There is no medical evidence that lifting weights itself affects hepatitis C. Hepatitis C can affect your weightlifting routine, however, because those affected may experience fever, fatigue, abdominal discomfort, liver tenderness and muscle pain, which can interfere with workout efforts. Always consult your doctor before lifting weights if you have hepatitis C to ensure that your workout regimen is safe for your condition. Needing to eat more to keep your energy levels up can be uncomfortable and difficult, while the use of performance-enhancing drugs can be unhealthy for your liver.
About Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is a viral disease that attacks the liver and can can cause liver swelling. It is caused by being exposed to infected blood, having unprotected sex, sharing a needle with an infected person, receiving a blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1992 and receiving a tattoo with contaminated instruments. Rarely, you can get hepatitis C by sharing a toothbrush with an infected person and being born to a hepatitis C-infected mother. Hepatitis C may cause no symptoms, but after many years could cause mild flu-like symptoms, gastrointestinal discomfort, jaundice and tenderness in the right upper abdomen, where the liver is located.
Hepatitis C Complications
If you have hepatitis C for many years, you could develop cirrhosis, liver cancer or liver failure. Having hepatitis C does not mean you will definitely have these complications, but these health problems are a possibility if you don't take care of yourself and get appropriate medical care. Lifting weights itself will not cause serious liver problems but may aggravate your health condition if you develop these illnesses.
Weightlifting and Metabolism
When you lift weights, you probably want to gain muscle mass. Getting bigger requires consuming more calories, which is normally easy for a weightlifter to do because of an increased metabolism. According to BodyBuilding4u.com, weightlifting increases your resting metabolic rate because it increases muscle tissue, which has a higher energy requirement than fat tissue. Therefore, if you lift weights, you burn more calories throughout the day. You might be fine if you eat more because of your increased caloric requirement, but if you have nausea and poor appetite related to hepatitis C, eating more will be difficult and may cause stomach upset and discomfort.
Performance-Enhancing Drugs
Some athletes, including weightlifters, use performance-enhancing drugs like anabolic steroids, androstenedione and human growth hormone, to name just a few. These drugs have health risks under normal circumstances, but their use is even more risky if you have hepatitis C. For example, anabolic steroid use can cause liver damage and liver tumors, MayoClinic.com warns. The damage to your liver can be quicker and more severe if it is already compromised. A diseased liver is also incapable of being able to remove harmful drugs from your system. Consult your doctor before taking any drugs or supplements.
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