Wow, don't know about transplants. I had my right kidney removed after I broke it in a play ground accident at age 5. I'm thinking that since I grew up with one, it grew and adapted to do the job it needed to. I've had no problems, despite not taking very good care of it in my teens and twenties. I'm 56 now. I'm really interested in reading answers to your question. Good luck with everything. Kurt

Not a kidney transplant, and not a triathlon, but at least tangentially related: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23079269

I'm not a doctor (not even close) so I'm not going to even hazard a guess at this, but have you gone for a second opinion? If you've already done quite a few triathlons, including an IM, it would be educational to see how your transplanted kidney is doing after all of those triathlons.

Okay, I'll hazard a guess, but take it for what it is: If the worry is hydration and hydration only, then if you nail your hydration throughout a race, wouldn't that be sufficient?

hm, did the doctor actually notice any damage, or was she just postulating?

If the latter, you should ask what kind of detection, if any, there is for that damage, and then see if you have incurred any damage yet. it seems to me that if you haven't incurred any yet, then continuing training and racing as you are now shouldn't be a problem. I'm not a doctor though.

If she did see damage, then I guess you need to weigh the risks (kidney failure) with the benefits (racing).

Take some extra bi carb. Carry some salt stick and drink. You will be fine. With the meds you are on triathlon is the lesser of two evils. Gaining weight from the steroids will kill you too. Enjoy your second life!

Manny,

Congrats on your kidney transplant success.

12 year liver transplant recipient here. I started to get into triathlons about 2 years after transplant, and when I asked my surgeon if he was OK with it, he said yes, but make sure to stay hydrated. One of the meds that I am on puts some stress on my kidneys, so I drink a lot of water and other fluids during and after training. Fast forward 10 years, I've worked pretty hard and completed 9 Ironman races, and was lucky to qualify for Kona at IMLP in 2009. I do many other races as well - lots of sprint tris and running races. I swear it helps keep me healthy and alive and plan on racing as long as I can.

I am surprised at the variety of opinions I have gotten from different doctors on many questions I've had post transplant, so I would get a second opinion if I were you. Do you get routine blood tests? Can you monitor you creatinine (kidney function) count to see how it reacts to the training? I was under the assumption that building muscle mass, such as through weightlifting, puts strain on the kidneys, which is one of the reasons I switched over to triathlons after surgery - too much time lifting weights was causing my creatinine counts to be too high.

Good luck and stay strong.

Thanks everybody for the responses. I am pursuing a second opinion. A kidney doc at Mayo who has done IMOO a few times. My most recent labs showed creatnine is a tick above baseline and the rest of my labs are basically the same they have been for years. Interesting comment re weight lifting I have heard this as well. I dont do much of lifting outside of off season maintance appropriate for my age. I know I need to be hyper diligent re hydration. Thanks again.

I am functioning on 2/3rds of one kidney. My creatnine is 1.3 - so not great but good considering how much kidney I have left. I just did B2B last week. Get a second opinion.

Hello
My buddy/coach has had a kidney transplant. I'm gonna make him aware of this post. Maybe he can help you out.
Bryan

http://www.etacoach.com/...cise%20Scientist.pdf

Coach Jason's bio

Great story...think this was meant for Manny...I haven't had a transplant, just Kidney cancer. May have to have a transplant someday but right now working fine on 2/3rds of just one kidney.

Be certain that the doc considers your kidney function normal. If so, carry on.
Avoid training and racing in warm conditions because renal blood flow diminishes during prolonged exercise in the heat. Temporary renal shut down is not uncommon in IM events. Whether this damages the kidneys is unclear, but a good idea would be to get tests for uremia-specific markers on a regular basis.

I was diagnosed with type one diabetes in 1985. Always participated in 5ks/10ks, then in the early '90's I started Sprint & Oly triathlons.
In 2005, I received a pancreas transplant. No more insulin, but yes, I'm on immusupressants. About 6 months after my transplant, I wanted to do a duathlon, but I talked to my doctor and he said due to the high temps, he advised me not to...yet. His worry was dehydration. Fast forward to '13 and I've done multiple 13.1's and this year two 70.3's. He still stresses to stay hydrated to not stress out my kidney's. My fluids of choice are H2O, Powerade Zero, and OJ.

J Gers....congrats, you're doing great!

ramafakal...its tough to go against your doctors wishes, but like mentioned, I agreed it helps physically & mentally to race. Take care.

I'm probably the closest to answering your question without having had a kidney transplant. I have a very rare kidney condition called Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus, which I have had from birth. In a nutshell, I consume about 2-3 gallons of liquid per day (when not training/racing) due my kidneys not regulating properly. In order to regulate my intake and excretion, I take a diuretic, and I take Potassium Chloride to replace lost potassium.

I have had Nephrologist's dispense their prudent medical advice (CYA) and say to me that it would be too risky for me to compete in any length of triathlon, only to find out I was racing Oly's successfully at a competitive level. When they found out, their tune changed to "well, just listen to your body...and make sure you hydrate properly". They did recommend that I don't compete in IM's due to length, but this was back in the late 80's (my early 20's) when that side of the sport was just a toddler. Even though I trained close to those distances, I never had aspirations to do IM's. However, as I have entered my mid-40's, I pursue marathons and ultra marathons, and my current Nephrologist looks at me as an oddball - this may be because most of his patients are on dialysis or he expects guys his/my age to not be in such great shape.

Personally, someone with kidney issues like we have, is better equipped physically to handle the stress placed on our kidneys. I wouldn't let what 1, 2 or 10 docs tell you that you can't, because there really isn't a doctor out there who could give you a correct answer. Only you and your body will know. I say go for it!

I'm 5 years post kidney transplant. I am not a lifetime athlete, but good physical condition. My wife drug me into tria and I was hooked. My nephrologist and transplant team were both very supportive and said I couldn't damage the graft kidney through exercise. I finished a 70.3 last year. I am on a prednisone, Myfortic, and rapamune regimen. When loading up before the 70.3 my rapa levels went from a stable clinical level to just a trace. After miscommunications this went on for a few weeks and my creatinine rose. After finishing the race a biopsy revealed cellular rejection even though there were no signs of protein or any other negative symptom. Without many examples of transplant patients "becoming endurance athlette's" we weren't sure if it was putting on more muscle etc. I basically quit working out and 6 months later I still have elevated creatnine but no protein, etc. my team of docs are still supportive of my goal to race a full IM. Only suggestion is staying on top of hydration and closely monitoring labs. I'd be interested if you have any updates on your findings.

I am 10+ years out from a kidney transplant - I was the donor. Did my first 1/2 IM 8 weeks after the transplant and have not had any issues. I see the kidney doc once a year for a checkup and that's it. In the past 10 years I have done a bunch of 1/2s, 15+ marathons and 6 IMs. But, perhaps I have been fortunate? The kidney recipient started running about 5 years ago and now has a bunch of 1/2 marathons, marathons and a few ultras. I think it all boils down to the individual but the kidney donation itself does not preclude any of these activities. Not very helpful, but listen to your doc. Or get a 2nd opinion.

More details on my transplant at johnfmartin.net.

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John F. Martin, Jr.
+1 (614) 403-0567
jfm225@gmail.com

There have been pro athletes(nba) with kidney transplants. Just offering that factoid.

reviving this old thread because i'm doing some research....

Thanks -- that website is the best explanation of a living donor transplant I've seen --- Wow THANKS! -

his website (or actually I think it's his son's website)---> johnfmartin.net

Still going strong.
Cycling across Oregon next week.

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John F. Martin, Jr.
+1 (614) 403-0567
jfm225@gmail.com