Should people with kidney disease run?

According to Dr. Vo Thi Kim Thanh, Deputy Head of the Nephrology - Dialysis Department, Urology - Nephrology - Andrology Center, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, the kidneys function to filter blood to excrete toxins and excess substances from the body through urine, helping to stabilize electrolytes, blood pressure, and blood pH. The kidneys also participate in blood formation and bone metabolism.

Kidney failure is a condition where the kidneys no longer filter blood effectively, leading to a disruption of their functions and causing dangerous levels of fluid, electrolytes, and waste products to accumulate in the body. This affects the quality of life and threatens the patient's life.

Regular, moderate physical activity helps reduce the risk of high blood pressure. (Illustrative image)

Chronic kidney disease is divided into five stages based on the progressively decreasing glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). A glomerular filtration rate of approximately 60-89 ml/min/1.73 m2 indicates relatively effective kidney function. When a decrease in glomerular filtration rate is detected, patients are screened and advised on appropriate nutrition and lifestyle to control and prevent disease progression.

Doctors recommend that patients exercise regularly during this period, as it helps improve blood circulation and metabolism, which is beneficial for kidney function.

A 2019 study by Chinese scientists showed that glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in non-dialysis patients with chronic kidney disease increased by 2.62 ml/min/1.73 m2 of skin surface area after moderate-intensity exercise. Regular moderate physical activity helps reduce the risk of hypertension, a factor that exacerbates the severity of chronic kidney disease.

However, running or running a marathon is a high-intensity, strenuous sport that can increase serum creatine kinase (an enzyme), myoglobin (a protein that reflects the degree of kidney damage), and creatinine (an indicator of kidney filtration function) levels in the urine.

A small study by a group of American scientists published in 2022 showed that marathon runners experience acute kidney damage.

Nhu Loan

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/bi-suy-than-co-nen-chay-bo-ar902444.html