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Any Bodybuilders or serious fitness fanatics have Colitis here???

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 2/16/2010 10:59 PM (GMT 0)

B H said...
This is not going to be what you want to hear, but here it is anyway.

I have given up. I used to be in great shape before UC. I could run 26 miles without stopping, I could bench my bodyweight, I lifted and ran daily. But then UC got me, and I struggle to complete a 1 mile run. I completely view exercise as a way to make me feel good now and keep my symptoms under control. I have extra weight now, I am about 15 lbs heavier than I used to be, but there is a plus side in that. When I flare again, and I am sure I will. I will have extra weight to lose which will hopefully keep me out of the hospital.

I will never have a model body anymore. But I feel good for the first time in 5 years, and I just need to be happy with that.

Never say never B H, there will be a cure and I believe it will be something real simple.
Posted 2/17/2010 12:29 AM (GMT 0)

BabeintheWoods said...
I have been a fitness and health fanatic all my life. After reading this thread I am beginning to wonder if intense physical exercise is a precursor to ulcerative colitis. Someone should do a survey. It is already determined that some people get UC after quitting smoking.

  I was a certified personal trainer and a long-distance runner (all after working 50 hrs/week in regular job).  But when I was actually diagnosed, it was after a year of intensive Aikido training.  While that was an amazing workout and is a 'non-aggressive' martial art, I always felt a little fear at training because I am a non-combative person.  I have wondered whether the emotional stress on top of the physical stress (which I liked) played a role.  I agree it would be interesting to see a survey.

These days it's just yoga and walking for me.  Look forward to the energy to do more (but must be gentle!!  :-)

Posted 2/17/2010 1:09 AM (GMT 0)
Well Ive been gaining weight for the past few months and all my lifts have gone up while taking Prednisone. Ofcourse I had to eat like a pig and Ive put on about 25 pounds from it. Im guessing half of it is muscle mass but Ill take what I can get on Prednisone. My initial goal was to get to about 220 but looks like Ill be stopping at 205 this time.

My biggest gains came after I started gulping down half gallon - gallon of milk daily but along with that came a lot of fat as well. I do notice a considerable size difference in my legs, chest and triceps. I spent 1-2 hours lifting 5 times a week. I noticed my joints needed longer to recover from heavier lifting so I moved from a 3 day split to a 5 day routine.

Anyway what Im trying to say is you can gain muscle while taking Pred but you have to work twice as hard as people who dont take pred. Atleast thats what it feels like to me.
Posted 2/17/2010 2:09 AM (GMT 0)
Alan,

Small World man, I just moved out of Windsor where I was living for the last year. You might have even seen me at the gym, I was working out at the University.

Anyways, your body weight issues are the exact same as mine. I'm usually around 180 pounds but when I go on prednisone I usually drop to around 170, not directly because of the Colitis but because I eat less so my intestines dont have to work so hard to heal. So maybe it is directly because of the colitis haha. Anyways the best way i've noticed to gain the weight back (without gaining fat) is to do sets of 3-6 of the heaviest weight possible. And time your meals so that before you go to the gym your having a smaller meal and then after the gym you're having a big meal with lots of protein (chicken breast and eggs is a fail safe). I know some people say they don't like to work out while on prednisone because of muscle degenration or cartilage degeneration but I think thats more reason to work out while on prednisone, it fights the muscle/cartilage/bone degeneration. Working out promotes all of those. Personally, I don't take anything like superpump because I think its pretty much just caffeine thats giving you the boost, but I think it's very important to take L-Glutamine, especially when on prednisone, because it prevents your body from eating away at the muscle as energy. On another note, I am in the best shape of my life in terms of how much I can lift compared to my body fat percentage and weight, and I played competitive hockey throughout my life. Colitis has actually benefited me in sports right now as I fight competitively as a kickboxier and having UC has forced me to change my diet which allows me to stick to my weightclass while still being on the heavier end. Anyways hope this has helped, feel free to pick at me for more answers

Posted 2/17/2010 6:32 AM (GMT 0)
Lot's of people that don't/didn't workout ended up with an IBD so honestly I don't think it likely makes a difference one way or the other...I do strongly believe though, that IBD or not people should maintain an exercise program for the rest of their lives, regular exercise also helps promote normal functioning bowels so it's definitely worth keepin up with it even if you've developed an IBD.

To all the exercise buffs, keep up the good work, to those that don't, the longer you put it off the harder it will be to get started....I look at my mom in her 80's now, she has UC and severely bad osteo in her back especially, she fractured it in one area when she fell and that fracture caused 2 more fractures cuz her bones are so brittle, regular daily exercise can help with bone strength, so when I see my mom all hunched over and in pain (crawls up her stairs to get to her room is what she tells me), it keeps me going with the exercise cuz if I live to be her age, I dont want to be messed up like she is, that's another 40 yrs from now and I'm sure it'll go by quicker than ever. Remember, IBD isn't a terminal illness, we can live decades with this disease and this is the only body we have so treat it right, regardless of it being laced with an IBD.

