Diabetes and muscle mass. Please help.

[EddyRay]

Hey guys,
So since mid-December (around 2.5 months ago) I started developing symptoms of what I now have come to find may actually be diabetes. I wake up several times during the night to urinate, sometimes my mouth is dry as sandpaper. At first I thought I was just drinking a lot of water which was causing this, but I adjusted and it stayed the same.

Last Tuesday I felt like sh*t, hungry as hell, tired, sickly, I thought I was suffering a bout of overtraining. I took a few days off from the gym. This has solved nothing. Over the past few days my hunger is through the roof, my energy levels have plummeted, and I am still suffering the need to p*ss several times a night.

The strange thing is that I've made gains since the first symptoms started (the late night toilet visits), I've made some relatively good strength gains in the last month, but I feel that these are still not optimal, one obvious reason being that I'm not getting solid nights of sleep. What I'd like to know is this:

Is it possible to develop muscle during the developing stages of diabetes, to Any extent? If not then it would seem obvious that I don't have it. If so, then it is still a possibility. I'm booking a doctor's appointment to get it checked out tomorrow, but I don't know if I'll get one the same day. If someone has experience with this I'd appreciate some feedback. Thank you, gentlemen.

 

[kanakafarian]

Yeah, you'll never know unless you get your blood checked. Be prepared for two blood draws from the same spot within an hour or two apart. And that arm will be bruised like a mofo for a week.

To answer your question: yes, it's possible to develop muscle with diabetes. My friend has been diabetic almost his entire adulthood and he's monster! He's on gluco****e and a couple other diabetes meds (can't remember which) but still eats and trains as normal, of course watching his carb/sugar intake.

 

[EddyRay]

As ever, thanks for the response, man. I was actually thinking about the fact that I have gained a little muscle, just not that much. The main question on my mind is that if I do indeed have diabetes and am not receiving treatment, I wonder if I'd still be building at all...?

I guess I'll find out tomorrow. Now looking forward to it even less after what you told me! Sounds as though you've been tested as well? Did you have the symptoms I've mentioned?

Definitely good to hear that your friend is diabetic and still managing to make some good gains though, it's definitely given me a peace of mind.

 

[kanakafarian]

I get bloodwork done every year for my annual physical. Last year I had a lot of the symptoms of diabetes (dry mouth, constant urination, always tired) and got paranoid so I went to check for diabetes. Luckily it came back negative.

 

[Pounditz]

Here is the deal, and i speak from experience.
If you suspect you may have diabetes, (type 1 i imagine bc you are young.) do whatever you can to avoid working out for the simple fact your blood sugar is not being regulated. Working out when your blood sugar is out of control has many BAD effects going on, like your muscles are NOT hydrated and consequently not intaking glucose for repair, your kidneys and liver are freaking out and its pretty much a gurantee that you have ketoacidosis.

I have personally made the mistake of riding my bike too hard at the trails when i did not realize my blood sugar level was sky high, this resulted in horrible cramps, headache and at the point of me realizing what was wrong, throwing up. Not a fun way to spend your workout and also its just proof of the damage being done in your body.
If you do have diabetes, one of the main thing to understand is that the symptoms of headaches, dry mouth, uncontrollable thirst, irritability, etc. all simply mean your body is pissed at the current state it is in, and its up to you to pay attention to the warning signs and fix it as quickly as possible. Trust me, you are going to be paying a lot of attention to your body's needs from this point on. Not hard, just requires commitment, to life…. best of health.

Let us know what you find out.

 

[EddyRay]

I admire your strength and resolve, Pounditz. Building muscle is already an ordeal that requires a great deal of discipline, it obviously takes that much more for you.
Most people don't realise that they're actually quite lucky.
Thank you for this information, it is of great value to me. I actually went for a blood test this morning after not having eaten for 10 hours. The result showed that I have a glucose level of 4.6, which as I'm told is healthy. The doctor was intrigued by this as I do have a lot of the symptoms associated with diabetes, all the ones you mentioned in fact. Alongside this, my dad is diabetic. It all adds up, except for the crucial factor of the sugar levels. It's really quite strange. I am submitting a sample for urinalysis on Wednesday morning (first oppurtunity I will have), I should know more shortly after that. I'll be sure to update this post when I do. I guess I'll be abstaining from exercise until I have the all-clear as my doctor didn't rule out diabetes altogether. I think I can assume it's not the case, but by the sounds of it I shouldn't really risk it. Thanks again for the replies, guys.

 

[bigzach1234]

hell yes.. the only diabetic i know that lifts is damn monster.. ****ing gigantic... he doesnt use any aas .. just his insulin... so u know how that goes

 

[EddyRay]

hell yes.. the only diabetic i know that lifts is damn monster.. ****ing gigantic... he doesnt use any aas .. just his insulin... so u know how that goes

Hahaha, right you are, man. Depending on how you utilize your medication, I guess diabetes can give you an edge as well...

 

[southpaw23]

Those could also be signs of metabolic syndrome/insulin resistance, not necessarily diabetes...yet. I've suffered through the same exact symptoms. I was able to deal with them over the course of a year, by really changing my dietary habits. If you have a history of diabetes in your family, which I do have, then you may suffer from issues related to impaired insulin function. I really cut out carbs from my diet and compensated by upping my fat intake, in the form of fish/krill/olive oils. I feel energetic for the most part and have managed to effectively cope with the symptoms, primarily because of my diet and training programs. Up the protein and up the fat, it worked for me. Good luck.

 

[EddyRay]

Those could also be signs of metabolic syndrome/insulin resistance, not necessarily diabetes...yet. I've suffered through the same exact symptoms. I was able to deal with them over the course of a year, by really changing my dietary habits. If you have a history of diabetes in your family, which I do have, then you may suffer from issues related to impaired insulin function. I really cut out carbs from my diet and compensated by upping my fat intake, in the form of fish/krill/olive oils. I feel energetic for the most part and have managed to effectively cope with the symptoms, primarily because of my diet and training programs. Up the protein and up the fat and it worked for me. Good luck.

Excellent suggestion, I'm going to take this information to my doctor. Thanks a lot, man. Repped.

 

[kanakafarian]

Excellent suggestion, I'm going to take this information to my doctor. Thanks a lot, man. Repped.

So you didn't get your bloodwork done yet?

 

[EddyRay]

So you didn't get your bloodwork done yet?

I did, it came back as blood sugar 4.6. They said I tested negative for diabetes... But still couldn't tell me what I actually Do have. :dunno:

 

[southpaw23]

I did, it came back as blood sugar 4.6. They said I tested negative for diabetes... But still couldn't tell me what I actually Do have. :dunno:

I really believe it's insulin resistance/metabolic syndrome.