title: Time course for the recovery of physical performance, blood hemoglobin, and ferritin content after blood donation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is widely accepted that blood donation negatively affects endurance performance, but data on physical recovery after a standard blood donation are scarce. This study aimed to elucidate the temporary impact of blood donation on endurance performance, measured as peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak ) and time trial (TT) performance.
  
  
  METHODS
  VO2peak , TT performance, blood, iron, and anthropometric variables were determined before (baseline) and 3, 7, 14, and 28 days after blood donation in 19 healthy men.
  
  
  RESULTS
  VO2peak was reduced by 6.5% from 49.7 ± 2 mL/kg/min at baseline to 46.3 ± 2 mL/kg/min on Day 3 (p < 0.001), and TT performance was reduced by 5.2% from 13:31 ± 00:42 to 14:13 ± 00:50 min:sec (p < 0.001). Both VO2peak and TT performance were back to baseline 14 days after blood donation. Blood hemoglobin (Hb) concentration declined 7.9% from 9.3 ± 0.11 mmol/L at baseline to 8.6 ± 0.1 mmol/L on Day 3 (p < 0.001) and was not different from baseline 28 days after blood donation. The hematocrit (Hct) was reduced from 43.8 ± 0.5% at baseline to 40.6 ± 0.6% on Day 3 (p < 0.001). On Day 28 Hct was 42.8 ± 0.5% and still reduced below baseline (p = 0.028). Ferritin concentration was reduced 46% from 113 ± 23 μg/L at baseline to a minimum of 61 ± 14 μg/L on Day 14 (p = 0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The individual recovery was variable, but physical performance was recovered 14 days after a standard blood donation, despite blood Hb concentration remaining lower than at baseline.
authors.affiliation: Center of Healthy Aging, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Andreas K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Ziegler
authors.affiliation: Center of Healthy Aging, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grand
authors.affiliation: Center of Healthy Aging, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Ida
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stangerup
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.|Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Hvidovre Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark.
authors.forename: Hans J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.affiliation: Center of Healthy Aging, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Flemming
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dela
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology/Blood Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet/Hvidovre Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Magnussen
authors.affiliation: Center of Healthy Aging, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jørn W
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9724-5423
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Helge
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D001782:Blood Donors; D001804:Blood Transfusion, Autologous; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion; D005080:Exercise Test; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D018962:Phlebotomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron