Runners, if you are a blood donor or require venesection you need to know this

[ArthurJG]

I mentioned this in another thread and a couple of people said it was important information and I should put it in a separate topic. It is worth reading the article in full but the main points are:

1. Don't do a hard run on the day you give blood or the day before.

2. Don't run for AT LEAST 24 hours afterwards (personally I need to leave it longer than that).

3. This is the bit I didn't know: be aware that although you can safely run a day or two afterwards your performance will be affected (i.e. you are likely to be slower) for up to three weeks.

4. Therefore if you are training for a race or aiming for a parkrun PB you should plan your blood donation for a week or so AFTER your goal event - not just before it and not in the training period leading up to it either (as although you can still train and still run, you will not be capable of the same intensity of effort for up to three weeks.)

This is because unlike the other components of your blood which are replaced very quickly, the red blood cells that carry oxygen to your muscles take two or three weeks to get back to their original level. It makes no difference at all in day to day life but it does make a difference to your capacity for strenuous exercise.

ukrunchat.co.uk/giving-bloo...

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10]

I do feel a little guilty of have never donated blood Arthur, my father was a very regular donator but he never put any pressure on me to do it, I always thought that if I had I would not have been able to walk, let alone run for around a week afterwards, that, of course is nonsense, interesting point number one about not running BEFORE you give blood on the day or even the day before.

I hope you are still enjoying your runs around the Arbroath area, usually you run towards the direction of Carnoustie, not the cliff top walks I used to know when I went on holiday to Arbroath way back in the 1960s towards Authmithy.

[Sigered Graduate10]

Thanks for the post. It reminded me that I need to move my next blood donation appointment as it is the day before I am due to run a the Vitality 10K in London.

[Sqkr]

I concur, I gave blood about week before I was due to play in a roller derby bout one time and had to completely pull out, I was floppy like a kitten for about a fortnight afterwards—though have never had that feeling before. I think harder exercise really exacerbates it! I've been giving blood for probably ten years, but since I've started running I've been able to do it much less as it really knocks me sideways these days. Luckily we have a drop in centre about five minutes away so I can be spontaneous with it rather than making appointments, and that suits me much better.

[ArthurJG Graduate10 in reply to Sqkr]

You can run though after a couple of days. You just have to accept you’ll be slower for two or three weeks: if you push hard then you’ll suffer.