:)
Posted 2/17/2010 3:07 PM (GMT 0)
I'm glad to see that so many of you still manage to exercise despite UC. I was a college athlete and worked out nonstop before UC: weights, running, yoga, league sports, you name it. Since UC, I've had to cut back on the intensity, but I still do my best to work out as much as my body lets me. Part of it's probably also getting older, being a mom to a 1 year old, and having a full time job in software consulting that requires a lot of travel. Regardless of the cause, the standards I put on myself had to be reset. My body is never going to be what it was in my 20's. I can't run 5 miles in <40 minutes anymore. I'm not going to be the hottest girl at the gym or at the pool in a bikini anymore, but I will be the hottest 35 year old there!
Posted 2/17/2010 3:19 PM (GMT 0)
Yep, exercise is the key to maintaining a good muscle strength and a clear mind. Even when I get home from work, I sometimes feel like skipping the ole' workout or walk, but I don't because I know I'll feel much better after I'm done. I work on the second floor, and I always go downstairs to use the restroom, walk around the building at lunchtime, etc. Do as much as you can -- even if it's just a little to begin with, at least you are keeping your body in motion. I can remember in my worst flare days that I'd workout at home close to the bathroom since the exercise seemed to "exercise" my bowels too! I got a trampoline and free weights. Now I have a bike, exercise ropes, etc. I give myself no excuse not to try and do something -- even if the weather is bad outside!

Posted 2/17/2010 7:59 PM (GMT 0)
That's awesome you guys....something is always better than nothing at all and there's tons of options and ways to adapt your workouts according to the severity of flares.

:)
Posted 2/17/2010 11:41 PM (GMT 0)
I am not a body builder...have had UC for 14 years now...have battled prednisone effects for many years... Last year I started racing ATV's competitively... I was pretty out of shape and not eating right...My UC was flaring, and my energy was poor... I started P90x this winter - I am 1/2 way through phase 2.... What I have noticed is this - the diet, while getting used to was rough, seems to be helping my UC...eating salads, absolutely no junk food or sugars, eating a lot of fish, turkey breast, chicken, etc - really helps... The exercising helps also...at leasdt w/ my UC flaring.

Now, to gain weight - not sure what to say there...I am on paxil - that kind of makes you gain weight - but you probably aren't a fan of growing breasts, which is what paxil seems to do...hence another reason for me to go on P90x...
Posted 7/31/2015 4:26 PM (GMT 0)
Just joined the forum as it looks like an early diagnosis via appt yesterday may be Colitis. I've been taking a vast amount of pre-workout powdered stimulants (C4 and other similar) before going to the gym, plus niacin, arginine and a scoop of monohydrate creatine. My symptoms are now abdominal pain on the left lower quadrant , diarrhea and a slightly mucus-like stool. From all the posts in this group, what is the general feeling about these pre-workout stacks, BCAAs (during workout) and Whey protein intake being contributing factors. Have a colonoscopy on Monday but wanted to start to prepare myself for some likely supplement changes ahead. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Posted 7/31/2015 6:27 PM (GMT 0)
Good luck. I am still 25 lbs below my max weight which I immediately flared after hitting it. Prednisone in JAN resulted in bicep tendon rupture at forearm. That was much more difficult than shoulder repairs at the other end of the bicep. There was no warning so I am lifting heavy right now but cautiously on curls. I brought my olympic cage and rubber flooring but not the hip/leg sled or 100 lb plates. All that comes together when my new home is constructed in 3 more months.

So last time it was not just catabolic prednisone but NO lifting for 100 days. This is a long long way back this time.

Pred weakens all connective tissue I also had a finger dislocate that will take a year to heal and plantar fasciatis during that last go around.

Never pred again its too costly. Driving 1 hour each way for month 4 now, 3 more to go better not flare.
Posted 7/31/2015 6:28 PM (GMT 0)
Man. I wish I could warn everyone into this lifestyle ahead of time about the dangers of these drink concoctions in relation to UC. We have had a huge amount of people on this forum who did this and now have UC. I don't think there is one shred of solid evidence regarding it but it would seem like someone somewhere would start connecting the massive amount of dots in this area. I don't think anyone has even researched it. I hope you don't have to join our club.
Posted 7/31/2015 8:26 PM (GMT 0)
"Also, I am experiencing muscle aches that have gotten strong in the past week since finising pred."

