I agree with you generally.
My point was more along the lines of BP and heart rate are what matter. If HCT is too high for someone that is going to show in their BP measurements. I don’t care so much what the HCT value is on a lab report if BP is good, but if HCT on the lab report is high, and so is BP, I am looking into addressing HCT as that is likely the culprit (or at least one of them).
I agree with you on that, and would just add for others reading to be VERY mindful of your diastolic number when reading your blood pressure as that is an important marker for heart/circulatory system health! Yes, both numbers are important but the diastolic, or “resting”, number is very important to cardiologists/doctors. If that number is high, or in the elevated range, you would be wise for quickly trying to remedy that situation
For a while. Give it time and watch what happens. Feed forward control always powerful if you can leverage it.
Won’t that show up in BP readings though?
Be great to trend over time if one plans to run high Hct or listen and believe the “high Hct is better” Docs.
Just me personally, I prefer to keep an eye on my HCT values because even if (it’d be nice to see some analysis on the correlation between high HCT and what percentage of people who have this also have higher BP readings) my BP were to be categorized as “good/acceptable”, I still think that I would worry about having a greater chance of developing blood clots e.g. having a stroke! Also it’s just my over-imaginative mind that would get to me, thinking about what potential damage might be occurring within my body as I picture my blood looking like ragu, ha. I cannot even conjure up ONE good reason why having high HCT values might be beneficial…especially over an extended period of time. Perhaps there might be a good reason but I cannot come up with any logic why one would say “okay, my HCT is a 56…my BP is in the acceptable range, therefore I am probably ok”. Would there ever be a “benefit” or an “acceptable reason” for having high HCT? Or is it very black and white: high/bad…moderate to low/acceptable? Just pontificating aloud here.
At least run some baby aspirin if you are going up there. I have posted plenty of info showing over 55% Hct is no longer beneficial to VO2max in humans except those with the lowest plasma viscosity. In fact a close examination of professional cyclists shows the smart ones are not going above 50. See my EM posts and hematology refs I posted (sorry TNation wont let me link to EM).
Pushing an old out of shape dude up there with limited vasodilation capacity…asking for trouble.
You make too much sense @meastlake1. Congrats.
Compare with this…
Pitiful.
Thanks for the video. According to this guy…eh, it’s no problem! While I followed his analogy regarding people living at altitude not needing to have blood drawn, I just can’t get on board that line of thinking when it comes to testosterone’s effects on HCT. Something about taking a hormone that causes an unnatural increase in HCT vs. living at altitude and your entire body adapting just doesn’t seem equal. But again, I simply prefer to err on the side of caution and donate blood usually 2 but sometimes 3 times a year because whenever I get my bloodwork back (my physician, and I, like to do bloodwork a few times a year just to keep an eye on all my various hormone and blood markers) my HCT is almost always elevated if I have not donated in awhile…like about 55 or 56…once it was 57. I just don’t feel comfortable having my blood be that “thick”. And I’ve done bloodwork after donating and it doesn’t “crash” my HCT…it usually only drops it a couple points to get it around 50 or a point or two under.
Interesting, I have actually noticed every time that when I train after donating (I do like to wait 3-4 days to let my system recover by taking multivitamins and getting many nutrient-dense meals in me), I get a much more wicked pump during my workouts! I would think that with the reduced blood volume I would not, but for some reason I do. My only thought on that is perhaps my heart is still working as hard as it was before donating, and that coupled with having less viscous blood allows my circulatory system to be more efficient? ha, I don’t know, but I like it.
Plasma doesn’t reduce red blood cells, and it’s my laymen’s understanding that it regenerates within days.
Regarding whole blood donations, anecdotally I find that when hemoglobin hits 50 I’m out of breath, have lower energy in general and feel “full” for a lack of a better term. After donating I feel great. I seem to replace donation values (pint?) right at 3 months.
I’ve given double red too, and felt even better, but feel I still replaced everything within three months, then had to wait three more per donation center guidelines. It was miserable and I was at more like 52-53. My blood pressure was elevated and my pulse was over 105 by the next time I went in. I couldn’t even donate. I had to get a doctors note for a phlebotomy to get to the point I still needed a donation, which the clinic wouldn’t allow, citing time between withdrawal.
I ultimately found a wellness clinic willing to do a phlebotomy for $50 and no questions. I used them, then donated a single pint or whatever they take asap at the normal donor center. It was a scary journey to territory that felt dangerous and wound up being difficult to manage due to liability red tape everywhere.
Now I donate religiously once every three months and sometimes sneak in to the $50 phlebotomist in between just to stay below the threshold instead of right on it.
Definitely find your rhythm and stick with it.
RBC lifetime is approx 100 days.