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Blood Donation Recovery Times?

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  • 02-02-2009 12:28pm
    #1
    emerald007
    Registered Users Posts: 667 ✭✭✭


    So i was thinking of donating blood, http://www.giveblood.ie/ but what other considerations should a person training/racing take when they consider donating. I'm basically looking for advise/people experiences on the recovery times that they give themselves, so i can factor the recovery times into my training/race schedule.

    a - How long after a hard race/session should you wait before you give blood? I'm assuming the body should be fully recovered before you donate, since it will have to start regenerating the blood again, or can you race - give blood and just take the double hit?

    b - How long do you give your body to regenerate the blood before you start doing a light jogs/training session? Would a light jog be possible that evening?

    c - When would it be advisable to plan your next hard race?

    Thanks


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    #2
    plodder
    Registered Users Posts: 7,133 ✭✭✭plodder


    There was a discussion on this a few months ago.


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    #3
    Hard Worker
    Registered Users Posts: 1,170 ✭✭✭Hard Worker


    I used to coach a National Marathon Champion who donated blood every three months. He never missed a days training. It would be advisable to take a couple of easy days after donating. Be mindful that everyone is different. If you have a very good diet you should be O.K.
    I recommend not to race for 2 weeks after donating, otherwise, you may not be at your best.
    Some of my pals used to drink a few pints of guinness to "build up their haemoglobin levels" although they may have been winding me up.:)


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    #4
    earlyevening
    Registered Users Posts: 1,330 ✭✭✭earlyevening


    I gave blood last Wednesday. That night I was well off the pace on my 5 miler, improved a bit the following day and was fine for a race on Sunday.

    I probably shouldn't have gone running 2 hours after donating but that damned 1000 mile challenge....


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    #5
    plodder
    Registered Users Posts: 7,133 ✭✭✭plodder


    Hard Worker wrote: »
    Some of my pals used to drink a few pints of guinness to "build up their haemoglobin levels" although they may have been winding me up.:)
    I haven't donated since my college days in the 80's (to my shame :o), but I remember they used to give you a free glass of Guinness after donating. I don't know if they still do it though.


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    #6
    swimforever
    Registered Users Posts: 131 ✭✭swimforever


    emerald007 wrote: »
    a - How long after a hard race/session should you wait before you give blood? I'm assuming the body should be fully recovered before you donate, since it will have to start regenerating the blood again, or can you race - give blood and just take the double hit?

    I've never waited before giving blood. When you get there they'll check your iron level and if it's too low they won't take blood from you. I don't even attempt to guess if mine is going to be ok or not-sometimes I go there feeling tired and they tell me that it's higher than it's been in ages! Maybe someone else on here has a better idea of how much a training session affects blood iron levels, if at all.
    emerald007 wrote: »
    b - How long do you give your body to regenerate the blood before you start doing a light jogs/training session? Would a light jog be possible that evening?

    Most of the blood that you give is regenerated within 24 hours. I think the platelets, plasma and white blood cells are all regenerated within that time, but it takes 4-6 weeks for the red blood cells to be replaced.

    That's why they say to leave it 24 hours before doing anything strenuous after giving blood. I once gave it in the morning and went to a kickboxing training session that evening-not a great idea, I got dizzy and had to leave. The one thing though is that the session that I did would have been a tough one, and everyone is different-you could try a light jog and see what you're able for, if you start getting dizzy that's a good time to stop!
    emerald007 wrote: »
    c - When would it be advisable to plan your next hard race?

    I can't give any advice on this tbh, I know that I've always been totally fine the day after giving blood to do all my normal exercise, but I've never done anything competitive soon after.

    Good on you for considering donating!


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    #7
    swimforever
    Registered Users Posts: 131 ✭✭swimforever


    plodder wrote: »
    I haven't donated since my college days in the 80's (to my shame :o), but I remember they used to give you a free glass of Guinness after donating. I don't know if they still do it though.

