Effect of plasma donation and blood donation on aerobic and anaerobic responses in exhaustive, severe-intensity exercise

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the immediate and delayed effects of plasma donation and blood donation on responses in exhaustive, severe-intensity exercise. Nineteen young men and women performed exhaustive cycle ergometer tests at ∼3.3 W·kg−1 before and then 2 h, 2 days, and 7 days after withdrawal of either 8–10 mL·kg−1 (∼700 mL) of plasma (n = 10) or 1 unit (450 mL) of whole blood (n = 9). Time to exhaustion was significantly (p < 0.05) decreased after the removal of plasma (−11% after 2 h) and after the removal of blood (−19% after 2 h and −7% after 2 days). Maximal oxygen uptake ([Formula: see text]) was not affected by plasma donation, but [Formula: see text] was reduced following blood withdrawal (−15% after 2 h, −10% after 2 days, and −7% after 7 days) presumably because of effects on blood volume, total haemoglobin content, and haemoglobin concentration. The kinetics of the oygen uptake ([Formula: see text]) response was not affected by either intervention. Two measures of anaerobic capacity, postexercise blood lactate concentration, and maximal accumulated oxygen deficit were reduced (−14%, −15%, respectively) 2 h after plasma donation, but neither was affected by blood donation. Removal of plasma and removal of blood have different effects on blood constituency, on the [Formula: see text] response, and on performance. Plasma donation appears to affect exercise performance because of reduced anaerobic capacity, whereas blood donation affects performance because of lowered [Formula: see text].