They MSM helps with that. I like being sore then I know I worked out good and hard.
Posted 7/31/2015 8:30 PM (GMT 0)

Croatian 1 said...
Just joined the forum as it looks like an early diagnosis via appt yesterday may be Colitis. I've been taking a vast amount of pre-workout powdered stimulants (C4 and other similar) before going to the gym, plus niacin, arginine and a scoop of monohydrate creatine. My symptoms are now abdominal pain on the left lower quadrant , diarrhea and a slightly mucus-like stool. From all the posts in this group, what is the general feeling about these pre-workout stacks, BCAAs (during workout) and Whey protein intake being contributing factors. Have a colonoscopy on Monday but wanted to start to prepare myself for some likely supplement changes ahead. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I never had UC before creatine got popular.

Creatine Monohydrate is the worst form throw it out.
C-4 contains L-DOPA and yes i had half a scoop today but phasing all L-DOPA out its not UC friendly
Arginine = explosion you should be instead using Arginine Ethyl Ester

But I found these effective and safe :

Cardio Ignite
Thermo Rip ( Bitter Orange is terrific )
Anaracetam
Posted 8/2/2015 12:10 PM (GMT 0)
I'm not a big believer in pre-workout supplements and the only things I would ever spend my $ on is creatine, caffeine tab, and maybe BCAA's. On that note the only thing I take is a caffeine pill before the gym. Majority/darn near everything sold at GNC is a waste of money. If I remember correctly the stuff isn't even regulated by the FDA, so who knows what's truly in it besides the people boxing it up in their garage. wink

I don't even bother with Whey protein anymore if that tells you anything. Haven't noticed any negative drawbacks either. Eating chicken, bison, turkey, and fish fills those needs. I gained 30lbs in one year eating nothing but quality food and it was pretty clean mass. So much for taking whey protein after the gym because of the fast digestive properties all of the supplement companies brainwash us with.

Ive been weight training for 13 years so I've learned a few things along the way. Nothing can replace good high quality food in large amounts when your stomach can tolerate it, especially some over the counter supplement.

When I'm flaring the only time I truly get relief is in the gym when I'm blasting myself with weights.

I'm not trying to be arrogant or come off as a ****** either just sharing the things I've learned along the way.
Posted 8/2/2015 2:20 PM (GMT 0)
goforbroke: I'm curious now. Did you take any of those supplements at the time you were diagnosed with UC? I wholeheartedly agree with your post.
Posted 8/2/2015 4:45 PM (GMT 0)
L

garylouisville said...
goforbroke: I'm curious now. Did you take any of those supplements at the time you were diagnosed with UC? I wholeheartedly agree with your post.

I got diagnosed when I was 18 years old and wasn't taking any supplements back then. My mom kept Pepto Bismol in her purse and my dad popped tums/rolaids like candy. So out of me and my two other siblings one of us was destined to get some kind of genetic stomach issue. That coupled with the fact of I never ate veggies nor fruit when I was younger like every, which probably didn't help. Love them now though.
Posted 8/2/2015 8:03 PM (GMT 0)

goforbroke said...
So much for taking whey protein after the gym because of the fast digestive properties all of the supplement companies brainwash us with.

That would be great. Maybe when I am retired but working full time and raising a child full time with no wife around means there are benefits to whey protein beyond fast digestion. Fast prep and fast cleanup. I simply do not have time to make elaborate meals all the time.
Posted 8/3/2015 3:28 AM (GMT 0)

aguywithuc said...

goforbroke said...
So much for taking whey protein after the gym because of the fast digestive properties all of the supplement companies brainwash us with.

That would be great. Maybe when I am retired but working full time and raising a child full time with no wife around means there are benefits to whey protein beyond fast digestion. Fast prep and fast cleanup. I simply do not have time to make elaborate meals all the time.

I understand where you're coming from with the total workload. From a health standpoint food is just better for everyone though. I usually take one day to cook enough food for a family to eat for a few days. Makes it a lot easier for me when I'm chasing my 2 year old around the house with pre-cooked meal.
Posted 8/3/2015 12:49 PM (GMT 0)

goforbroke said...

aguywithuc said...

goforbroke said...
So much for taking whey protein after the gym because of the fast digestive properties all of the supplement companies brainwash us with.

That would be great. Maybe when I am retired but working full time and raising a child full time with no wife around means there are benefits to whey protein beyond fast digestion. Fast prep and fast cleanup. I simply do not have time to make elaborate meals all the time.

I understand where you're coming from with the total workload. From a health standpoint food is just better for everyone though. I usually take one day to cook enough food for a family to eat for a few days. Makes it a lot easier for me when I'm chasing my 2 year old around the house with pre-cooked meal.

