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Can Gout Be Triggered By Activity?

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Gwalch

New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 05 Dec 2006
Posts: 8
Location: Seattle

Posted: 01-22-08 07:34am

Exercise definitely does it to me. In fact, for a few years before I was diagnosed, I had some symptoms that would appear after beginning to exercise (sharp pains in foot when I woke up that went away after I warmed up) after being out of shape for a while. At the time, I figured it was because I'm kind of a big guy (210-220 pounds when in decent shape) and ran on less than ideal terrain, but in hindsight they were probably warning signs that I was developing gout.

I have discovered something called "soda-loading" that athletes use before an intense competition. The amount of lactic acid that builds up in the blood from heavy exercise can cause serious fatigue and less efficient removal of waste, so athletes take large doses of baking soda before races as a ph buffer. Something like 5 teaspoons. Tests were done, and it was shown that 800 meter runners gained a significant advantage (several seconds) from soda loading. The 800 is a grueling race that combines both aerobic and anaerobic ability, so it builds up a lot of lactic acid from the combination of effort and time.

My guess would be that the combination of acid formation from lactic acid and carbonic acid, stress to the joint and dehydration caused by exercise could all contribute to gout. But this doesn't mean you can't exercise -- only that you should be careful and take precautions. Perhaps take a teaspoon of baking soda in water before exercise (ask doctor first), be careful to rehydrate after you have finished, and then take a warm footbath and a little more baking soda before bed. If you're really worried maybe take a couple hundred milligrams of ibuprofen before going to bed, too. I've found that a half teaspoon of baking soda and 200 milligrams of ibuprofen before bed is usually enough to avoid a gout attack even if I feel one coming on.

BTW, has anyone noticed that taking baking soda decreases one's craving for salt? I hardly salt my food at all when using it. I'm actually starting to wonder whether the practice of using table salt doesn't contribute to gout, because it substitutes for natural sources of sodium that are found in more alkaline food and water. I think JYY2 may be on to something that has implications far beyond just gout.
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Panache

New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 20 Jan 2008
Posts: 2
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Posted: 05-15-08 19:43pm

I haven't had an attack since my last post, 4 months ago! I didn't use baking soda and am off allorpurinol. In fact, I am hydrating less than before and am not getting attacks!

All I had to do was monitor my heart rate and keep it from going beyond 160 during aerobic exercises. This apparently prevents the extreme fatigue that triggers high uric-acid production in my body.

I would encourage every gout sufferer who exercise regularly to try this too!
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tommytowne

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Joined: 06 May 2008
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Location: Redlands, CA USA
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Posted: 05-19-08 02:28am

I have had gout since my early 20's and I am now 34. Whenever I twist an ankle I get an attack. Whenever I walk a long distance and get sore knees or feet I get an attack. If a carry something heavy and twist my wrist I get an attack. I hate not being able to exersize and play sports/martial arts etc. I am always carefull to not over exery myself.
I just signed up for a water aerobics and water weight lifting class at the YMCA and start in a few days. I am very excited about losing weight and regaining strength. I will let you all know how it goes.
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painfree

Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 14 Nov 2004
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Posted: 05-19-08 08:07am

I have seen a medical journal paper that reports that one effect of anaerobic exercise (as opposed to aerobic exercise) is the cellular overproduction of xanthine oxidase, which is a link in the chemical chain that leads to overproduction of uric acid. Thus, it is possible that anaerobic exercise can lead to a gout attack in some people.

Exercise can also lead to a gout attack by another means. In earlier gout attacks, the body stopped the attack by stopping the immune system's chemical sensing of the presence of monosodium urate crystals by forming a coating around those crystals. Exercise can rupture that coating, so that the presence of MSU is again detected, initiating the immune system's inflammasome respone that causes more gout pain and inflammation.
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