hematocrit levels

"Race170" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Does anyone know the normal range of fluctuation for
hematocrit levels in

the

Quoted message said:

blood and whether those levelscan be improve with aerobic
training?

Thanks -

Quoted message said:

Fred B.

Hematocrit normally decreases with increased aerobic
fitness.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Race170
Does anyone know the normal range of fluctuation for
hematocrit levels in the blood and whether those levelscan
be improve with aerobic training? Thanks - Fred B.

Check out the same topic on the "Health, Nutrition and Suplements" thread.

mjh

Carl Sundquist said:

Hematocrit normally decreases with increased aerobic
fitness.

So you're saying that in Arkansas blood is *way* thicker
than water.

I would say that the verdict is still out because increases
in plasma volume would increase venous return (indirectly)
and end diastolic volume and hence stroke volume. IF stroke
volume continues to increase until max (I've not seen much
on this in recent years, though one study comes to mind) in
athletes, which is still open to debate I believe, then
increase PV could imporve performance. But I'll have to do a
more thorough search.

CH

"Race170" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Does anyone know the normal range of fluctuation for
hematocrit levels in

the

Quoted message said:

blood and whether those levelscan be improve with aerobic
training?

Thanks -

The normal range is something like 37% to 47%, but extremes
are something like 28% to 54%. Anything outside of the
normal range normally means something is wrong.

Aerobic training doesn't by itself change your hematocrit
values though over time your increased musclature can cause
an overall increase in blood volume and hence a decrease in
hematocrit. Anaerobic training can modify it somewhat by
causing RBC's to age prematurely.

"Tom Kunich" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

"Race170" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:20040306180628.20582.00000924@mb-
m24.aol.com...

Quoted message said:

Does anyone know the normal range of fluctuation for
hematocrit levels

in

Quoted message said:

the

Quoted message said:

blood and whether those levelscan be improve with
aerobic training?

Thanks -

The normal range is something like 37% to 47%, but
extremes are something like 28% to 54%. Anything outside
of the normal range normally means something is wrong.

Aerobic training doesn't by itself change your hematocrit
values though

over

Quoted message said:

time your increased musclature can cause an overall
increase in blood

volume

Quoted message said:

and hence a decrease in hematocrit. Anaerobic training can
modify it somewhat by causing RBC's to age prematurely.

Wrong, endurance training will increase plasma volume and
also increased red cell mass; the former will increase by a
greater amount so hematocrit will decrease. It has nothing
to do musclature.

Normal ranges will vary from lab to lab. One reference
range is 38 to 52% for males (slightly smaller values
for females).

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Sam
"Tom Kunich" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

"Race170" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:20040306180628.20582.00000924@mb-
m24.aol.com...

Quoted message said:

Does anyone know the normal range of fluctuation for
hematocrit levels

in

Quoted message said:

the

Quoted message said:

blood and whether those levelscan be improve with
aerobic training?

Thanks -

The normal range is something like 37% to 47%, but
extremes are something like 28% to 54%. Anything outside
of the normal range normally means something is wrong.

Aerobic training doesn't by itself change your hematocrit
values though

over

Quoted message said:

time your increased musclature can cause an overall
increase in blood

volume

Quoted message said:

and hence a decrease in hematocrit. Anaerobic training can
modify it somewhat by causing RBC's to age prematurely.

Wrong, endurance training will increase plasma volume and
also increased red cell mass; the former will increase by a
greater amount so hematocrit will decrease. It has nothing
to do musclature.

Normal ranges will vary from lab to lab. One reference
range is 38 to 52% for males (slightly smaller values
for females).

I get mine measured along with a bunch of other blood work for annual physicals. The lab lists 40.0 to 54.0% as the normal range. I was between 50 and 51% twice in the last 7 years (probably dehydrated).

"Sam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

"Tom Kunich" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:-
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Quoted message said:

"Race170" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:20040306180628.20582.00000924@mb-
m24.aol.com...

Quoted message said:

Does anyone know the normal range of fluctuation for
hematocrit levels

in

Quoted message said:

the

Quoted message said:

blood and whether those levelscan be improve with
aerobic training?

Thanks -

The normal range is something like 37% to 47%, but
extremes are

something

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

like 28% to 54%. Anything outside of the normal range
normally means something is wrong.

Aerobic training doesn't by itself change your
hematocrit values though

over

Quoted message said:

time your increased musclature can cause an overall
increase in blood

volume

Quoted message said:

and hence a decrease in hematocrit. Anaerobic training
can modify it somewhat by causing RBC's to age
prematurely.

Wrong, endurance training will increase plasma volume and
also increased

red

Quoted message said:

cell mass; the former will increase by a greater amount so
hematocrit

will

Quoted message said:

decrease. It has nothing to do musclature.

Increased musclature goes hand in hand with increased venous
volume. Plasma vloume generally rises faster than the cell
count. The result is generally that in athletes you SHOULD
see lower RBC than in non-athletic types. But that is all a
bit murky because the data is so variable.

Quoted message said:

Normal ranges will vary from lab to lab. One reference
range is 38 to 52% for males (slightly smaller values for
females).

Over 47% or so isn't "normal" in that the higher values are
found in people who live at high altitude and people with
lung deficiencies such as emphasema or other medical
conditions. Most cases of emphasema are slight enough that
they are symptomatic save that there is a higher than normal
(for that individual) RBC count.

Note that many endurance athletes live at high altitude to
get this boost and in the case of cyclists they can get a
doctors statement to allow as high as 52% hematocrit.

One thing to be aware of is that hematocit in and of itself
DOES NOT demonstrate enhanced endurance. Well trained and
healthy athletes with hematocrits which are quite low, such
as in the low 40's, have won races while walking away from
the competition.

The important thing is the blood's ability to carry oxygen,
an athlete might have a high TOTAL RBC count and a lower
hematicrit due to high plasma volume. And a heavily
dehydrated athlete can measure very high hematicrits which
DO NOT provide higher than normal endurance.

So it is a hell of a lot more complicated than simply
quoting hematocrit values.