I whole-heartedly agree. There is only one protein shake my body tolerates. My body likes slow-food not the pre-digested cans of junk. Worse I get in the habit of eating them if I wake in the night or running out the door. Once we get into our new home I am going to try to cut out shakes completely except one scoop immediately after working out. Chili last night and boiled eggs this morning but relying on boards head deli meats for quick prep until the new kitchen. It will have another double-oven and a huge window in front of the stove for natural light while cooking. This place feels like a dark cave.

This guy is sticking to food an it paid off www.foxnews.com/health/2015/08/02/5-secrets-from-one-mans-30-pound-weight-loss-success/?intcmp=hpff
Posted 8/3/2015 7:02 PM (GMT 0)
I love this thread. I too am an avid gym goer. I've been going to the gym regularly for 12 years or so. I'm 190 6" tall and am 33 year old male.

I was diagnosed in 2012 and it was right around the time I was taking alot of supplements, a pre-work out and creatine. I swear it has something to do with my diagnosis.

So since diagnosis I've had a hard time getting my disease under control. My workout's have suffered. Pre diagnosis my bench max was 275 squat was 405 deadlift 365 etc... Now Im lucky to hit 225 bench, and I don't do heavy squats or deadlifts anymore.

When on prednisone I gain weight and feel like I have more energy in the gym. I tend to lose weight and strength when first coming off pred.

I've tried just about every supplement under the sun for UC to no avail. Now I only drink one protein shake. Its the vitamin shop brand but super clean, no sugar(Stevia) no additives just protein, stevia and a little bit of cocoa.

I to wonder that when I'm not in a flare and I'm hitting the gym hard if that sometimes throw's me into a flare. Because like someone said... I'm throwing my immune system into overdrive trying to heal my muscles. And its getting harder and harder to exercise during flares. I used to tough it out but now I'm starting to lose the motivation and just flat out don't have the energy to workout and be a father and work 55 hours a week.

But then I feel like a bum if I don't workout...so what is the answer?

I have no idea and I'm sick of trying to figure it out.

Current meds:20mg of pred,humira and 100mg of 6mp.
Posted 8/3/2015 7:26 PM (GMT 0)

UCinsouthfl said...
I love this thread. I too am an avid gym goer. I've been going to the gym regularly for 12 years or so. I'm 190 6" tall and am 33 year old male.

I was diagnosed in 2012 and it was right around the time I was taking alot of supplements, a pre-work out and creatine. I swear it has something to do with my diagnosis.

So since diagnosis I've had a hard time getting my disease under control. My workout's have suffered. Pre diagnosis my bench max was 275 squat was 405 deadlift 365 etc... Now Im lucky to hit 225 bench, and I don't do heavy squats or deadlifts anymore.

When on prednisone I gain weight and feel like I have more energy in the gym. I tend to lose weight and strength when first coming off pred.

I've tried just about every supplement under the sun for UC to no avail. Now I only drink one protein shake. Its the vitamin shop brand but super clean, no sugar(Stevia) no additives just protein, stevia and a little bit of cocoa.

I to wonder that when I'm not in a flare and I'm hitting the gym hard if that sometimes throw's me into a flare. Because like someone said... I'm throwing my immune system into overdrive trying to heal my muscles. And its getting harder and harder to exercise during flares. I used to tough it out but now I'm starting to lose the motivation and just flat out don't have the energy to workout and be a father and work 55 hours a week.

But then I feel like a bum if I don't workout...so what is the answer?

I have no idea and I'm sick of trying to figure it out.

Current meds:20mg of pred,humira and 100mg of 6mp.

Same here no UC until being a gym rat started involving a lot of creatine and supplements and shakes. The more pre-digested and hydrolized the worse it is for me. My body likes food it has to sit on for a while and digest, who knows maybe the valves at the bottom of my stomach or start of large intestine is stuck open and liquids just run through which solid food has a harder time doing.

Too much Stevia wipes me out. The vitamin shop brand has a probiotic in it and I find if I take it too often I have trouble. Is that the one your using ?
Posted 8/3/2015 7:36 PM (GMT 0)
That is the one I use. I actually only drink one shake a day in the morning(2 scoops) with oatmeal and a banana. I haven't really had issues with the brand though. It's called just natural whey protein, True Athlete. But I no longer drink a shake right before or right after a workout. Now I actually drink raw eggs. Some people frown over this but I found it easy and convenient and after extensive research its supposed to be healthier than cooked...But I definitely do better with real food!
Posted 8/3/2015 8:17 PM (GMT 0)
i am confused. i've been weight training and recently got some BCAA's and creatine to take. should i completely rethink this? i've never used either one before but so many people i've talked to say these are great for building muscle. if the products have clean ingredients, why do they cause so many problems?
Posted 8/3/2015 8:21 PM (GMT 0)
Not sure why creatine seems to cause problems but sure seemed to with me. I would rethink and do some research on it...
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