Question
Can I do body-building if I have HIV?
12 August 2010. Related: All topics, Supplements and herbs, Support.
Hello there,
First of all thank you all very for the wonderful work you are doing.
I was a bodybuilder before I got diagnosed HIV positive. It took me some time but somehow with the right amount of support and help I managed to come to terms with the fact.
I noticed life hasn’t changed much, I just am a little bit more concerned about my health, I’m not on treatment yet and was told that it would still take a couple of years before I needed to start.
So I just wanted to know if it would be possible for me to keep on with my weight lifting? Will I be able to gain muscle mass like before or is the fact of being HIV positive limit me in any way in that particular field? I was told it was great to exercise and all that but still, will it be just the same as before or will my body react differently now that I am positive?
Thank you very much for your help and keep the good work going.
Answer
Thank you for your question.
It is good to hear that you have come to terms with your diagnosis.
There is no reason why you shouldn’t continue bodybuilding. Your body should be able to gain muscle in the same way as it has before. Being HIV positive should not limit you at all. Exercising and keeping healthy is very good for your body’s immune system.
If you take any supplements to build muscles such as steroids then you should mention this to your HIV doctor when you begin medication because some HIV treatments interact with steroids and other supplements.
Hello, thank you first of all for the helpful tips out here, i have been under control for hepatitis b virus for the past 9 years and was doing extremly well, and just last month September 2016 i diagnosed hiv which am coping with already with the help of God, i started treatment already with Genvoya given the fact that am coinfected, i have excelent cd4 count 750 and viral load 1040, only that the hbv was elevated due to the new virus. Now my problem is loosing of muscle from my waist to the down legs and in my arms, just berely one month and my huge muscle body is gone, please help me, what exactly should i do to atleast bounce back again very quickly with good looking and fitting in terms of muscle, i want to regain my muscles, my overall weight didn’t reduce much just some 5 kg loss but the issue is muscle, please help me, is it to take any kind of supplement and gym or is it a specific treatment that i need? waits to reading you soon. thanks.
Hi Kennedy,
Septrin is an antibiotic that’s used to treat – or guard against – bacterial infections such as pneumonia. However, HIV treatment (ART) is the only way to boost your immune system.
This service gives information about ART, and includes drug interactions that could happen if you are taking other meds for reasons other than HIV.
But you can talk to the clinic about what body building supplements you are taking and if there could be an interaction with Septrin.
Hi, I have been training for long and I was diagnosed with HIV almost a year. I’m depending on supplements to boost my weight and body size and noticed that my CD4 is increasing while for now I’m only using septrin, my question is is there any supplements interacting with septrin.
Hi Vuyisani
What is your CD4 count? If it is low – below 350 – then another infection could be causing the wieght loss.
Once your TB is stable – after a few weeksof TB treatment – you can then start HIV treatment (ART).
This should help you gain wieght again but please talk to your doctor.
I’ve been diagnosed with his and soon after with tb and started taking tb medication but not yet arv but I am loosing weight quickly.
Hi,
Using steroids can lead to interactions between them and your HIV meds. Without knowing which specific meds you are on a can’t give you more detail. Before using them you should have a discussion with your doctor of clinic about the risk involved and any potential drug interactions.
A similar question has been answered in more detail here:
http://i-base.info/qa/6505
I was diagnosed last year October 2013 I am on treatment I accepted my situation. All I want to know is can I use steroids to gain muscles and how will they affect my current situation??
Hello,
Are you on treatment? If you have lost a lot of weight without trying to please speak to your doctor. Weight loss can be caused by HIV itself or by other infections.
sir,iam 27 yrs old iam hiv positive person .what type of food i need to get normal beings weight
I am a bodybuilder, diagnosed 2 years ago, just started treatment for H|IV and nothing has changed for me, I am still pumping iron and making big gains. I am thriving and feel better than ever!! take care