Giving Blood then SCR'ing

Clever Pun

I'm giving blood tonight and am I potentially going to be experiencing a drop in form tomorrow morning?

Do I need to ride the brompton in to avoid embarrassment?

Anyone have any experience of this?

will3

Clever Pun wrote:

I'm giving blood tonight and am I potentially going to be experiencing a drop in form tomorrow morning?

Do I need to ride the brompton in to avoid embarrassment?

Anyone have any experience of this?

If it's your first time -take it easy that night. You'll probably be fine by the morning tho'

Clever Pun

I've given blood before but I can't remember about cycling the next day.. I guess just a good feed and I'll be alright

markshaw77

By the morning, you should be pretty much fine - take it easy for an hour or so afterwards, eat and drink well in the evening and you should be good to go in the morning

I find I am not fully back to top form for about 48 hrs, but it is just a slightly-heavy legged feeling with a bit of missing top-end power rather than anything that prevents some decent scalping

HTH

will3

Clever Pun wrote:

I've given blood before but I can't remember about cycling the next day.. I guess just a good feed and I'll be alright

Yes, that is my experience.

rjsterry

You'll make the blood volume up quickly by taking on liquid, but it takes longer to replace the red blood cells, which are what get the oxygen to the muscles - hence less oomph.

R_T_A

You'll probably be fine, but it's possible you may not be at full SCR prowess.

When I was marathon training it took me a day or so to get right back to it, but that could be just me :oops:

lost_in_thought

Should be fine by the next day.

gbsahne001

should try giving blood and then cycling 8 miles afterwards; was an interesting journey!

By the morning though, no difference at all

ex-pat scot

I've given blood a few times now, and ride the 20 miles home 3 hrs or so later.

I haven't noticed any drop in performance, but have been careful to eat a few biccies and drink plenty to avoid any wobbly moments (just in case).

the_hundredth_idiot

I've given blood at lunchtime and cycled home that evening (on several occasions). No biggie, although I did take it easier just in case. Just remember that if you are on the Brompton but in full SCR regalia, then you're fooling no-one. Best put the lycra in your bag and ride home in your suit (or whatever).

(There was also the time I was flying long-haul the day after giving blood. The nurse said that would be fine as long as I didn't drink that night. Little did she know I was staying at my in-laws that night as they live close to Gatwick - and they got me absolutely lashed as usual. )

Clever Pun

The Hundredth Idiot wrote:

I've given blood at lunchtime and cycled home that evening (on several occasions). No biggie, although I did take it easier just in case. Just remember that if you are on the Brompton but in full SCR regalia, then you're fooling no-one. Best put the lycra in your bag and ride home in your suit (or whatever).

(There was also the time I was flying long-haul the day after giving blood. The nurse said that would be fine as long as I didn't drink that night. Little did she know I was staying at my in-laws that night as they live close to Gatwick - and they got me absolutely lashed as usual. )

I'm always in at least baggies or jeans on the brompton..

greg66_tri_v2.0

Clever Pun wrote:

Do I need to ride the brompton in to avoid embarrassment?

How's that work, then?

oscarbudgie

I asked the same question once on one of the road forums once and the consensus was that it shouldn't make a difference - although when you read the giving blood small print it seems your red blood count does drop and stays lowered for a while afterwards - several weeks in fact...if I understood it correctly. :? Any docs in the house?
Still worth it for the tea, biccies and Nurses..

bigease

I am a platelet donor, and I consciously take it very easy afterwards. I also notice that my ride in the next day is always a little slower, but by the evening I am fine.

oscarbudgie

bigease wrote:

I am a platelet donor, and I consciously take it very easy afterwards. I also notice that my ride in the next day is always a little slower, but by the evening I am fine.

I've thought about giving platelets but haven't done so yet - is it very different from giving the red stuff?

bigease

The biggest difference is the time involved. It takes around 1.5 hours to give platelets and they like you to do it once every 4 weeks, as platelets only have a 5 day shelf life. The biggest thing is the amount of people you can help with each donation is much higher.

I'd say give it a go if you can.

CiB

Interesting, the platelets thing. I've just been flagged up as having the right sort of blood (blue? dunno) and am currently waiting for the confirmation that they want it. They do pretty much insist on you donating on a regular basis - every 4 weeks.

Re giving blood - I've donated in the past and then cycled off to the squash court to be on the end of a good beating. That's normal though, nothing to do with the blood loss. At worst you'll feel a bit low on energy & stamina for a few hours.

Clever Pun

Greg66 wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

Do I need to ride the brompton in to avoid embarrassment?

How's that work, then?

pretty well.. most people are too shocked to take the pi$$, plus overtaking bikes much higher up the ladder breaks their spirits

Clever Pun

oscarbudgie wrote:

I asked the same question once on one of the road forums once and the consensus was that it shouldn't make a difference - although when you read the giving blood small print it seems your red blood count does drop and stays lowered for a while afterwards - several weeks in fact...if I understood it correctly. :? Any docs in the house?
Still worth it for the tea, biccies and Nurses..

last time the nurses all looked a little more like Bernard

Fireblade96

Drinking Guinness after giving blood will help restore your iron levels.

It also gets you drunk rather quickly.

Allegedly.

Clever Pun

Fireblade96 wrote:

Drinking Guinness after giving blood will help restore your iron levels.

It also gets you drunk rather quickly.

Allegedly.

it makes sense in that 1 pint of booze will have a more significant effect on a bloodstream of 7 rather than 8 pints surely

Fireblade96

Clever Pun wrote:

Fireblade96 wrote:

Drinking Guinness after giving blood will help restore your iron levels.

It also gets you drunk rather quickly.

Allegedly.

it makes sense in that 1 pint of booze will have a more significant effect on a bloodstream of 7 rather than 8 pints surely

Indeed !

I missed the

This approach to economical drinking was much favoured when I was at uni. It's rumoured that in some parts of Ireland you used to get given a pint of Guinness to revive you after giving blood, but I was at uni in Belfast and we had to buy our own :-(

e999sam

If you're training hard then you will probably notice a difference studies have found that you loose about 6% at a sub maximal effort for about 8 weeks. Also I believe you would not suffer the same effect from platelet donation because they do not remove any red blood cells.

Eau Rouge

Fireblade96 wrote:

It's rumoured that in some parts of Ireland you used to get given a pint of Guinness to revive you after giving blood, but I was at uni in Belfast and we had to buy our own :-(

That rumour was true, and not just in parts of Ireland, Guinness was offered after a donation anywhere. I say 'was' as it was supplied by Diageo (the drinks company that owns Guinness) and they withdrew that support late last year. The IBTS decided that spending tax payers money on Guinness combined with a potential lowering of the drink-drive alcohol limits meant it was not something they should keep doing.

bigease

e999sam wrote:

If you're training hard then you will probably notice a difference studies have found that you loose about 6% at a sub maximal effort for about 8 weeks. Also I believe you would not suffer the same effect from platelet donation because they do not remove any red blood cells.

I do agree that platelet donation does not affect me in the same way that whole blood donation used to, I definitely feel some effect the next morning (although that could be all in my head!).

Clever Pun

legs felt very tired today, that might also have been the stupid headwind

didn't get scalped and I took 3 so not too bad, although given how my legs are feeling I might skip the gym today