Originally Posted by hotbike
I've been told by a doctor that my red blood cell count is a little bit high. Is it anything to worry about? I believe it's my bodys' natural reaction to the training I've been doing on my bike. Isn't the red cell count a factor in VO2 max? Don't racers 'dope" their blood with extra red blood cells by transfusion?
The Doc wants me to get a test to see if I have Polycythemia, which is the medical word for a high red blood cell count.
I am not too worried about it, I believe my body is adapting to the need for oxygen from the riding I've been doing. It also could be caused by dehydration, and I smoke an occasional cigar.
Is there a Sports Physiologist in the house?
High? based on what as normal? Your previous counts or the general population? If you train regularly, then compared to the general population, you will may be a "little bit high" as a physiological adaptation to your training will make your RBC count higher than those who do not train regularly. If you had your blood tested a couple of days after an extremely hard workout, this may also explain the "little bit high" test results.