Bodybuilding and Kidney Health by Jerry Brainum 1/23

 

Chris Bumstead first appeared on the bodybuilding scene by placing second in the initial Classic Mr.Olympia contest in 2017. The Classic Olympia was a new contest that harkened back to the physiques popular in the 1970s, smaller than current professional bodybuilders, but with an emphasis on muscular definition and symmetry. Even the posing trunks worn by Classic competitors were reminiscent of the trunks worn by past bodybuilders such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and others of that era in that they were far more conservative compared to the jockstrap trunks now common with professional bodybuilders. Bumstead looked impressive in this initial foray into bodybuilding competition and he appeared to be a future star in the Classic category and at only 21 years old, he seemed to have a great bodybuilding future ahead of him. But about 8 weeks into his preparation for the 2018 Classic Olympia, he began to notice a series of symptoms that threatened his possible competition status. Bumstead's symptoms began with intense swelling of his ankles. He also showed water retention in other parts of his body, such as his stomach, which appeared bloated. At first, Bumstead attributed the sudden water retention onset to his diet and attempted to make some changes in his diet to ease the swelling. But it only got worse, and severe muscle cramps ensued that led Bumstead to go to a doctor.

It turned out that Bumstead was experiencing a condition called IgA nephropathy. This is a condition where an immune cell called immunoglobulin A begins to accumulate in the kidneys causing severe localized inflammation that adversely affects kidney function. This was why Bumstead was experiencing all the swelling and cramps. No one knows the precise cause of IgA nephropathy but it is considered an autoimmune disease, where for unknown reasons the immune system starts to attack tissues and organs in the body, in this case, the kidneys. The disease can either remain stable or worsen, especially if other conditions exist that place stress on the kidneys, such as high blood pressure. In a worst-case scenario, IgA nephropathy can damage the filtering units of the kidneys, the glomeruli, and cause more serious kidney disease. As for Bumstead, he managed to overcome most of his kidney problems but it still prevented him from peaking for the 2018 Classic Olympia and he placed second. However, he came back to win the contest for the next three consecutive years and at this writing is the current holder of the Classic Mr.Olympia title. 

When hearing about any serious disease that afflicts bodybuilders, the knee-jerk reaction is to blame it on some extensive use of various anabolic and other drugs used in bodybuilding. However, for Bumstead such a scenario was not likely. For one, a 1989 study of bodybuilders using steroids found that they showed lower than usual levels of IgA. And the type of kidney disease that Bumstead showed is based on an . . .