What are the recommendations for giving blood for endurance athletes in general for in season and off season?
I was told by the red cross that even endurance athletes should be able to train 100% within a two days of giving blood. But then I read somewhere else (i don’t remember where) that endurance athletes should not give blood during training or wait 6 weeks until training full bore again.
These two scenarios are obviously very different.
SO…i was wondering if anyone knows. I used to give blood before i got into tris, but i’m a bit worried about it now since i’m trying to maintain a base level of fitness before starting training for my first IM (IM-CDA) in january.
I will also agree with SAC, they call and I give every two months, they love my O+ CMV- blood. At best I have felt 90-95% at a week to 10 days. At the worst I have gone out for an easy ride in the 2-3 day range and quit after about 5 minutes, max heartrate, felt ready to pass out.
Definitely give blood, just plan it into a low intensity or rest period of you training. I was due this week, but I scheduled for next week after Soma.
More often than not I am good to go at whatever intensity I want in the 10-14 day range. If your focused training is not starting until January I do not see that you will notice a thing by then.
O+ CMV- here too. The Red Cross is always calling for donations. I plan on giving next week and then probably not again until after IM Arizona. It usually takes 10 -14 days before I am really feeling up to speed again after donating.
They would love my B- blood here too, but because I have traveled extensively outside the US in the last 10 years and lived in Europe before I moved here, I am not eligible to donate blood here. They said something about the threat of Mad Cow disease. Hmmmm???
I am not eligible to vote either, but at least I am eligible to pay taxes.
Less than two weeks after a tough IMLP, I gave blood. It destroyed me. I couldn’t do any training at all for like two weeks. After that nothing serious for a while. It has never been that bad. Make sure you are recovered after, and do not give two months prior, is my opinion.
2 days doesn’t work and I know from experience. I believed them when they told me two days and did a half-ironman three days later. Only time I ever dnf’d. I got off the bike and couldn’t see straight. Literally. It was the worst I’ve ever felt in a race.
Don’t forget about apheresis (blood separation). This allows you to keep the RBC’s and donate platelets and/or plasma. Look up your local blood center and ask them about it. Much more efficient (on donor can provide one unit of transfuable platelets versus whole blood you will need up to six donors).
NOTE: for apheresis you need to be at least 150lbs. I tried to do this a couple weeks ago and got turned down. ended up doing it the old fashioned way and then passed out. but I rode to work the next day all right. no racing though.
Ha. Even with training for an IM, i’m still a smidge over 2 bills, so this and screaming downhill are the only advantages i have for being heavier than your average triathlete.
I just gave at the blood centers of the pacific and they did this thing called ‘alyx’, which seemed like an OK thing at the time…However I now find out that it is a form of apheresis that takes only red blood cells. It took twice as many red blood cells as normal. Good for them…maybe not so hot for me. If i pass out at my next workout, i’ll let y’all know.
