Is there any one on this group who lift weight and how bad is it for kidney disease i am on stage 3b, as my doctor always says that exercise like walking and cycling is better but without reasonable explanation why.
Weight lifting and CKD : Is there any one on... - Kidney Disease
Weight lifting and CKD
Written by
Ahmad_92
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
44 Replies
•
Strenuous lifting is bad for kidney disease but using moderate exertion during weightlifting exercises can be beneficial to maintaining/building strength and muscle mass. Without these type of exercises, individuals with CKD will gradually see their strength and muscle mass decrease. Cardio is essential but you should also incorporate some weightlifting into your exercise plan.
Here's a link with a more thorough explanation of the benefits:
kidney.org/atoz/content/sta...
I've found that you can lift more than just very light weights as long as your not exerting too much energy when doing so. I'm also at Stage 3 and have been so for three years now with no decrease in kidney function. I personally like cycling the most. It's great to get outside, at time to bike with a group, and it's also helped a lot with my depression. Best of luck, my rule is to just do things and moderation and don't push yourself too hard.
may i ask if you have protein in urine and BP ?
I've had protein in my urine for 3 years now far above the allowed range. My body weight and blood pressure have always been in the normal range. I have a specific disorder, C3GN, but I am now considered to have CKD since it has been several years since diagnosis and my Gfr has peaked at 50.
I lift weights but I do low weight high reps. I do not go above 10 pounds. Lifting weights causes the muscle breakdown that increases creatinine. Plus it can raise your bloodpressure. However lifting weights is also extremely good for your bones and maintaining strength.
have you been lifting for a long time or let me ask if you started after the diagnosis, as i did not lift for 1 year before diagnoses and my numbers now are stable for more than one year and that makes me a bit afraid to play with my GFR
I did start lifting after I was diagnosed. You have to be careful not to damage the muscle. So if your objective is to build big muscles probably not a good idea. But if you just want to tone and maintain muscle that you have lifting light weights is perfect. I will see if I can find the article that convinced me it was safe as long as I stayed within guidelines. My numbers have stayed the same with some improvement. I am probably at baseline since I had failing kidney for years and no one diagnosed it or advised me to to make diet corrections.
I am not into building muscles but I want to maintain mine as the plant based diet made me lose weight
This is long but it is good. It is important to remember to monitor your heart rate and keep in the low to moderate range no matter the exercise you are doing. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...
Nephrologists have no idea as to how much is too much and how little is too little. I've done a LOT of research on the subject and the supporting studies just aren't there. Sorry.
KidneyCoachNKF Ambassador
I've known a couple of professional weightlifters who maintained CKD status for 20 years prior to dialysis. I did mild weightlifting of under 100 lbs during my first few years of dialysis without issues. It's never really been studied so there's little information. Blessings
that's inspiring, i always look at physical activity as a positive thing as long as you can do it, so that is why i think that my nephrologist need to explain it more
i rip it - 70 lb dumb bell presses for 4 sets of 15-20 reps - im 52 - gfr at time was 53 a few weeks back and was the time i went in for blood test and physical - maybe i should tone it down a bit and do more HITT exercises-
I think researchers will eventually agree that long term kidney health requires a a good balance between protein intake and protein metabolism/catabolism. If the balance gets out of whack for a protracted length of time, you'll probably damage your kidneys, and once the kidneys are damaged, maintaining a proper balance is even more imporant. Eat more protein than your body needs for muscle repair and you'll further damage your kidneys. Eat less protein than your body needs and you'll end up catabolizing your muscles and that will also cause further damage. It's all about balancing needs vs intake. Work out more and you can metabolize more protein and vice versa.
there is protein from veggies that is supposed to be good for you
All protein is good for you. It's just that some types (animal) are supposedly harder on the kidneys. Veggie protein is good if you supplement every now and then with lysine, although if you are on a low oxalate diet, it is a bit more challenging being a vegetarian...ie...low nuts, peas, beans.
