Donating plasma/blood

KatieM7

My husband donates plasma. Does anyone know how you figure that in so that he is taking in enough calories to sustain this?

questionablemethods

I think I've heard that donating plasma is going to require a lot fewer calories to regenerate than whole blood. I'm guessing fluids are the most important thing and, maybe, another 100 calories or so on donation days? This is just my best guess, maybe someone knows better. I used to give plasma and found that I needed a lot less fuel than when I donate whole blood. My friend was told that donating whole blood is like burning 500 calories.

KatieM7

Thank you! We have wondered this for a while but never had a place to ask the question. On the days that he goes to donate he has a very hard time if he doesn't eat right away. So he has started to take stuff with him so that he doesn't feel like crap after wards. We just weren't sure how much if any he needed to bump calories so that he isn't weak from it.

questionablemethods

Thank you! We have wondered this for a while but never had a place to ask the question. On the days that he goes to donate he has a very hard time if he doesn't eat right away. So he has started to take stuff with him so that he doesn't feel like crap after wards. We just weren't sure how much if any he needed to bump calories so that he isn't weak from it.

You'll probably have to play around with it, but maybe ask one of the phlebotomists at the donation places about what they would recommend. The biggest thing for me was definitely making sure I had been eating well all day long and had gotten a lot of water in.

themethod

I do apheresis donations as well and my best advice is to attempt to get the donation appointment in the morning, and to eat a very large breakfast. That way, if it's in the morning, I still have the rest of my day to work out calories, whereas if I were to donate in the late afternoon or evening, I only have a small window of time in which to consume more food and I may already have eaten too much during the day.

I bring my own food for after the donation because I found that their sugary juices and packaged granola bars are not helpful to me. I will bring citrus fruit, lots of water, quinoa flakes, low fat string cheese, peanut butter... something along those lines. Make sure he's getting lots of iron and calcium in the few days beforehand. I eat maybe 100 calories more than I normally would on the day of donation, if that. The calories burned from donations are spaced out over the time it takes your body to replenish whatever component is donated, so it's not like you get the full 500 calories (or whatever the amount is) burned off in one day.

I go in tomorrow for platelet donation. Yay! Please tell him I said thanks for donating!

KatieM7

Thank you for the info! I am sure that this will help him.

pettmybunny

When I used to donate, I would eat on the way there. If I didn't, I'd feel like I was going to pass out afterwards. It didn't have to be a huge meal, even a protein shake on the way helped me out.

BettyBoopoo

Hey ya!

My Plasma bank takes 3 different amounts of plasma based on how much you weigh. You will have to ask your bank to see if their amounts are the same but here is the numbers for BioMetic

If you weight 110 lbs - 149 lbs
690 ml of Plasma: 483.69 calories
Protein 49.51 g
Carbohydrates 63.65 g
Fat 3.45 g

150 lbs -175 lbs
825ml Plasma: 578.33 calories
Protein 59.19 g
Carbohydrates 76.11 g
Fat 4.13 g

176 lbs - above
880ml Plasma: 616.88 calories
Protein 63.14 g
Carbohydrates 81.18 g
Fat 4.40 g

The site below has the % information you need you need to calculate a different amount
http://www.maynardlifeoutdoors.com/2010/09/calories-in-human-blood_15.html?m=1

sabrinasavinski

Are you sure this is just the plasma and not total blood donation? Where did you get the plasma carbs from?