Blood donation and running

tunney · 08-05-2012 2:58pm #1

Continuing on from my last post.

If I donate blood how long until :
a) I can train again
b) I can expect to be back to where I was

Anyone got any experiences of blood donation and training - a hour or so a day type of thing.

Dow99 · 08-05-2012 3:14pm

I think if you eat well before and after you donate plus being well hydrated you shouldn't have a probably, maybe give it a day or two of rest after.
I donated while training before and I definitely didnt feel 100% the next day while training. But that could have totally been in my head.

RayCun · 08-05-2012 3:16pm

You can train again the next day.
I usually feel a little below par for two/three days after donation, but I don't have all your fancy triathlete gear to tell me exactly how much.

There was an interview with a physiologist on Marathon Talk a while back, and he said it took weeks for your iron levels to recover completely. That seems too long to me, but I usually donate platelets so it could be different.

(hmmm, 'feeling below par' is wrong. I feel fine, but I have less energy when I'm running. Like low-level fatigue)

tunney · 08-05-2012 3:19pm

RayCun wrote: »

You can train again the next day.
I usually feel a little below par for two/three days after donation, but I don't have all your fancy triathlete gear to tell me exactly how much. There was an interview with a physiologist on Marathon Talk a while back, and he said it took weeks for your iron levels to recover completely. That seems too long to me, but I usually donate platelets so it could be different.

Thanks, will leave it until after Roth then. Cheers.

Krusty_Clown · 08-05-2012 4:01pm

+1. Fine to run the next day. I wouldn't be scheduling a session, but a recovery run the next day would be fine, and a session would be grand the following day. I selfishly avoid giving blood in the build up to the marathon, as you're never very far from a 13-15 mile run or a hard session. Thanks for the reminder though. Will go back next week.

clear thinking · 08-05-2012 7:50pm

Forgive the Altruism but can this be used/abused as a performance enhancer?

mloc123 · 08-05-2012 7:53pm

I had 10ml taken last week, need a can of coke afterwards.. I'm a wimp tho

tunney · 08-05-2012 7:59pm

clear thinking wrote: »

Forgive the Altruism but can this be used/abused as a performance enhancer?

If you could convince the IBTS to extract the blood, freeze out and infuse it before a race then yes it could be a huge performance gain. However the IBTS #usually# insist that the blood goes to a sick person

clear thinking · 08-05-2012 8:05pm

Yeah i know that idea is that you get 10-15% extra blood that way.

What i'm getting at though is if you train hard on reduced blood will you benefit compared to having done the same training having kept your blood!?

tunney · 08-05-2012 8:16pm

clear thinking wrote: »

Yeah i know that idea is that you get 10-15% extra blood that way.

What i'm getting at though is if you train hard on reduced blood will you benefit compared to having done the same training having kept your blood!?

No.

slowsteady · 08-05-2012 8:37pm

Have debated this issue with myself for the last couple of years.

I have an problem with the iron level check as I am always borderline and have been sent packing a couple of times because it was below par (13.0?). For the last 4 or 5 times since I started running regularly have noticed a distinct tiredness or need for extra effort to complete a session. I think at this stage it is just that I am slow to get the iron level back up so started chucking down the supplements to aid recovery.

If your levels are 15 or so starting out a few days or a week and you would be grand.

Never the same since they took away the bottle of Arthur

Krusty_Clown · 08-05-2012 8:46pm

clear thinking wrote: »

What i'm getting at though is if you train hard on reduced blood will you benefit compared to having done the same training having kept your blood!?

Hmmm. Couldn't you could get the same benefit from training with your shoe laces tied together? Or while dehydrated? Or wearing five extra layers?
If shedding blood were a training aid, the blood banks wouldn't have a shortage.

Macanri · 08-05-2012 9:01pm

Anytime I donate I always have less energy and have a higher HR than normal for any given session, which lasts for up t a week. I also am always borderline on the haemoglobin too though. And like KC will delay giving blood if I have an A race approaching.

earlyevening · 08-05-2012 9:49pm

I give blood twice a yar, never in the lead up to the marathon. Here's a few relevant paragraphs I cut from somewhere else,

