antibiotics and bodybuilding

[Roskk]

I don't know if this belongs in this section, but oh well.

So yeah, I've been taking an antibiotic, Minocycline, to clear up my acne.
Does this medication get in the way of digestion? Could it affect my results in bodybuilding?

Thanks

[cmbc]

Does this medication get in the way of digestion? Could it affect my results in bodybuilding?

I'd say yeah to both questions. Antibiotics will kill all the good bacteria in your gut, without them your food isn't properly digested so you're not 'getting' all of the food you eat.
Ask a doctor if you can take a probiotic supplement while you're on the antibiotics, either way start taking one afterwards to restock the good bacteria, or eat some yogurt that advertises a probiotic culture.

[JC480]

Antibiotics will have minimal impact on hypertrophy. A multi-vitamin should offset any potential deficiencies resulting from the loss of "good bacteria" in your intestines.

I'm not sure how effective eating yogurt with probiotics in it when you're taking antibiotics at the same time.

But the antibiotics really doesn't "get in the way" of digestion. If you're eating good foods and working out, the antibiotics effect will be insignificant.

[foodandfitness]

um.... ask the dr. that prescribed it to you?

[cmbc]

Antibiotics will have minimal impact on hypertrophy. A multi-vitamin should offset any potential deficiencies resulting from the loss of "good bacteria" in your intestines.

I'm not sure how effective eating yogurt with probiotics in it when you're taking antibiotics at the same time.

But the antibiotics really doesn't "get in the way" of digestion. If you're eating good foods and working out, the antibiotics effect will be insignificant.

Uhhh.. what!?
Do you know what role bacteria plays in digestion of our food?
If you wipe out the bacteria in our gut, food molecules aren't broken down into pieces small enough to pass through our intestinal wall. There's no way a multivitamin can compensate for the loss of the bacteria in our gut.

But the antibiotics really doesn't "get in the way" of digestion.

If you meant "absolutely do" but made a mistake and wrote "really doesn't" then I hear you.. otherwise.. wtf!?
What's your health background, I'm curious to hear where you got your info.

[in10city]

As always, medical advice and consultation should be provided by your doctor.

Anyhow, good read on the Intestinal Mucosal Immune System -> http://www.mindandmuscle.net/article...otics?page=all

[reefpicker]

I love how you got all sorts of responses here, which is why, you should first ask your doctor!!

Having said that, I will first like to clear out that bacteria in the gut are not absolutely necessary for the digestion of food.

Most of the gut bacteria have important roles in other aspects of your physiology (such as immunity), but have only a probiotic role in your gut. Some of your gut bacteria do help with digestion, but that is a minimal role.

Gut bacteria is important. I am not saying it is not. But it is not essential to the digestion process. Unlike termites, which rely solely on bacteria for digestion of cellulose, we posses the enzymes to digest most of what we eat.

Also, not all antibiotics affect gut bacteria, and if they do, they probably don't kill all of them at the same time.

The real problem with antibiotics is that if they do kill your gut bacteria, "bad" bacteria can recolonize the barren and abandoned surface of your gut When that happens, you could get diarrhea.

If you want to learn more, wikipedia has a decent article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gut_flora

There is some issue with the antibiotic you are taking and calcium absortion. However, it seems to be minimal.

So, no. You should have no issue with that antibiotic and bodybuilding/weight lifting. For more information, seek the help of your doctor.

[Synny]

I'd say yeah to both questions. Antibiotics will kill all the good bacteria in your gut, without them your food isn't properly digested so you're not 'getting' all of the food you eat.
Ask a doctor if you can take a probiotic supplement while you're on the antibiotics, either way start taking one afterwards to restock the good bacteria, or eat some yogurt that advertises a probiotic culture.

LOL

An antibiotic is a selective poison. It has been chosen so that it will kill the desired bacteria, but not the cells in your body. not the good

http://health.howstuffworks.com/question88.htm

[rhizome]

I don't know if this belongs in this section, but oh well.

So yeah, I've been taking an antibiotic, Minocycline, to clear up my acne.
Does this medication get in the way of digestion? Could it affect my results in bodybuilding?

Thanks

Yes. Gut flora are important for digestion, nutrient production, immune function and a whole boat load of other positive health effects.

Will it kill progress, no. Will it have some effect, yes. Significant? Only your doctor will guide you toward the answer there.

And you can't progress if you're sick all the time either.

Don't be overwhelmed and mislead by verbosity.

[reefpicker]

Yes. Gut flora are important for digestion,

Important => Tricky word to use.

I would not characterize gut bacteria as important to the process of digestion per se, but perhaps to that of immunity.

I also forgot to mention, and it seems we all did, that Yogurt has probiotic bacteria and it is often advice that you increase your yogurt intake after a heavy course of antibiotics.