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I took part in a several month red blood cell study, back when I was athletic. I willingly sold huge amounts of blood. For food. Alright, it was cases of Powerbars and other nutritional suplements and technically was volunteer work with consideration. But the basic idea was blood for food.
They took blood at the start of the training season. Then a week later. Then every three days as I started training hard. Not a little blood, but several vials worth. Not like a red cross donation, but way more than a diabetic sample either.
But that wasn't bad. It was when I started doing some construction work and serious training at Fortress Mountain. The researchers were intrigued about the change in elevation (Calgary, at about 1000-1100 m (3500 feet), Fortress, at 2000m+ (7250+)). I would train in the morning, work all afternoon, then go back to my room at Fortress, exhausted, to find out that someone was waiting to take my blood. And I'd never know when. Sometimes it was daily, sometimes a week passed.
My part in the study ended shortly after I greeted one of the researchers, who had driven out from Calgary to take a sample by saying "When are you fucking vampires going to leave me alone?".
It didn't take me long to learn to hate needles. Also, when you are in thinner air and over training, you already feel lightheaded. Then they take your blood. Fucking vampires.
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