I have been weightlifting more than 500lb / 250k twice per week with no adverse affect to my stage 4 CKD? I also eat way more protein than is recommended (200g per day) and I have yet to see a decrease in my Egfr... yet. It's been almost 12 months since I started taking my lifting seriously ? I too, am a petite 100lb female... sooo. Who knows. that's just my personal experience so far.
that is great but how do you get your protein (Vegetarian or animal ) and do you have protein in urine ?
This is old, but still relevant to anyone who sees this:. 200grams a day is crazy for someone with CKD. It's probably a big reason why you are stage 4. Diet should be mainly fruit n some veg, 80/10/10 style of eating
I am stage 4 because i am an ex anorexic and after over 30 years of bullimia and abusing my body, my kidneys have suffered irreparable damage unfortunately. I knew all along what I was doing as I'm an ex nurse but that didn't stop me. I would sooner die from something i love doing, which is my bodybuilding than live a safe and very mundane life. If there comes a time i need a transplant, well i'll take my chances. i take no supplementation otherwise for the gym... my only bad is that i choose to eat lots of protein to compensate.
Please don't recommend a certain eating style without fully understanding ALL of the underlying lab work. My ALB is now too low because of the recommended low protein diet as is my serum sodium. Neither is very good for your body. While kidney damage is not a good thing there are other organs that all interconnect. Plus many fruits and veggies are high in potassium.
It's now two years since this last post of yours. I'm curious to know how your kidneys and GFR are doing today?
Two whey protein shakes per day and mainly red-meat based as I'm a meat eater and to date, no protein in my urine. Occassional unusually high creatine in my U and E function but only ever temporary?
maybe you are not in the same condition i am in, as since i stopped eating red meat i have a better number and i always have protein in my urine.
If you still have protein in your urine then you may be consuming too much protein than your kidney can filter. You have to eat enough protein to keep all your muscles functioning properly but not too much that your kidneys can't get rid of all of it. It is a balancing act but once you find the right amount you will know it. Try eating more plant based protein for most of your protein needs and cut way back on meat based protein.
Actually I consume 90 percent of my protein from plant based food and it helps a lot in protein leaking but does not stop it even when I try very low protein diet I still have proteinuria but 75% less.
Whatever you do, don't take protein shakes. You still need to be on a lower protein diet and avoid processed foods such as whey protein powders. A plant based diet is the way to go with some meat in order to get the necessary B12 in order to function.
Muscle strength is somewhat correlated to muscle size. If you're happy with your muscle strength, don't lift more than the minimum necessary to maintain it. Better to increase reps to fatigue the muscle than to increase the weight, but if anything more than minor soreness is the result, you've probably overdone it. It's really a delicate balancing act. I'm a 61 yr old male and am fairly muscular for my size and age group. I don't want to see my strength diminish to the point of only being able to lift 10lb weights. Again, doctors really don't know very much about all this stuff.
Good info. Im the exact same age as you and i also "was" above average in muscularity. Until my diagnosis of stage 3a and the stress that brought on as well as now having to deal with gyms being closed etc because of Covid 19. I still have some muscle definition but have lost alot of size/bulk. Id like to get a little of the size back without doing any further harm to my kidneys. So im guessing like you said higher reps and lighter weights. I will need to try and figure out the whole protein thing out.
You, me, and a lot of others are in the same boat, especially with the gyms being closed. I do have a nice set of weights at home, but motivation is a problem, especially after losing quite a bit of strength. Like starting all over again. I'm with ya, bro.
