Elevated Creatine Kinase

[leeamsi]

So I just got back from a routine check-up with my doctor and she noticed that from last month's bloodwork, my creatine kinase (CK) level was really high: 983. She said it should be around 200, but because I'm working out too much, it's super high and could cause kidney failure if it exceeds 1000.

I do not take any supplements and haven't had any protein shakes for 3 months.

Anyway, I have been working out 5-6 days a week for the past year and I haven't been having any problems. My doctor also asked if I was feeling tired, and I said "yeah, but it's mostly just regular soreness from working out". She thinks its more like muscle damage, so she is recommending me to stop working out for a month. I told her I couldn't do that so she wants me to work out for a maximum of half an hour a day for four days a week? How am I supposed to do that?!? How can I have muscle damage or degradation when my strength is increasing every month?

Is a high CK level a common problem with body builders? What can I do to reduce my CK level and to continue working out without risking any health issues?

[Scartaris]

So you're not taking any supps and your levels are still that high? That's kind of bizarre. Hopefully someone can chime in with some insight. If you were taking creatine, it would make sense.......but you're not....so I dunno.

[athenrye]

How long before your test did you refrain from exercising? I ask because strenuous exercise will elevate your CK level and it's recommended you don't exercise for at least 24 hours before a blood test. I would follow your doc's advice and take it easy for the next few weeks. I'd book another blood test for a month's time and take a week off weightlifting before it then see how the levels are.

If you read this study it shows that football players had elevated CK levels >5000 so I wouldn't worry about kidney failure at the level you're at just yet. See how you fair at your next test after some rest.

....The mean CKM2 level was 5124.7 U?L−1 ? 5518.1, approximately 30 times the norm for men.

Conclusions: Participation in 2-a-day football practices resulted in significant serum CK elevations, which remained elevated for at least 7 days. Participants who had higher peak power had smaller increases in CK.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC164338/

[suvtwo]

What creatine are you using alot and mean alot of kitchen sink products are bad for you and use toxic forms of creatine precuser muscle milk no explode they block regular creatine and make a very toxic situation in the body also gpa is very bad . Look on the web for doc david barr he alot of research on the subject .

[athenrye]

What creatine are you using alot and mean alot of kitchen sink products are bad for you and use toxic forms of creatine precuser muscle milk no explode they block regular creatine and make a very toxic situation in the body also gpa is very bad . Look on the web for doc david barr he alot of research on the subject .

He doesn't use any supps.

I do not take any supplements and haven't had any protein shakes for 3 months.

[Acetyl-CoA]

I think elevated CK indicate muscle breakdown/mechanical damage to muscle cells. Megadosing BCAA drinks and even adding HMB could lower protein breakdown (and lower blood markers like 3-methylhistidine) but I'm not sure if it would lower/stop CK from being released from muscles.

You should probably do the BCAA megadosing regardless, but maybe you should look into decreasing the intensity/frequency of workouts (and probably listen to your doctor, who wouldn't give you advice like that (entirely unrelated to drugs, repeat visits etc) unless it was probably important for your health.

[Goldenarm007]

you should also check out some liver and kidney detox formulas. just incase

[leeamsi]

Thanks for the replies everyone =)

So to briefly reply to each post...

i.) I have not been taking any creatine or supplements and I haven't had any protein shakes for 3 months.

ii.) I refrained from exercising about 18 hrs before my blood test, which was done in mid January. I see my family physician about once every six weeks for routine check-ups related to my IBS. In January, I was having (and continue to have) symptoms related to stomach ulcers, so she had me get a lot of blood work done and called me in when she noticed my CK level was pretty high. That was a really interesting study that athenrye posted. However, I am a university athlete, so shouldn't I expect to have high CK levels normally? In the study, it stated that the Division-I football players experienced an average CK level of 5000. Football players normally do extensive strength training, and I have been doing an 8 week strength phase (no more than five reps). So could it just be from lifting heavier weights?

iii.) Regarding the BCAA megadosing, I really don't want to start taking any supplements at the moment, because I have been seeing decent improvements in the absence of them. That is a good suggestion though, and I will definitely take it into consideration. My workouts are about 90 minutes per day, five days a week- and that's like the bare minimum without any cardio. I also play soccer twice a week for about 3-5 hrs each day, so about 6-10 hrs per week. I am not competing in this year's track season, but I am doing the muscle capacity development training (which is mainly gym workouts). I don't think I can cut down my workout any more than that and achieve desirable goals. When I'm competing, my practice and strength training adds up to about 3-4 hrs per day, seven days a week- which is significantly more than what I am doing right now.

iv) The liver and kidney detox formulas is a good suggestion, but I think if it gets to that point, the main treatment is just intravenous fluids and resting- according to my doctor at least. But she doesn't want to get to that point, so she's encouraging me to just rest. Oh and yes, I do have another blood test scheduled in three weeks..

[QFRS]

The writing is on the wall. Your simply over training. You wont grow. You have muscle damage thats not healing. 18 hours before blood test is not enough. I do blood test after taking a week off.