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I donated Blood Wednesday (got my 17 gallon pin) and rode my usual commute (14 miles one way) today. First time I tried to ride to work the day after donating. Don't know if THAT was the main factor I got tired early into the ride or the 12-15 headwind. Probably a little of both, PM ride home was alot better, but I did take it kinda easy. Anyone else here a regular blood donor????

Paul Graham

Yeah, I always seem to ride sluggishly and tire quickly when I've just given blood...but only for about 24 hours. Or maybe I just convince myself that the effect exists, because it's a damned good excuse to slow down, take in the scenery, and enjoy an easy ride...

Santaria

Same here, donate=weak and tired compared to my normal weak and tired approach.

JavaMan

It was the wind. Although I have not yet reached my 5 gallon pin, I have donated in the evening and commuted 18 miles to work the next morning many times with no effect. Just drink more water.

KirkeIsWaiting

VIP donor.
Ten Gallon Pin last year!
Congrats to you and your lifetime of dedication!

Now....how do we get other BF members to join us?
Post a challenge????

crank'n

im up to my 90th plasma donation,donate 600mls twice a month, a VIP donor is a 100th donating donor and recives a medallion for this and every 50 donations thereafter,but wait theres more, an invite to the christmas party with the nurses and other donors. Water is good for the blood flow in the veins.No we dont get paid which keeps the integrety of the donations.

Metieval

I just had a thought....... Is there any health benifits to giving blood?

I suppose that giving blood for whatever reasons is always a good thing. but I was just curious.

crank'n

The health benefits are knowing your blood products are saving someones life.

jur

Nope, haven't noticed any weakness the next day. Probably got too much blood anyway.

crank'n: You donate 600ml twice a month?? Here in Vic it's the other way round - 600ml every two months.

DogBoy

I have been training with a HRM and notice about a 10-15 bpm increase for a given level of exertion right after donation. Additionally, I seem to reach my LT at a much lower intensity (which is consistent with the higher pulse). My HR seems to come down fairly linearly over the next 5-7 days but I haven't done any significance tests on the data, just simple observation. So with that, I'll say it was probably a combination of wind/donating.

Has the nurse ever lectured you about not riding home the evening after giving blood? I had one get so excited I thought he was going to start yelling at me when he found out I was going to ride my bike home from the donation site...1 mile of pancake flat at 10 mph.

KirkeIsWaiting

Wow...that's an achievement!
I did platelets/plasma donations for a long time.
It was specific for a while althought they could never tell me if I was a match for a patient.
I've been on th Bone Marrow Regsitry for ever...hoping for my chance some day to be a life-saving donor.
That would be cool!

good for you!!!

GreenRiver

I have heard that the process of regenerating of blood cells after donating somehow promotes resistance against illness. I'll be donating today - that will put me at 7.75 gallons.

KirkeIsWaiting

I've asked that so many times...to no answers.
I can't help but think that it would be good for the body to regenerate/replenish it's self.
Like a cleansing....

It's good for the spirit! That works for me!

BraveSpear

I've signed up to donate at work for their blood drive.. I'll make it to the 1 gallon mark at that time.

jur

There is a disease, can't remember the name, that causes iron to accumulate in the body (liver?). My colleague had friend die from this, but the solution is simple: donate blood regularly. This chap had gone too far, so that was too late to save him.

JavaMan

Why you should donate blood: https://www.mgh.harvard.edu/blooddonor/bdc_why.htm

The first time for me was to find out what my blood type was before I got married!

You get to find your blood type, you get a mini-physical: temperature; blood pressure; pulse rate, you get tested for HIV, hepatitis, and a couple of other things. You get juice and cookies! All you want!

barleyrocket

Hemochromatosis - A coworker has it and has to open a vein every 2 weeks. They can't use the blood for donation unfortunatly so he has to pay to have it done. Scary illness, not very fun from what I have observed.
And it seems to accumulate in all of the body's organs not just the liver.

InfamousG

It's called "hemochromatosis"

Donating blood regularly can minimize the effects, but it's not a cure. Also, since the blood has so much iron, it's usually thrown away.

Learn More

Metieval

I agree, people really don't need any other reasons than just to give.

But I was curious if the regenerate/replenish had any beneficial side effects.

Cromulent

Probably only for Keith Richards.

Hmm... I think it's time to start donating blood again. Haven't done so in a while.

Aeroplane

Entirely Off-Topic:

Lemmy Kilminster of Motorhead heard about Keith Richards having a total blood transfusion in order to clean up his system. After 20-30 years of ingesting every drug ever, he thought it might be a good idea. The doctor ran a test on him beforehand, and determined that his blood had been so toxified for so long, his body had developed a tolerance, nay, necessity for it to be that way. If he were to get pure blood, it would probably kill him. And if his blood were to be transfused to a healthy person, it would probably kill them. Moral of the story: Lemmy is beyond human, and you should neither donate to nor accept donations from him.

LóFarkas

Maybe you should change "Dalí" to "Lemmy Kilminster" in your signature ;-)

Ivan Hanz

I've never noticed ill-effects, but everyone at the Red Cross swears we should. I've seen a few people pass out, faint, etc. after giving. I think it's more mental than physical, but that's just my opinion.

Off-topic, I've had a few surgeries over the years. After been anesthesized, when you wake up a nurse tells you, "don't drink alcohol, don't drive heavy machinery, don't make life-decisions for the next day". I've always listened intently then I get up. They say, "where are you going?" I say, "I'm driving my dump truck down to the liquor store, drinking a bottle of whiskey, and enlisting in the Marine Corps." It's funny to see their expressions.

JavaMan

There's something called the vasovagal reflex that is probably responsible for the ill-effects. Google it.

KristenGilbert

If you're on a diet, you weigh less for a couple of hours.