I am 60 with stage 4 ckd. I started weight training about 4 1/2 months ago. I did talk to my kidney dr about it first. She wasn't to concerned about it as long as I don't take any protien supplements. I was pretty sore the first couple of weeks. Little to no soreness sense. I have steadily increased the weight as I feel my body can do so. I also walk an average 30 miles a week and ride a bicyle up to 20 miles when time permits. I am carrying a lot more muscle now and feel better than I have in years. Will see the doc for the first time sense the start of weight training in a couple of weeks. I will admit I haven't been good about watching my protein intake. Guess the lab work will tell the tell soon. ( That was supposed to be a reply to Marvin8 but are welcomed too read it)
I'm 47 yrs old, been at CKD stage 2 since I found out 4 yrs ago, I've lifted weights for over 20 years. I do bodybuilding type of workouts with weights and some days I go heavy, but I just try to do it in moderation but still get a good workout and maintain my muscle size and strength. I don't lift weights on consecutive days, I always take a day off before lifting again. I don't have protein in my urine. I get my protein from my food, which is mainly chicken and fish. I do eat red meat about once a week or once every 2 weeks. I drink plenty of water, and drink water only about 99% of the time.
Im curious. That type of lifting doesnt affect your creatinine levels and consequently your eGFR? It seems that for me they are very closely related and one affects the other. So my worry is lifting too heavy and thus elevating my creatinine level and decreasing my eGFR. What a merry go round.
If one has more muscularity than average, it might be more befitting to use cystatin-c levels for estimating GFR than creatinine because cystatin-c doesn't take muscle mass into account. Many doctors are now using a combination formula that takes both into account. Look it up.
Yes I do, quite a bit. I’m also stage 3b at 27 years old and I’ve been fully plant based for 5 years now. So far my kidneys specialists here in Switzerland say I can go ahead and keep working out. Just not allowed to supplement at all.
Thank you to everyone for contributing to this discussion. I am curious myself as I've had lupus nephritis for 20 years and have been a very active athlete the entire time. It wasn't until recently that my gout flare prompted me to assess my overall health. I got careless I admit. My GFR is 34 and my creatinine is 2.2 at the moment. I feel that my GFR took the greatest hit because my creatinine has been stable for the past 8 years. For the most part, I have always eaten healthy. I am now a vegan though and have been reading Lee hull's book. I've lost a considerable amount of weight since my gout flare and concomitant switch to a vegan diet. I'm now in kidney preservation mode but will start incorporating some light workouts consisting of basketball, pushups, planks, pull-ups, squats, and lounges. I'm 34 years old btw. Will update y'all on my progress.
-Naldo
My own personal opinion is that protein supplements are fine. You just have to take into account your total protein intake over a 24 hour period and you don't want to overload all at once. The latest science says most folks don't need more than 50-60 grams of protein a day, but the science doesn't mention anything about exercise and weight training considerations.You really need to know your protein requirements taking into account the weight lifting.
If you're off either way, you're probably more prone to stressing the kidneys.
I have impaired renal sufficiency due to my being an ex anorexic, bullimic for over twenty five years. The constant battle with bingeing, purging and starvation caused the kidneys to fail in the first instance. Despite my ridiculously high meat based protein intake, I fluctuate between 36% and 49% but they've been stabile the last couple of years.
I’ve been stage 4 since 1996, I have exercised all my life. I was 29 in 1996, so the majority of my meaningful adult life I’ve been successful stage 4. Labs were 21 when diagnosed and still average that level. Between age 30-50 I lifted heavy, at about 49/50 I went to low weight/high reps. Also, I spend at least 45 minutes to 1 hour doing additional cardio only workout. With my poly-osteoarthritis I can only use a recumbent bike now, so I lift upper body only as the workout is only to maintain strength now not prep for football or specific to anything but trying to do all I can to stave off the needing dialysis issue.
Not what you're looking for?
You may also like...
Shingles and CKD
Well, isn't this just dandy.... I have shingles. I woke up the other day and I had two areas of...
CKD and gout
Hi. I'd really appreciate hearing other people's experience on this one. I have CKD egfr stable at...
Lisinopril and CKD
Hello All, New to this group and I thank all in advance for all this wonderful information. My...
alcohol and ckd
is drinking alcohol in any amount safe with ckd stage 3? does anyone here ever drink alcohol ? i...
Anemia and CKD
My husband has been stable in the eGFR 35 - 40 range for years but whenever he has his blood work...
Coffee and CKD diet
CKD and Covid
Ckd 3 and concerned 
Bloodpressure and CKD 3B
CKD and Kidney Stones
