A study by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation found that in 2017, the worldwide need for blood was 304,711,244 units, but the supply was only 272,270,243.

A different study from the World Health Organization said that 3 in 4 people worldwide are physically active and around 1 in 5 consider themself an athlete and train for a specific sport or event.

With these two studies in mind, it’s no wonder why so many cyclists risk their cycling performance by donating blood as, if they stopped, there could be a severe challenge in bridging the gap.

I want you to understand that I’m not suggesting you do not donate blood, I’m suggesting why you shouldn't, and, if you are someone who feels compelled to, how to do this without damaging your cycling performance.

Discussed in this podcast episode. The effects of blood donations on cycling performance, including the reasons cyclists should keep hold of their blood. Balancing compassion for others with passion for your cycling performance, including timing is everything, when timing won’t work, giving more later, and my top tips for donating blood and not losing your cycling performance.

Links to further resources:

- Study on blood donations with endurance athletes: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5118378/

- Link to more of my content: https://coachpav.com/blog/