Question

1. Joan is a marathon runner in her competitive season. She wants to donate blood, but you (a well-respected Kinesiologist) suggest it would be better for her to donate plasma only. Please explain.

Answer 1

Martha is a marathon runner and she is going on with her competitive season. So it's the main thing to the considered. If we donate blood plasma it will get back to its normal volume within 2 days. But if we donate the redblood cells along with that what we loose is our hemoglobin content. It will take almost 5 weeks to restore this hemoglobin level. In our body oxygen is transported by binding to the hemoglobin. So we need hemoglobin for the oxygen supply. In case of Martha, she is a marathon runner and she needs oxygen supply to the muscles for a long time. So if she donate RBC she will loose hemoglobin content and it will be difficult to supply enough oxygen. So as a result her speed will come down and in her competition she will become much slower. It will affect her season. So that's why she is suggested to donate blood plasma only.