To give blood or not to give blood...

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AlbertSchwartz
AlbertSchwartz Posts: 810
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi Guys, I've got a new one for you...

To give blood or not to give blood...

I have indevered to give blood since i was old enough and providing i'm not ill at the time i have given every six months, (normal practice here in the UK). Now that i am turning into a fitness freak, i'm pushing myself harder and harder in the gym. Now if giving a pint of blood and calling that day a rest day was enough, i'd be happy, but i have a feeling that my abilities will be knocked back for a good while.

So how long do you recon and 'Athlete' such as myself lol, will take to be fully fit? or am i just over looking the bigger picture and should quit whining and give blood?

I did consider missing my next donation to maximise my work out, then the next time it comes around, i'll be that much closer to my goal and less effected by the loss of blood.

Your views peeps :smile:

Cheers

Al
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Replies

  • AlbertSchwartz
    AlbertSchwartz Posts: 810
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    Hi Guys, I've got a new one for you...

    To give blood or not to give blood...

    I have indevered to give blood since i was old enough and providing i'm not ill at the time i have given every six months, (normal practice here in the UK). Now that i am turning into a fitness freak, i'm pushing myself harder and harder in the gym. Now if giving a pint of blood and calling that day a rest day was enough, i'd be happy, but i have a feeling that my abilities will be knocked back for a good while.

    So how long do you recon and 'Athlete' such as myself lol, will take to be fully fit? or am i just over looking the bigger picture and should quit whining and give blood?

    I did consider missing my next donation to maximise my work out, then the next time it comes around, i'll be that much closer to my goal and less effected by the loss of blood.

    Your views peeps :smile:

    Cheers

    Al
  • dgweisblatt
    dgweisblatt Posts: 52
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    First of all, even athletes such as yourself need to take at least one day of rest per week.

    Secondly, as someone who runs three blood drives per year in my town (in addition to my full-time job (not a health-care professional) and other activities), giving blood is a wonderful way to save up to 4 lives! (The parts of the blood in each pint can be separated and used for up to 4 people.)

    So, use your "day off" and give the Gift of Life!

    BTW, in the country where I live, they recommend that you not exercise for 8 hours after donation. If you MUST exercise, do it early in the day and then you'll have plenty of time to recover AND to fit in your workout. But be careful and listen to your body.

    Keep up the good work (both in blood donations and in exercising!
  • AlbertSchwartz
    AlbertSchwartz Posts: 810
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    Yeah, I should be less selfish lol. 8 hours after isn't too bad.
  • xmimikinsx
    xmimikinsx Posts: 191
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    Hi
    I give blood regularly. When you give blood they tell you to rest for like the rest of the evening or rest of the day. And when they say rest they mean don't go to the gym, but it really isn't going to put your fitness regime back more than a day. So I wouldn't worry, if they were taking so much blood it inhibited you for a long period of time I think they might need to revise how much blood they take!
  • xmimikinsx
    xmimikinsx Posts: 191
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    Hi
    I give blood regularly. When you give blood they tell you to rest for like the rest of the evening or rest of the day. And when they say rest they mean don't go to the gym, but it really isn't going to put your fitness regime back more than a day. So I wouldn't worry, if they were taking so much blood it inhibited you for a long period of time I think they might need to revise how much blood they take!
  • xmimikinsx
    xmimikinsx Posts: 191
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    Hi
    I give blood regularly. When you give blood they tell you to rest for like the rest of the evening or rest of the day. And when they say rest they mean don't go to the gym, but it really isn't going to put your fitness regime back more than a day. So I wouldn't worry, if they were taking so much blood it inhibited you for a long period of time I think they might need to revise how much blood they take!
  • xmimikinsx
    xmimikinsx Posts: 191
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    Hi
    I give blood regularly. When you give blood they tell you to rest for like the rest of the evening or rest of the day. And when they say rest they mean don't go to the gym, but it really isn't going to put your fitness regime back more than a day. So I wouldn't worry, if they were taking so much blood it inhibited you for a long period of time I think they might need to revise how much blood they take!
  • dgweisblatt
    dgweisblatt Posts: 52
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    Of course, you could exercise and then rest a bit * and THEN go give blood at the end of the day. You'll have the evening to recover and then you're good-to-go the next day!

    * They don't let people donate when they come in straight from exercising. So have your workout, take a shower and eat something, and THEN go donate!
  • AlbertSchwartz
    AlbertSchwartz Posts: 810
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    Thats impressive posting lol, i hear what you are saying, but lets look at the maths.

    A rule of thumb is the body has 1 pint of blood for every stone. Therefore my 20 stone stature, has 20 pints of blood, now if i take away a pint, (i know its not a pint take but for this perpose).

    It leaves me with 19 pints, thats a loss of 5%.

    Now assuming the only effect of giving blood is that the heart has to pump faster, then based on this if i usually work out and have a heart rate of 175 then doing the same work, i should have a rate of about 184.

    Does any of this seem logical? lol
  • AlbertSchwartz
    AlbertSchwartz Posts: 810
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    I won't have time to excersie in the morning so i'll just donate after work and take the evening off, then see how my performace is effected the following evening. I'm not going to stop giving blood just wondering its effects and how long it takes to recover. I know that the lost blood is replaced with fluid with in a short time putting the blood pressure back to the bodies norm.
  • AlbertSchwartz
    AlbertSchwartz Posts: 810
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    ohhh, i just found this at "http://faculty.deanza.edu/donahuemary/BlooddonationFAQs"
    Can athletes donate blood?

    Part of winning is feeling that you are the best, and donating blood can give you a big personal lift, just from knowing you helped save up to three or four lives.

    But maybe you shouldn't donate just before a big game. An article from THE PHYSICIAN AND SPORTSMEDICINE said, in part:

    "After donating 450 mL (1 U) of whole blood, plasma volume falls 7% to 13%, then recovers within 24 to 48 hours...Marvin Adner, MD, a hematologist and internist in Framingham, Massachusetts, and medical director of the Boston Marathon, says that blood donation should not be a concern for active people who are not world-class athletes--as long as they are not iron deficient...Donald M. Christie, Jr, MD, an internist and sports physician in Lewiston, Maine, says hydration is the best recovery strategy. Donors need to drink not only what is offered afterward at the blood donation center, they need to aggressively hydrate over the remainder of the day, says Christie, who is an editorial board member of The Physician and Sportsmedicine. "Noting the color of the urine is a good way to gauge hydration status," he says.

    He advises endurance athletes to think of the blood donation day as a rest day, and to tread cautiously the next day because hydration stores may not be replenished and delayed vasovagal effects may occur. Christie says though the performance decrement would be slight in an endurance athlete, blood donation should have virtually no effect on strength or short-burst activities."
  • arubabound
    arubabound Posts: 51
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    I have a question...is it true that if you've had mono, are anemic that you shouldn't give blood? Is blood ever rejected? Just wondering.....I've always given blood....and just recently...a co-worker told me that once you've had mono you can't give blood...is that true? Do blood banks throw out "bad" blood....or just donate it to thirsty vampires?
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
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    That isn't true. Blood is screened extensively but mono can hang around in the blood for a while and the CDC says that you should wait 6 months after onset and treatment of mono to give blood. Donating while anemic can be dangerous to you, but I've never heard anything about it being dangerous to others. if your blood is anemic they will reject it though. They would let you know if you have something wrong though, I asked the red cross last time they came to my office to donate, they told me that they let you know.
  • ligytha
    ligytha Posts: 130
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    A pint of blood is about a pound. Easy weight loss :P

    Of course, you'll gain it back. Your body is very good at making new blood and turns it over regularly.
  • AlbertSchwartz
    AlbertSchwartz Posts: 810
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    you can give blood after mononucleoisis (mono) infection has passed, as long as you did not have hepatitis with the mononucleoisis.

    It is advised that if you are anemic you shouldn't give blood, but thats more to do with it being more stressful on a body that is anemic to have a pint of blood taken.

    Blood is rejected, if any of the tests carried out find a problem. Thats why if your ill and you give blood it will be rejected and your'll be that much worse as your body was suffering with an illness and now also has to deal with the blood loss.

    Al

    I've also found out that the body completely renews its blood every 4 months.
  • AlbertSchwartz
    AlbertSchwartz Posts: 810
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    A pint of blood is about a pound. Easy weight loss :P

    lol :laugh: if only i had 70 odd pints of blood, i'd hit my target weight lol
  • dachinababe
    dachinababe Posts: 185
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    i have been giving blood for almost two years now.. It's odd that I feel extremely recharged after I give blood. Giving blood never stopped me playing sports. like the last time I donated blood two hours before my basketball game, which is also the day before my surgery ( not very smart thing to do in this case). I dont feel the discomfort some people experience.. plus knowing that I am saving someone else's life makes me feel wonderful....
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
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    I started giving blood when I was in high school, I did it about twice a year for 3 years. The last time I did it I had a REALLY bad reaction to it and passed out just as they finished. I havnn't been back since as I found the experience VERY scary. They told me I may not have eaten or drank enough that day, but it was as regular for me as any other day. Giving blood is a very generous gift but it is NOT for everyone. I recommend that you take someone with you, EVERYTIME you give blood. I had gone by myself that day and had to sit there for 2 hours upset and alone until I felt up to the task of driving myself home!
    You will absolutely need a day of rest after giving, I was always EXHAUSTED afterwards.
  • AlbertSchwartz
    AlbertSchwartz Posts: 810
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    hmm, sound advice, my experience with giving blood has been fine to date, i could walk out and drive home straight after but they insist on making you sit on a bed for 10 - 15 minutes. I think its all to do with percentages, as i said earlyer a pint to me is only 5% of my blood volume but to a 10 stone person, its 10% of their blood...

    Have you ever had a time wherethe doctor had adived you to take iron supplements or anything like that? Just a thought

    Al
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
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    Nope not at all, in fact they test your iron here immeadiately before they allow you to give blood (here anyway, I live in Canada), and my iron that day was bang on! After it happened, and like I said, I had given 5 or 6 times with NO problems, thats why I went myself that day, I actually looked into it and apparently it happens A LOT, and if it happens twice in a row they won't take blood from you anymore, even if you still want to.... Because apparently it can be quite damaging for some people. Contrary to the saying, blood is NOT in you to give, it's in you to LIVE.... I'm not knocking giving blood, my mom and I have both needed transfusions during our lives and I think it is a wonderful thing, but it can potentially be pretty harmful to the giver, so I do now have a beware type additude........

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