Donating Blood

[Nickster]

How many hubbers are donating blood?

 

I've donated blood many times but since riding, the two times I have donated blood, I feel like I can't ride for a week or two and after that it feels like i'm starting completely from scratch fitness wise.

 

I want to give blood but getting such a knock fitness wise is rough

[Wannabe]

Exactly the same.

I do not donate shortly after a race / hard ride, or the week before a race / planned hard ride.

I try and take it slow for at least a week after donating before I start feeling 100% again.

[Tiny K]

I have been told that the body can take up to 72hrs to replace the oxygen taken out through donating. I skydive too, and there is the question about that, which is why I now know.

[Sepia]

196 donations.

Have not felt any different after donating be it a rugby match, cycle but did get pissed rather easily in the pub afterwards! Used to skydive but did not jump with a lack of blood so don't know about that side.

But certainly, such a small diff to me.

[Vetseun]

Donate Blood -- Play Rugby

[Weppie]

My 2c worth...

 

Due to the loss of the volume of red blood cells, the cells that transport oxygen in the body, you might take a reasonable slump in performance.

Hence the reason that they usually say you can only donate every so often.

 

Not even to mention the additional effort the body takes to replace all the "lost" blood components...

[Surv0MTB]

bigger guys/gals wont feel it as much, small guys/gals will feel it quite a bit. You should be able to know your limitations after donating.

[LongDonkey]

I felt a big difference after donating blood. Expectations on doing a climb that was easie a few weeks back. Had to slow down noticeably. But that was just me then.

[TopFuel]

Depends on the size of the person. A bigger chap wont notice the lack of ~500ml worth of red cells lost in the donation. Body replaces the fluid in 24 hours, but replacing the red cells takes time (3-4 weeks). The effects that you are feeling is due to 'anti-doping' -> lower haematocrit and oxygen carrying capacity.

 

Please, please, please donate blood. It is very scarce and is life-saving. It is, in my opinion, one of the most noble things that a person can do, each donation saves/improves +- 3 lives.

[milky4130]

Stopped donating after I started cycling more seriously, i.e. more hours & more serious intensities. It all started when I mistakenly blurted out that I did the Argus cycle tour the Sunday past & that was the Wednesday the mobile clinic came around to our offices. Haven't donated for months now.

[Goodbadugly]

Consider this:

If Mr Armstrong et al did some blood doping too be faster, the exact opposite will be true for donating.

[Oxter]

Personally i dont feel that big a difference, but i am not the fastest guy either. Its still a minor inconvenience if you look at the bigger picture, lives you are saving. I am O- and really feel i have a "duty" to donate as often as possible.

[Pulse]

Like Topfuel said: volume about 24hrs, if that, but RBCs will take up to about 4 weeks.

If will negatively affect performance and training (for some this will only be apparent at higher intensities).

 

If you don't want to donate whole blood, at least think about donating platelets, plasma, etc.

[Goodbadugly]

I have been told that the body can take up to 72hrs to replace the oxygen taken out through donating. I skydive too, and there is the question about that, which is why I now know.

Not true.

The body has very little capacity to store oxygen. Each gram of haemoglobin carries 1.34ml of oyygen.

An adult has 70ml of blood/kg body mass. Thus +-5 litres of blood

So if your haemoglomin level is 16g/dl, you have 160g of haemoglobin/litre.

1.34x160x5=1072ml. IF the haemoglobin is 100% saturated.

Very little oxygen is carried(dissolved) in the plasma.

At rest the tissue uses about 250ml of oxygen/minute.

So if you stop breathing for 4 minutes you are(were) in trouble.

 

The 500ml of donated blood has 80 grams of haemoglobin. Thus a carrying capacity of 100 ml of oxygen.

So you loose 10% of your potential oxygen storing capacity.

[Pulse]

Jip!

[paul_ct]

Depends on the size of the person. A bigger chap wont notice the lack of ~500ml worth of red cells lost in the donation. Body replaces the fluid in 24 hours, but replacing the red cells takes time (3-4 weeks). The effects that you are feeling is due to 'anti-doping' -> lower haematocrit and oxygen carrying capacity.

 

Please, please, please donate blood. It is very scarce and is life-saving. It is, in my opinion, one of the most noble things that a person can do, each donation saves/improves +- 3 lives.

Interesting. That explains feeling flat for quite a while afterwards. I think I'll try make sure I donate on a Monday to give as much time before the weekend as possible.