Medical problem

[Olrac]

Osu,

Someone in our dojo encountered a medical problem with his muscle enzymes and ellivated liver value`s. After asking around in our organisation we can identify two more people (both male blackbelts around 35 years old) who have had similar problems (with muscle enzymes, nothing known about the elivated liver value`s). Muscle enzymes correlate with muscle soreness after training so we all have them and they can ellivate certain liver value`s. Does anyone know of any such problems arising with more full contact practisioners (having such problems from them that it justified medical attention).

Maybe Seeinchin can give us some more insight (it will be very much appreciated)

Osu
Olrac

[seienchin]

Olrac - a speedy reply, as I am about to head off to work. No references - sorry...just a quick "off the top of my head" - so don't take this as gospel truth.

I suspect that the muscle enzyme that you are referring to is CK (Creatine Kinase). This is a by-product of muscle damage, and will be elevated after very vigorous exercise, but will be more elevated if the muscle is damaged. It is also sometimes just a bit elevated as a baseline in people with large muscles mass, such as bodybuilders (and muscly kyokushin practitioners).

Liver enzyme elevation suggests that there is an accompanying viral infection or other cause, which can in itself contribute to the CK rising. The other thing to watch with raised CK is withether the Kidney function tests are going off.

without giving precise figures, (because reference ranges very between countries), a CK elevation post exercise might be say, 10 times the normal. this normally recovers by itself with rest and oral fluids.

It can be 1000 times the normal in cases of servere post-exercise rhabdomyolysis (where the muscles just start dissolving).

The elevated CK in itself is not dangerous, but the degree of muscle damage it reflects can be an indicator of a worrying situation - because when muscles break down, they do not only release CK, they also release myoglobin (which is the oxygen carrying molecule sitting in muscles, just like haemoglobin carries oxygen in blood).

The problem with myoglobin being released in large quantities is that it is very dangerous to kidneys - it is just the right size to completely clog up the filtering mechanisms and cause kidney failure. That is why when treating this condition, very very large volumes of intravenous fluids are used, to keep flushing the myoglobin through.

The other problem encountered with rhabdomyolysis is muscle swelling, where the muscles well so much that there is not enough room for them inside the muscle compartments. The pressure goes up, and it becomes so high that blood cannot get through any more - this is called compartment syndrome, and results in the legs (usually) having to be cut open to relieve the pressure on the muscles, and restore blood supply. One of my friends who had rhabdo had to have this done to both his legs.

Take away message - train sensibily, drink lots and lots of fluids, and go see a doctor if you have severe muscle pain and tea-coloured urine.

[vapor]

that is one heck of a "off the top of my head" reply!!

Certainly gives some points to reflect on.

vapor

[seienchin]

I got a little carried away... a couple of my friends had rhabdo late last year, within 4 weeks of one another. I learned a lot about it, and am still quite paranoid myself.