donating blood

I can't address your SPECIFIC question, but I CAN say that I donated blood for the first time in years about 4 months ago. It was just 2 weeks before my first race of the season. I felt sluggish, tired and headachy for about 4 weeks after I donated, and I felt rather crappy for my race as well.

I was later informed it takes 8 weeks to fully replenish the pint of blood donated! I had such a miserable experience, I will not be donating blood again during training or race season. The majority of my donations now will come in the winter months, and during the off season. (Blood drive set up here, in fact, for next week!)

Filling up my blood donation bag was a long process also, but I don't have anything to compare it to. And I know I didn't answer your inquiry, but I've been meaning to comment on donating blood and training, and seeing if others have had any similar experiences. 

LW

Remember, I am a Navy guy, not a doctor, but I think the sluggishness has something to do with an iron defecit.  I know a marathoner who continues to donate blood but had to take iron supplements before continuing his marathon training!  Of course, get some blood tests done to make sure you need the supplements before taking them!!!

Any doctors in the house???

Yes, I avoid donating between May and September for sure, for all the reasons discussed above.  There is a cut off weight/height ratio - I am 5'6'' and 115 lbs, and was boarderline. They do have hr, bp, temp guidlines as well.

I guess I'm still wondering though about the relationship between fitness and donations - the more fit you are the lower the hr and bp generally, and she had to take my temp twice to make the 35. 8 C line - all of this is new since the tri training, hence the question.

This came up last year . . . check out this thread

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=1677&posts=9

I've been donating platelets, you know where they take out the blood, separate the platelets and then give you back the rest of it with some kind of 'solution'.  Doing this, you can donate every week if you want to, definitely every couple of weeks.  The solution they give you, though, can make you a little prone to cramping.  It kind of makes me grumpy for about a week - not sure why.

I think if you are deathly serious about your training, you probably don't want to give blood during race season, especially within a month of any 'A' races. 

As to why you 'bleed slower' - no clue here, but the same thing has happened to me.  Before I started tri-ing, I could pump out a bag in 8 minutes.  Now, it takes about twice as long when I do whole blood.  The platelets donations take me forever because I have trouble keeping up the 'draw' pressure.

Thanks for all the comments and links - I am rather facinated by biophysics and all the changes associated with training. 

Intriguing how many of us report slower bleeding times than in pre-training days, yet even after googling it, all I can find is information regarding how blood donations impact training and not vice versa .... hummm - research grants anyone???