I will recover quickly. I would hate to have to stop.
Decided to take the day off today. The weather is too crap for an enjoyable bike ride anyway...
2015-04-01 10:52 AM
in reply to: Rollergirl

User image

Pro
6582
50001000500252525
Melbourne FL
Gold member
Subject: RE: Donating blood and training

Perhaps instead of giving whole blood do Apheresis donations for platelets instead.  Until I moved many years ago I did this a lot.

2015-04-01 11:17 AM
in reply to: Donto

User image


1630
100050010025
, Kronobergs lan
Subject: RE: Donating blood and training
Thanks, never heard of this around here, will check it out!
2015-04-01 6:14 PM
in reply to: Rollergirl

User image

Veteran
286
100100252525
Brisbane, Australia
Subject: RE: Donating blood and training
I can't speak to women's problems, however I tend to take it easy a day or 2 after donating. As Red blood cells (RBC's) are taken out in whole blood, your oxygen carrying capacity is reduced, thereby making endurance exercise harder. It is sort of a similar effect to going to high altiude, as there is less oxygen available.

Here in Australia you have to wait 3 months before dontating whole blood again, as this is the time it takes to fully regenerate. As a result, I do not donate whole blood within about 2 months of a priority race.

As for plasma, again, here in Aus, we can do this every 2 weeks, as it regenerates very quickly (as it is mostly fluid, and not so much cells). This would affect your blood volume and may cause some effects if you are training in a particularly hot environment (lower blood volume = higher heart rate and blood pressure required).

I have never looked specifically at my HR data pre and post donation, but it wouldn't surprise me if there were some difference there.


2015-04-02 1:35 AM
in reply to: Rollergirl

User image

Regular
606
500100
Portland, Oregon
Subject: RE: Donating blood and training
Your training will likely be compromised up to 3 weeks. Browse a few abstracts here:
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie...

Donating blood is good, but as long as I am in training, I won't do it.
2015-04-02 6:15 AM
in reply to: dfroelich

User image


1630
100050010025
, Kronobergs lan
Subject: RE: Donating blood and training
thanks for the input. I will try and Schedule my next donation around a week off or something. Luckily I have one month to a 10k I have entered and 2 months until the first of my 2 tris this year. I'll be fine. Feeling better already
2015-04-03 11:57 AM
in reply to: stuart_little_9

User image


1630
100050010025
, Kronobergs lan
Subject: RE: Donating blood and training
Originally posted by stuart_little_9

I can't speak to women's problems, however I tend to take it easy a day or 2 after donating. As Red blood cells (RBC's) are taken out in whole blood, your oxygen carrying capacity is reduced, thereby making endurance exercise harder. It is sort of a similar effect to going to high altiude, as there is less oxygen available.

Here in Australia you have to wait 3 months before dontating whole blood again, as this is the time it takes to fully regenerate. As a result, I do not donate whole blood within about 2 months of a priority race.

As for plasma, again, here in Aus, we can do this every 2 weeks, as it regenerates very quickly (as it is mostly fluid, and not so much cells). This would affect your blood volume and may cause some effects if you are training in a particularly hot environment (lower blood volume = higher heart rate and blood pressure required).

I have never looked specifically at my HR data pre and post donation, but it wouldn't surprise me if there were some difference there.


So if it's similar to training at high altitude, then it's actually good for training?
2015-04-03 3:36 PM
in reply to: Rollergirl

User image

Extreme Veteran
1175
1000100252525
Langley, BC, 'Wet Coast' Canada
Subject: RE: Donating blood and training
Originally posted by Rollergirl

Originally posted by stuart_little_9

I can't speak to women's problems, however I tend to take it easy a day or 2 after donating. As Red blood cells (RBC's) are taken out in whole blood, your oxygen carrying capacity is reduced, thereby making endurance exercise harder. It is sort of a similar effect to going to high altiude, as there is less oxygen available.

Here in Australia you have to wait 3 months before dontating whole blood again, as this is the time it takes to fully regenerate. As a result, I do not donate whole blood within about 2 months of a priority race.

