Hey guys, my father has always been strenghttraining, 1year ago he has been diagnosed with kidney failure, and for 3months he has been on hemodialysis. By a surgery, a fistula was put in his right arm so that they can dialyse him. My question is whether is it safe to train while on hemodialysis. He has lost a significant amount of mucle mass, and he would feel a lot better if he could gain it back. One of the doctors told him he could go to the gym, but the other said he was not advised to lift more than 2kg’s with the right arm. What is your take on that subject guys?
Yes, it is very important for hemodialysis patients train, as there are numerous complex metabolic consequences to kidney disease that result in muscle and bone wasting, as well as increased risk of cardiovascular disease. I wrote about this in our UpToDate article, so here are a few references on the topic.
I cannot provide direct recommendations regarding the use of his arm with the AV fistula, unfortunately.