So i got some rather bad news from the doctors after a few scans that I’ve likely got cancer in my right testicle and they are going to have to remove it. Luckily I’ve already got two kids but from what the doctors have said i won’t be lifting for a month afterwards. Also not sure on if i’ll need chemo or other treatment after the surgery which again will impact me.
Just wondering if there is much i can do to help keep muscle mass and strength? Was going to try and maintain a high protein diet and keep taking creatine. Looking for any other suggestions?
I’m also really worried about my testosterone levels dropping with only one ball. The consultant has said that this shouldn’t be an issue but after a lot of reading online (which is dangerous i know), there appear to be a lot of issues with low test following on from that type of surgery.
I’m not really sure the doctors I’ve spoke to really get that side of things and i don’t really know what to do. Hopefully some advice on here as i don’t really have anyone to talk to about this stuff.
I would talk to your doctor about functional electrical stimulation (FES) or electromusculat stimulation (EMS), and whether or not they’re appropriate
That said, from what I’ve learnt about cancer management (in physiotherapy), active metastases (cancers) are a contra-indication to most forms of exercise
Best of luck mate, I hope you have a speedy recovery
I wrote a stupid response on the go and then realized that i failed to read everything you said, so i deleted it, and now im back, haha.
Anyways, as far as muscle goes… No one loses muscle in 1 month. No one loses muscle in 1 month even with not enough protein.
Our species is built to survive long periods of time without eating. That would be real dead end of our evolution, if after 1 month of starvation our ancestors would lose muscle and couldnt hunt, or climb cliffs and mountains, and fight for food with other predators.
Every time life fucks me out of my training plans, i dont train.
1)Its a deload that you most likely need anyways
2)Your body will be in enough stress as it is - no need to put it under more stress.
3)Take this time to plan your future goals and training.
Now this is a different thing.
I would suggest you joining the dark side and go on at least permanent TRT. Fuck the one ball or two balls - they suck at making testosterone anyways.
Take your 1 month off, study on trt, blasting and cruising, and as soon as you heal up, lets see you in Pharma forum, and lets make you bigger and stronger than you have ever been.
TL;DR: Study had athletes taking 1000 IU vitamin D daily. The initial study was interrupted by covid closures, but the athletes who continued taking vitamin D fared better for muscle retention. It’s not a super concluding study, but there’s some reason to believe it could work.
Take vitamin D and don’t stay sedentary even walking will help. Doing partial exercises for whatever you can do that won’t impact recovery will fare far better than doing nothing.
In 1 month you will not atrophy to the point you are bed ridden but, you will most definitely lose muscle if you do not train for a month.
However, the muscle lost will be quickly regained. I would not try to rush anything. Eat a bit more protein than necessary, and make sure you recover the best you can i.e sleep, diet.
I do not agree at all.
1 month is not enough to lose tissue. You will lose pump, glycogen, water from the cells. Muscle that is not used, tends to “deflate”. You will also lose neurological abilities to fire these cells when needed(strenght). But i dont think you can lose a noticable amounts of tissue.
What is proven by what you said :
Its not the muscle that is easy regained, its water, salt, glycogen, and everything else that is in an active muscle cell what is regained. And neurological ability to use the muscle.
Just like when noobs start to train they can add a 5lbs plate on the bar each training session - they do not gain muscle, they LEARN to use the muscle they have.
Same with this… you gain back your active pump and you regain your neurological abilities and coordination for moving the muscle. That is what you regain.
I also do not agree on eating more protein.
Protein thats not used is just spent as expensive sugar.
If muscle is not stimulated to grow, and tissue is not being broken down, therefore needed to repair, protein is just wasted.
Why would extra protein matter for someone who is not training? How does that work? Protein is attached to muscle only when there is a need to repair it.
If we go by what you believe in - when you say that people lose muscle in 1 month, then eating more protein is even more of a waste.
If we go by your first logic of muscle loss, then eating LESS protein is needed because there is LESS and LESS to repair. So he doesnt train, he loses muscle, he needs less and less protein.
Just topping protein does not do anything for anyone. Even for people who train and use AAS, dont get anything out of eating MORE than needed.
Its just a common mental fuckup - we all see “protein” as “muscle”. In reality, only super small amount of protein is used for muscle, and any gram over what can be used, is just burned as energy.
@rugby_lifting, I’m sorry to hear it! Take care of this!
Listen, you’ve got two kids - fuck losing muscle mass; who cares? It’s a month or so; it’s not a big deal. You (likely) have cancer. It’s a very treatable cancer, so let’s focus on that and get it dealt with.
In terms of testosterone - that’s a bridge for future @rugby_lifting to cross. You’re typically not going to see if prescribed during this cancer treatment period, anyway. If you have an issue after, there’s certainly very-studied routes to go.
I’d follow whatever diet the oncologist recommends; it will likely be keto, as there is some data to suggest carbohydrates may help speed metastasis. In that case, it will default take care of what you were going to do anyway; that shouldn’t be a goal at all, though.
Take care of yourself! Get this dealt with and get back to a complete life!
Thanks all. If I’m honest I’m just shit scared about this whole thing. I’m scared if I’ll still be mr afterwards, it’s easier talking to a load of people on the internet than my friends.
For sure this is a terrifying time. I would prioritize my concerns.
The biggest priority is to rid your body of all cancer. It is always a good idea to get a second opinion, though it might be extremely obvious if someone has testicular cancer.
The removal of one testicle would mean that you will be left with only one testicle. You ask, will a single testicle be capable to pick up the slack that was previously performed by two. I know your case is not mine, but as an adolescent I got the mumps, and it dropped down on my left side. The mumps left my left testicle considerably smaller than the right one. Maybe the mumps didn’t affect testosterone production, I don’t know. But if it did, my right testicle picked up the slack. Give it a couple months and get your testosterone checked. If your testosterone too low, maybe your doctor will feel your are a good candidate for TRT.
Lastly, being required to not lift weights is the very least of your valid concerns. Muscle memory is remarkable.
Your role model could be Lance Armstrong. I know his character has been destroyed because he was caught cheating. But remember Lance lost a testicle to cancer and then became the most renown cyclist of all time. He is the only cyclist to win 7 Tour de France titles! What do you care that Lance was stripped of all seven titles? Your motto could be, “If Lance can, why can’t I?”
The C word is definitely scary but so is the idea of losing what you’ve worked hard for.
Regarding your first question:
Your muscle and strength will come back quick
Communicate! Tell your doctor about your exercise habits and how much you CAN do. Also ask exactly why lifting is not allowed.
I got major surgery three years ago. The doctors initially said 6 months of no lifting. After I told him what I could do, he renegotiated to 3 months but be careful. Then I asked him why lifting wasn’t allowed, he said that bending at the waist wjth force before the stent was put would cause internal scarring and undo the surgery. Knowing this, I realized I could still bench (without arch), do split squats and even light front squats after the incisions healed and I got the drain out (~2weeks)
TLDR: my “no lifting” time got cut from 6 months to 1 month (2 weeks in hospital+2 weeks for full incision healing)
There is likely SOMETHING you can do and it might even give you time to focus on weaknesses.