Donating blood

[ny biker]

I've never done this, but I think I would like to.

How does it affect your ability to exercise -- short bike ride or other cardio, weight training, long bike ride -- and for how long?

Thanks

[jessmarimba]

I can't speak for exercise, because I haven't tried, but I passed out after standing up too quickly about 2 hours after I donated the first time. I haven't donated recently because I rarely meet the requirements (surgery, receiving cadaver bone, etc).

[TsPoet]

I really think it depends so much on the individual. I can go do anything right after and I'm fine (after a glass of tomato juice), others feel down all day.
I can't donate anymore*, so I've volunteered to herd the cats - er donators. I'd say only about 5% have serious faint-like symptoms. Another 10% or more are like me and unfazed.
The rest are in the middle, feel a little light headed or hungry...
I even used to ride my bike over from my office about a mile, then ride home from work about 5 hr later with no effects.
This could be completely wrong, and maybe not PC - but folks (like me) who are over weight seemed to be the ones that were bothered the least.
I highly recommend a big glass of water an hour before donating, and patients...

*my blood vessels run right on top of my nerves, so a metal needle is excruciating- not an issue for blood samples, but won't work for sitting and donating over several minutes. Odd, apparently, but not unheard of.

[lph]

I'm a huge fan of donating anything one can, I think it's really the closest you get to a true miracle. I wasn't allowed to donate blood for many years because of the extremely strict guidelines here (I'd spent just over a year in Africa as a child, fancy that). When they loosened up the guidelines a few years ago I signed up, and have now donated blood maybe 8 times or so.

I feel fine afterwards, but I have low blood pressure and wooze easily so I drink before, during and after. I'm fine with gentle activity the same day and the next days, but nothing strenuous, and that can last for more than a week unfortunately. In February I went for a long, but not fast, xc ski trip 4 days after donating. I felt exhausted, got a terrible cold that turned into bronchitis and didn't kick it until 3 weeks later. I might have gotten ill anyway, of course, but I think I was pushing it a little. I'm more careful now and try to time donating to periods when I can take it easy for a week or so, avoiding energetic exercise. Relaxed bike riding and low key weight training, no problem.

I know other people who say they have no reaction at all, so you just have to try. It's great otherwise

[Cynedra]

I've done this numerous times and usually have no problem whatsoever. Usually though because if I don't time it properly with AF, then sometimes the combo will make me very tired. Definitely try it but be prepared for a lackluster feeling - better safe than sorry.

[lovelygamer]

It's a great practice, one I have done for years. I wouldn't advise strenuous activity on the day of your draw. Be prepared for giving by boosting your iron if you can. There are foods you can eat leading up to a draw. Women often have trouble meeting the minimum level required-I do. One or two times my iron levels have left me fairly lackluster after a draw.

However, I generally feel fine afterwards when I give and usually go back to activities the next day. I do agree with the other poster, that if anyone is not going to feel fine it's probably a thin/smaller person with less sturdy constitution.

[shootingstar]

I've only given blood once in my life.

I consider myself having a sturdy constitution --seldom have colds, only 1-2 plant allergies (cottonwood tree blooms), etc.

But I am small/lighter in weight and occasionally have been slightly anemic. My blood pressure tends to be low.

[Norse]

I am a life-long regular donor. I have learned that I need to donate early in the week as I generally take my longer rides on weekends. I once got terribly sick on a hot ride 2 days after donating and realized that, with the heat and distance of the ride, my body needed all the red blood cells it could get and it was still down several. I tend to get winded a little more easily for about 1-2 days after donating. Your mileage may vary. It's a great thing to do!

[Grits]

I have to take it easy the rest of the day and next day. I'm usually fine 2 days after.

If I don't drink LOTS of fluids starting the day before donating, they are often unable to get the full pint in the allowed time. I have low blood pressure, so maybe that is why.

[Tri Girl]

I donate every 8 weeks. I usually donate on a Monday so I can be recovered enough by the weekend for my long workouts. I don't workout for about 2-3 days afterward because I'm so worn out and my workouts are crap for a few days.
I tend to have trouble with dizziness after donating, so I put ice packs on the front and back of my neck during the blood-letting and drink a Gatorade during and I'm fine afterward.
It will affect everyone differently. You won't know until you try!

I feel like it's my duty to donate because I'm healthy and able, and hopefully, if I should ever need blood, there will be enough healthy and able people who were just as willing to give to save my life.

