Weightlifting with kidney disease

[R1mahem]

I had a conjoined kidney removed in 1981. Since then, I’ve had only one kidney. I like to life weights and want to lift heavier. The doctors I’ve been to say the best exercise for health is walking. I’ve been vigorously exercising for years. No protien in urine. I have Ckd by default as I only have the one kidney, but it functions well. I just can’t find any research on this topic at all. Can anyone shed any light.

[Marvin8]

There's precious little research on the subject other than that which espouses exercise in general. I asked several questions about "what is too much?" at my nephrologist appointment last week, and he said "no limitations".

[userotc]

The 1st link below indicates that muscle-building (and exercise generally) is encouraged with heart health benefits mentioned although others (2nd link) is more wary. So potentially some uncertainty - from the same, prominent organisation! I suspect OK, if careful. Not sure how much doctors really know about this but they are generally conservative in my experience.

When you state "No protien in urine", do you mean at micro or macro level? My mum also has 1 kidney after a nephrectomy 5y ago with proteinuria increasing rapidly. But it's only at a level (0.44g/24h latest) below which medics show interest (>2x that) and is also not picked up in urinalysis. Old research indicates proteinuria more common with 1 kidney (3rd link).

kidney.org.uk/lets-get-acti...

kidney.org/atoz/content/sta...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/406...

[Michael__S]

Have a discussion with your specialist team and stay solution-focused. I am down to 1 kidney and I do train with weight. Not as intensively or as frequently as I used to but enough that I regained ~75% of my strength. I am surprised because I feel like I am training 10x less than I used to.

In my eyes the single thing that limit my work capacity is protein intake. My renal dietician is telling me that people in my situation could take more than I do right now but it's not something that I want to rush.

I have to be extra careful when it comes to managing my inflammation, allopurinol seems to have helped overall but it's not a magic pill. What seems to work best for me at the moment is to put the emphasis on a proper pre-workout meal and eat fruits like papaya prior to working out, and some diluted fruit juice or water as sport drink.

In short I am lifting weight to be heathier and stay clear from excessive average-joe bad bodybuilding habits. Early CKD is not restrictive enough to forbid weightlifting. There is very little research to date and my understanding of the consensus is that the benefits far outweigh the risks.

[RoxanneKidney]

I would just live yourlife and not get too crazy with lifting too heavy.