I'm curious much does your HCT (hematocrit) level drop after donating blood?
How long does the resulting drop in HCT last?
What is your experience with donating blood to reduce your HCT levels?
IP6 lowers your crit level??Good topic Mugz. I've honestly only donated a couple of times (I take IP6 regularly and that keeps it in check unless I'm in a heavy heavy cycle). As I recall, my drop was typically 7%-8% but I've seen a study where some people can drop as much as 11% after the initial donation (I do not recall the initial levels). I'm sure MrRippedZilla would have a much more specific answer with actual data, but this what I got
I couldn't even begin to tell you how long the drop lasted. Donating was always a last resort and I'm fortunate enough to be able to control values with IP6 alone.
IP6 lowers your crit level??
Agreed, if something has been found that will consistently and safely lower HCT that is a goldmine. This has plagued our sport for years.I have read studies on this as well. It would be nice if somebody could do some research and write something up on this. I use IP6 for this reason however I have no idea if it provides benefit.
There is a website where writers research and write articles for $$. This may be a good topic.
It’s peace of mind man. I treat as preventative maintenance like changing the oil. Especially with my past history of partying, smoking and cycling. It’s important to keep my cardiovascular system as strong as possible and to keep blood moving properly to prevent a stroke!What kind of problems / symptoms do y'all start having from high hemocrit?
I haven't had this issue yet. All my blood draws have been fine.
Interesting I have lived Colorado for over 20 years. Even more reason to donate. My last EQ cycle my oxygen levels were a 100%. The nurse even commented on it and thats at altitude.Hematocrit measures the formed elements of the blood which are RBCs, WBCs and platelets as Snake stated. RBCs will outweigh the amount of WBCs and platelets for numerous amount of physiological reasons. The RBCs are the number one contributor to hematocrit and hematocrit is the determinant of blood viscosity. If you HCT increases one could say blood viscosity increases. More viscosity = increased total peripheral resistance (resistance to blood flow). So if you have an increased HCT for extended periods of time it will increase the workload on the heart due to more force needed to overcome that resistance. This leads to left ventricular hypertrophy and possibly death.
Higher altitudes = less oxygen in an individuals blood. The body is then stimulated by the bone marrow to increase RBC count. This leads to increased HCT and the above ensues. All of this does take a considerable amount of time and other factors must be weighed.