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Managing Hematocrit and Hemoglobin Levels
Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2026 2:30 am
by TropicStrength
My Hematocrit is creeping up to 54%. Is it time for a donation or should I just hydrate more?
Re: Managing Hematocrit and Hemoglobin Levels
Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2026 3:20 am
by AndeanLifter
Hydration is first. If you are dehydrated, your plasma volume drops and HCT looks artificially high.
Re: Managing Hematocrit and Hemoglobin Levels
Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2026 4:05 am
by LatinoBulk
Donation is a temporary fix. It can actually drive down ferritin and leave you exhausted.
Re: Managing Hematocrit and Hemoglobin Levels
Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2026 4:50 am
by CaliFlex
I donate every 3 months. My ferritin is crashed though (12 ng/mL). How do I balance this?
Re: Managing Hematocrit and Hemoglobin Levels
Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2026 5:45 am
by MedellinMuscle
Crashed ferritin is bad for performance. Iron is needed for mitochondrial function.
Re: Managing Hematocrit and Hemoglobin Levels
Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2026 6:30 am
by TropicStrength
What about Grapefruit seed extract or Telmisartan?
Re: Managing Hematocrit and Hemoglobin Levels
Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2026 7:15 am
by AndeanLifter
Telmisartan is great for blood pressure and can help slightly with HCT, but it's not a miracle cure.
Re: Managing Hematocrit and Hemoglobin Levels
Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2026 7:50 am
by LatinoBulk
Check for sleep apnea. Chronic hypoxia at night will drive EPO through the roof.
Re: Managing Hematocrit and Hemoglobin Levels
Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2026 8:35 am
by CaliFlex
Never thought about apnea. I do snore quite a bit.
Re: Managing Hematocrit and Hemoglobin Levels
Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2026 9:10 am
by MedellinMuscle
Get a sleep study. Fixing apnea fixes the HCT issue for 90% of lifters.