just see thte title. we race 5k and he's a varsity guy. how bad and for how long will it hurt him?
just see thte title. we race 5k and he's a varsity guy. how bad and for how long will it hurt him?
highschoolcross wrote:
just see thte title. we race 5k and he's a varsity guy. how bad and for how long will it hurt him?
Everything I have read says that donating blood will affect you for up to six weeks. Obviously the first couple of weeks will be the worst, but he will still be running slower for a few weeks after that. I am always amazed when a distance runner doesn't know that donating blood will hurt him.
never let anything get in the way of knocking 12 sec off a croos country time, least of all a father in a car accident who needs blood to live.
your teamate is an asshole for letting the team down like that.
red cross wrote:
never let anything get in the way of knocking 12 sec off a croos country time, least of all a father in a car accident who needs blood to live.
your teamate is an asshole for letting the team down like that.
I can't tell if you are being sarcastic or not. I don't think anyone said anything about donating blood for a specific reason, just that he donated. Yes donating blood is a great thing, but unfortunately if you want to be a good runner, you can't do it, especially during the season. Also, the affects of donating blood will be at least a minute for the first couple of weeks, not 12 seconds.
it's all in your head guys
i gave blood as a senior in HS three days before a meet and ran 15:40 (big 20 sec pr) for 5k after that.. Stanford Cross Country invite.
The dude is fine
highschoolcross wrote:
for how long will it hurt him?
Right up to the point when he reinjects it.
I would like to see some of what you have read. Im not so sure the effects will be as vast as that. He should probably not have run the day he gave blood and the day after, but he will be fine. Hes done a good thing, that pint or two could help save some ones life
I gave platelets on a monday this past winter and ran a 5k Snowshoe race on saturday and died...might have been the cold i had too, but I wouldn't donate blood mid-season or at any point during the season. Although, with the results of Katrina, it might be a good idea to donate. Honestly how much does running really matter if you can save some lives?
Platelets only shouldn't be a problem, unless you cut yourself. Red blood cells are the issue, and yes donating will negatively effect performance. The six weeks mentioned above is a commonly accepted estimate. Ran a PR right after donating? Go ahead and round that PR down, because you hurt your performance, like it or not, that's your 02-carrying capacity you gave.
Not that it's a bad thing. Most people getting blood need it a lot more badly than we need PRs. If you do it out-of-season, you'll get it back with nothing lost -- it's not like your hemotocrit can just be raised without limit.
Giving blood is never a good idea for a distance runner. You lower your oxygen carrying capability when you give blood and thus you are not able to deliver as much oxygen to your muscles. The net result is that your running will suffer.
If your friend wants to get back to their old form, the best way is to invest in a liquid iron supplement. I think stores like GNC carry this or you can ask your local pharmacist about where you can get some.
One of my teammates in high school gave blood during outdoor track season and it didn't seem to hurt him at all (maybe 2-3 days with small effects).
A blood transfusion or EPO might also help.