[skhill]

When I was heavier (and sedentary) I was a regular donor. Never had a problem at all. Now, however, I'm down to once a year, right around New Years day. I've found that it takes at least a week to get my usual stamina/energy levels back, now that I'm lean and fit. Probably doesn't help that my blood pressure and pulse are barely high enough to qualify...

Have you consider plasma donation as an alternative? Keeping your RBCs and giving the other stuff alleviates a lot of issues, from what I hear. (With my blood type, the donor center insists on whole blood only from me).

[Antaresia]

I've never done this, but I think I would like to.

How does it affect your ability to exercise -- short bike ride or other cardio, weight training, long bike ride -- and for how long?

Thanks

Haha, I bike home from the donor clinic (I usually walk the first half though, to make sure I'm not going to pass out). I weigh about 150. Last few times I've donated, I've had bad reactions - light headed, kind of feel like throwing up, ugh, it kind of sucks but I'm determined to stick it out and keep doing this. I've also had problems passing the finger-prick test - iron levels I think? My body has made it clear that it's better for me to wait a few weeks over the minimum before donating again, which they say is common for women.

Drink a lot of water before you go, the day before as well as day-of. Take it easy for a few days after, you can still do things but listen to your body and stop if you need to. Just don't make plans that might get you stuck in the middle of nowhere, and you'll be fine.

The reason I started donating again was I read a book called "Blood: the epic history of medicine and commerce". It's really good and it's still my favorite non-fiction book after all these years.

[badger]

so did you end up donating blood?

I donated a few times before I had a really bad experience (feeling faint, nauseous, hot, sweaty) nearing the end of the donation so I stopped donating after that.

But my dad ended up getting leukemia and required a lot of blood transfusions, so when the blood mobile came to work, I signed up. The nurse was WONDERFUL, stayed by my side the whole time, talked me through it all distracting me, gave me warm water filled glove to massage with my hand, etc. I had none of the previous problems.

I've donated twice since, both when the blood mobile comes to work. I haven't had any problems and I do wish I can donate more but might as well do it while getting paid! I'm interested in donating plasma as I'm AB+ and we're universal plasma donors (total opposite for whole blood).

Anyways, in terms of exercise, I remember going swimming the day after the first time I donated. I sure felt it, I had very little zip and had a pretty tough workout.

Like others have said, drinking water about an hour before donating really helps.

[jobob]

LeeBob and I are donating blood tomorrow. We donate pretty regularly at the Stanford Blood Center (the Hillview site which is off-campus), and we schedule our donations for late morning, so we have a good excuse to take ourselves out to lunch afterwards.

I try to schedule for early in the week, usually Monday, so that any effects from donating are pretty much over by the weekend. That said, I usually don't have problems with donating ... heh, but now that I said this, watch tomorrow be an exception.

Once in a while I'll be rejected for low iron. This doesn't necessarily mean that I'm anemic, since the minimum iron level needed to donate whole blood is a bit above the "normal" threshhold. Nowadays I take iron supplements a week or two ahead of time.

I'm not biking a heck of a lot nowadays, or doing anything particularly athletic*, so I can't comment on how it affects a training program. I'll probably just take it easy for a day or so.

*Although I'm getting a lot of exercise today running back & forth to the bathroom, since like the rest of you I've found being well hydrated helps a lot.

I feel like it's my duty to donate because I'm healthy and able, and hopefully, if I should ever need blood, there will be enough healthy and able people who were just as willing to give to save my life.

Yep!

[jobob]

If you're like me & tend to just barely pass the iron test, I've learned something the past few times I've donated:

Make sure your hands are warm when they poke your finger for the iron test!

The last two times I donated, including yesterday, my hands were a bit chilly, and the first time I was tested my Hb level was under the requisite 12.5 (yesterday it was initally 12.1, the last time I donated it was initally 11.9).

In both instances, I warmed my hands up a bit and was re-tested a few minutes later. And both times, my re-tested Hb level came out to 12.9, good to go.

I'm told this has something to do with one's circulation, and that if you don't have good circulation in your hands, more plasma is introduced into the blood sample, diluting it a bit resulting an anomalously low Hb level. Maybe those of you in the medical field can comment more coherently on this.

While he was in the waiting area (I was called in before he was, neener), LeeBob was talking to a woman who was holding a paper cup containing warm water. She has the same issue with cold hands, so she routinely holds a warm cup of water while waiting for her Hb test.

So from now on I'll try to remember to bring a cup of hot herbal tea to enjoy while waiting to be called for the test.