blood test abnormalities while weight training

Where to from here:

Had a routine blood test that showed 'elevated' liver enzymes.

SGOT (AST) = 55 SGPT (ALT) = 98

Doctor recommended liver ultra sound and blood panel for hepatitis. Both checked out negative.

Any ideas on what else could be causing the 'problem'.

I started weight lifting (3 times a week) a few months ago and increased my protein intake to about 250 grams per day. Has anyone else had similar results and should I be concerned?

What is the lab range for normal?? Those don't really seem that elevated to me. Remember that so called normal values are normal for 95% of the population. Perhaps you are just one of the 5% who falls outside the normal range. If anything they are only mildly elevated. It would probably have been a good idea to first repeat the blood test and compare results. Your doctor will probably (or should) want to repeat the test in a year or so to see if the values continue to increase.

One common cause of elevated liver enzymes is alcohol abuse. Are you a boozer?? Did you drink a lot of alcohol before having the test. Alcohol can cause a transient increase in these liver enzymes.

250 grams?? How much do you weigh. Unless you are well over 250 pounds it sounds like you are ingesting an excessive amount of protein. Of course this may not have anything to do with your elevated liver enzymes.

Has anyone else had similar

I would ask your doctor that question instead of the intellectuals on MFW)

Thanks Roger...

Normal values for that particular lab were;

8 to 40 for SGOT (AST) = 55 0 to 40 for SGPT (ALT) = 98

and no booze, ever...zip...

I weigh 177...

Were the values repeated?? How old are you?? Did you ever have these tests done before?? If so what were their values?? Do you work/live in a chemical industry or around chemicals??

If this is the first time you had the test then I think it important that they be repeated immediately. Lab errors do happen sometimes.

Your SGOT is only borderline elevated. In any case this enzyme is not specific for the liver. It is found in kidneys, pancreas, heart and muscles. Working out strenuously could elevate this enzyme to some degree.

The SGPT is specific to the liver and is moderately elevated. It definitely should be repeated if has not already been done so and be regularly monitored to see if there is a trend upward. A baseline value would be helpful but you may not have one.

Good luck.

He was talking to Roger. Whose advice you would be well advised to take with a large, perhaps boulder sized, grain of salt as he has zip, zero, nada, no credibility whatsoever in this forum.

My husband has elevated liver enzymes as well, with no apparent cause (he doesn't drink more than a beer a month... poor guy). These elevated levels seem to run in his family (he's Portuguese).

This is not to say that you have the same thing, but I would definitely double check with your doc as to what the cause might be. My husband has been given the go-ahead to lift and low-carb while the doc is doing more research into his condition.

You might want to see a Gastroenterologist - he/she might have more info for you.

You also forgot to tell him that liver enzyme/protein panels are influenced by exercise.

CK, CRP, SHBGs, etc.

Guess you aren't an 'intellectual' either.

Elzi

Bioinformatics: 'What is a sheep; only millions of little bits of sheepness whirling around and doing intricate convolutions inside the sheep? What else is it but that?' -Flann O'Brien, 'The Third Policeman'

I did?? Perhaps you missed my following comments:

Never said I was. Thanx for your important contribution to this discussion. I see you fit right in to this esteemed group))

For those who are interested this response by gps is a classic ad hominem argument. He does not at all deal with any of the content of my post wrt questions about liver tests. Instead he makes a personal attack in order to question my credibility.

People are often accused of making ad hominem arguments when what they really are doing is just flaming or insulting someone. In this case it is the real deal.

Thanx gps for providing such an excellent example of an ad hominem argument.

Now would you like to address any of my comments regarding liver enzyme tests which you think were mistaken?? Or would you rather be silent and be thought a fool rather than to open your mouth and remove all doubt??

I know gps. I am an ass. Feel better??

There is no problem. SGOT and SGPT are often elevated in people who workout and are not a cause for concern. Most docs don't know that. If you want to make the doc happy, take a week or two off from working out, lower your protein intakes, and retest.

Wrong!! SGOT, it is true, is not specific to the liver and can be elevated due to exercise. However SGPT is specific to the liver and will NOT be elevated from exercise.

You are truly an (fill in the blank) to tell this fellow that there is no problem and it is not a cause for concern. There *may* be a cause for concern.You only know what this fellow has posted here and yet you are making major assumptions. The moderate elevation in the SGPT may be clinically significant and should be followed up.

This is one good reason not to necessarily trust the advice of anonymous internet posters and to check with your personal doctor. That was my point to which David Cohen went bonkers.

Most docs don't know that.

Because it is not true for SGPT.

If

This will have no effect on SGPT. I do however agree that retesting should be done since lab error is more common than you think.