    Unfortunately not I don't think-since most people were driving home afterwards I think they figured that it wasn't the best idea with drink driving laws and all that!


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    #8
    hunnymonster
    Registered Users Posts: 5,365 ✭✭✭hunnymonster


    swimforever wrote: »
    I Maybe someone else on here has a better idea of how much a training session affects blood iron levels, if at all.
    It depends on the type of training, diet and person involved. it took me a long time to be convinced (as it seemed so crazy) but the pounding action of running actually physically unbinds the iron from the haemoglobin so reducing the useful iron in your blood. As a chemist, I found it very difficult to accept mechanical forces were strong enough to overcome the ligand binding but it seems to be so. Swimming on the otherhand should have little to no effect because you're not pounding away.


    swimforever wrote: »
    Most of the blood that you give is regenerated within 24 hours. I think the platelets, plasma and white blood cells are all regenerated within that time, but it takes 4-6 weeks for the red blood cells to be replaced.
    Generally speaking, after donating a unit of blood, the body replaces
    the fluid and white cells within 24 hours, and platelets and plasma
    proteins within 48-72 hours. The red blood cells are completely
    replaced in 4-6 weeks.

    That's all very well for the science, but my personal experiences are:
    1. fine to exercise same day (for me) but only low intensity.
    2. effects still felt for up to a month. It constantly surprises me,
    but I can feel the effects up to a month after donating if I try to
    race or train hard.


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    #9
    jeffontour
    Registered Users Posts: 930 ✭✭✭jeffontour


    When in Trinity before crimbo for performance testing I asked the guys and their response was it may be a very altruistic act but if you care about your performance don't.

    My main goals are ultra distance running events so bear that in mind though as the context the advice was given in.


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    #10
    Slogger Jogger
    Registered Users Posts: 5,441 ✭✭✭Slogger Jogger


    I donated platelets in recent weeks without any rest day. It had no effect on me and the platelet count was good. I was half expecting it to be down due to hard training but quite the contrary actually. I donated in the morning and did my scheduled training run without eventuality after work.


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    #11
    UniversalBlack
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6 ✭UniversalBlack


    This might be a bit off topic,
    I donated blood last week and I felt that with all the money the government receives from VRT and VAT on cars and massive tax on booze and smokes-could they not give some sort of tax relief or tax incentives to good blood-giving people like myself, which in turn would encourage MORE people to do the same good thing, and give blood/platelets.
    It would be good for ALL people without being an out-and-out mercenary operation scandal.
    What do ye think?


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    #12
    swimforever
    Registered Users Posts: 131 ✭✭swimforever


    hunnymonster wrote: »
    It depends on the type of training, diet and person involved. it took me a long time to be convinced (as it seemed so crazy) but the pounding action of running actually physically unbinds the iron from the haemoglobin so reducing the useful iron in your blood. As a chemist, I found it very difficult to accept mechanical forces were strong enough to overcome the ligand binding but it seems to be so. Swimming on the otherhand should have little to no effect because you're not pounding away.

    Wow, that's really interesting-I had no idea that impact would have that much of an effect!

    Slogger Jogger wrote: »
    I donated platelets in recent weeks without any rest day. It had no effect on me and the platelet count was good. I was half expecting it to be down due to hard training but quite the contrary actually. I donated in the morning and did my scheduled training run without eventuality after work.

    Giving platelets is different though because they're only taking the platelets and some plasma and replacing the rest of the blood components. I've been giving platelets for the last couple of years now and have talked to the nurses at the clinic about the effects of it on exercise a number of times and they basically have told me that I can do as I normally would that day.

    They have also told me that they have no idea what causes platelet count to be high or low, something which surprised me. Like you, I thought that hard training would deplete them but it doesn't seem to be the case. I donated all through my training programme when I was training for the Cork City Marathon in 2007 and my platelet count didn't fluctuate any more than it normally does.


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