As for plasma, again, here in Aus, we can do this every 2 weeks, as it regenerates very quickly (as it is mostly fluid, and not so much cells). This would affect your blood volume and may cause some effects if you are training in a particularly hot environment (lower blood volume = higher heart rate and blood pressure required).

I have never looked specifically at my HR data pre and post donation, but it wouldn't surprise me if there were some difference there.


So if it's similar to training at high altitude, then it's actually good for training?


I may be wrong, but I believe that altitude training works by forcing the body to compensate for the lack of oxygen at higher elevations by providing the opportunity for the body to adapt by producing more red blood cells to carry the required oxygen-carrying hemoglobin needed to accomplish the work it can do at lower elevations (with the lower elevation's higher level of oxygen). This happens with full volume of blood.

Old-school blood-doping works, basically, by taking the red blood cells out of a blood donation and adding them back AFTER the body has had the chance to replace them, giving the body more than its regular number of red blood cells....

By donating, the volume of blood is reduced, and we lose those red blood cells. The body then must replace them, which takes a few weeks, I believe.
So, 'No', donating is not necessarily 'good for training' as is altitude-training. But, it is good for society

I believe there may have been some findings in the past that forcing the body to have to replace the lost blood volume , and red blood cells, was somehow healthy, but I cannot recall specifics .... My courses in exercise physiology were a loooong time ago
Someone with knowledge in that area will need to jump in with an answer.



2015-04-03 4:48 PM
in reply to: triosaurus

User image


1630
100050010025
, Kronobergs lan
Subject: RE: Donating blood and training
It makes sense. I struggled today on my long ride but I feel a lot better already so I don't think I will stop giving blood for the sake of my tri "career". I'll just make sure I donate at least 4 weeks before a race. I don't race that much anyway. One 10k and 2 sprints this year. No big deal.


New Thread
General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Donating blood and training Rss Feed  
RELATED POSTS

donating blood vs training/racing

Started by el_cid
Views: 1032 Posts: 13

2009-06-19 5:13 PM rayd

Donating blood and training for a triathlon

Started by greyg8r
Views: 1482 Posts: 16

2009-05-09 6:09 PM Gerrard

Donating Blood

Started by southwestmba
Views: 1181 Posts: 14

2007-06-27 10:37 PM southwestmba

donating blood

Started by Laerka
Views: 1140 Posts: 15

2004-10-09 10:36 AM Laerka

When to donate Blood while training

Started by DRM
Views: 1313 Posts: 9

2004-03-23 12:11 PM ivorytower
RELATED ARTICLES
date : February 9, 2010
author : AMSSM
comments : 0
Elevated blood pressure is the most common cardiovascular disease in the United States. There are many things to consider in the recommendation of training for individuals with high blood pressure.
 
date : March 19, 2009
author : AMSSM
comments : 0
Would getting the veins fixed have any potential triathlon performance implications? Is there anything else I should be doing for them when I swim/bike/run?
date : November 19, 2006
author : AMSSM
comments : 0
Initially most patients with mitral valve regurgitation have normal heart function. But when the heart starts to function poorly, patients will start to become more short of breath with exertion.
 
date : September 4, 2006
author : AMSSM
comments : 0
Athletes with diabetes can exercise and compete at a high level. Exercise can help control blood sugars, particularly in Type 2 diabetics, but it can also worsen them if you are not in good control.
date : September 3, 2006
author : AMSSM
comments : 2
If you are one of those athletes, and the compartments don’t easily expand, the pressure within increases with exercise. This can stress the muscle as well as the nerves and blood vessels.
 
date : May 1, 2006
author : AMSSM
comments : 0
Exercise-related hyponatremia (low sodium in the blood) is a rare cause of death in endurance athletes. Symptoms include headache, nausea, vomiting, confusion, difficulty breathing and seizure.
date : March 5, 2006
author : AMSSM
comments : 0
A number of vascular changes occur in the body during activity. In general, these changes are beneficial, the blood vessels dilating and constricting in order to shunt blood where our bodies need it.
 
date : September 3, 2005
author : Jen Doyle
comments : 0
Often athletes forget the fitness basics such as warm up and cool down. We know they are important, but we want to get into the meat of our workout without wasting time.