When you donate blood, you give up a pint of fluid that represents about 10 percent of your total blood volume. About one-third of that volume is red blood cells and the rest is mostly water. The water is replaced within the day as long as you get plenty of fluids, but the red blood cell mass replacement can take about two months. If you are well trained, you will not notice the drop in hemoglobin level at rest, or even with light to moderate exercise. When you push toward your training or race threshold, the lower red cell mass will become apparent. If you are going for a time or trying to make a Boston qualifier, the loss would probably make a noticeable difference for several weeks. Most people, however, will be reasonably recovered by two weeks and functionally recovered by three to four weeks, if the body has an adequate store and ongoing source of the required ingredients--protein and iron--to replace the lost hemoglobin. For most, eating a balanced diet with protein and iron intake is sufficient. Vegetarians and some female runners may require iron supplementation. This should be discussed with your physician. For the most part, men have adequate iron stores and can be at risk from too much iron supplementation.

I would recommend giving yourself a couple of days off after donating to regain your fluid volume before resuming your training. Wait at least a month before running a serious race, meaning a marathon or fast-paced shorter race. Two months would be safest, especially if you plan to run at an altitude that is higher than where you usually live and train

Peterx · 09-05-2012 8:40am

on the flip side of the iron thing;

Some men have high iron levels and giving blood is a great way to lower it, whilst also helping the sick kiddies obviously.

In terms of the bloodbank stores it would be only fantastic if the rumour got out that training in the weeks after giving blood was akin to altitude training - all that healthy fit weight obsessed blood helping the sick

kilbrook · 09-05-2012 2:07pm

I have haemochromatosis (too much iron in my blood) and at times, give 500ml every week for a period of 6 or 7 weeks. I'm out running the next day - then again I'm a slow runner but I never notice any difference.

tunney · 09-05-2012 2:09pm

earlyevening wrote: »

I give blood twice a yar, never in the lead up to the marathon. Here's a few relevant paragraphs I cut from somewhere else,

When you donate blood, you give up a pint of fluid that represents about 10 percent of your total blood volume. About one-third of that volume is red blood cells and the rest is mostly water. The water is replaced within the day as long as you get plenty of fluids, but the red blood cell mass replacement can take about two months. If you are well trained, you will not notice the drop in hemoglobin level at rest, or even with light to moderate exercise. When you push toward your training or race threshold, the lower red cell mass will become apparent. If you are going for a time or trying to make a Boston qualifier, the loss would probably make a noticeable difference for several weeks. Most people, however, will be reasonably recovered by two weeks and functionally recovered by three to four weeks, if the body has an adequate store and ongoing source of the required ingredients--protein and iron--to replace the lost hemoglobin. For most, eating a balanced diet with protein and iron intake is sufficient. Vegetarians and some female runners may require iron supplementation. This should be discussed with your physician. For the most part, men have adequate iron stores and can be at risk from too much iron supplementation.

I would recommend giving yourself a couple of days off after donating to regain your fluid volume before resuming your training. Wait at least a month before running a serious race, meaning a marathon or fast-paced shorter race. Two months would be safest, especially if you plan to run at an altitude that is higher than where you usually live and train

Cheers, will wait until mid July then!

tunney · 09-05-2012 2:10pm

kilbrook wrote: »

I have haemochromatosis (too much iron in my blood) and at times, give 500ml every week for a period of 6 or 7 weeks. I'm out running the next day - then again I'm a slow runner but I never notice any difference.

Slightly different - you give blood to get your iron down from normal levels. Someone with it at normal levels ends up with less and thereby less oxygen that can be carried.

Jogathon · 09-05-2012 2:24pm

I almost fainted in a short (4mile) race two days after giving blood last year. I run long distances and find 4 miles an easy distance so I couldn't believe how crap I felt. I won't give blood now unless I can take two-three days off or just do some easy running with no pressure.

kilbrook · 09-05-2012 3:00pm

tunney wrote: »

Slightly different - you give blood to get your iron down from normal levels. Someone with it at normal levels ends up with less and thereby less oxygen that can be carried.

I get my iron down to way below normal so that it can eventually climb to normal:D

littlebug · 09-05-2012 10:29pm

I cycled home from donating blood once. Not a good idea.. spent the rest of the day in bed with a spinning head

I was grand and felt "normal" on the bike again the next day as far as I remember but then I wasn't doing anything hard.
I would have thought easy training would be ok again within a few days... but then I also have a tendency toward high haemoglobin so maybe recover quicker. (edited to add.... though initial recovery is quick I also wouldn't recommend competition or hard training for a couple of weeks )

Can't donate anymore due to my misspent youth in NI

Blood donation and running

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