Liver Conditions Archives

Liver Enzymes

I'm hoping you can answer a question. I'm a cyclist training 6 days a week. I recently had a blood test that showed my liver enzymes AST at 178 (normal is 5-45) and ALT
at 153 (normal is 5-59), CPK was at 1300. Tests for all types of hepatitis were negative. I had a biopsy 9 years ago that was also negative. My enzymes have been at this elevated level since they were first tested about 10 years ago. I've read a few journals/articles on the Web that say muscle break down during vigorous exerices can release these enzymes into the blood stream making it look like there's something wrong with the liver when there really isn't. Could this be the reason for the constantly elevated enzymes? If not, what
else could be the cause?

Follow Ups:

• Re: Liver Enzymes (Archive.) Walt Stoll 08:56:41 8/18/01 (0)

In Reply to: Liver Enzymes posted by Lorenzo Ciolfi on August 16, 2001 at 09:16:12:

Hi, Lorenzo.

Does your lab know that you are a cyclist in training? Muscle cells have the same enzymes inside them (albeit of lower concentration) as the liver cells to. SO, if you gave up cycling for a week, and THEN repeated the tests, I will bet that they would be normal.

It is amazing to me that your docs have not told you that! I cannot imagine that they do not know. If they really do not, you are going to 19th century docs and need better.

Besides, all you are getting checked are "liver death enzymes"--which is why the connection to muscle cell turnover. If you got modern actual "liver function tests" you would not have to stop exercising for a week to see that I am right. See the link to gsdl for how to find a doc near you who is practicing 21st century medicine.

Let us know what you learn.

Walt