medicines - muscles

Question

Hello,

I am the mother of an almost 16 years old boy with cystic fibrosis. He practices an average of 17 hours of sport per week (school and soccer in club). For a while, he often suffers from various injuries, especially contracture (thigh and back). His physio asked me to inform me whether his injuries would be of metabolic order. On whether the pancreatic enzymes he takes could be of influence ? Knowing that he only takes this treatment together with the vitamins ADEK. His muscle problems are they related to something else?? In advance thank you very much

Answer

Hello,
Your son practices sport intensively and your question raises several other questions: Does he drink enough and adds supplemental drinks as recommended (physical exertion + dehydration linked to cystic fibrosis), does he takes extra salt sufficiently, what about his energy intake compared to the recommended 120-140% of the diet for his age, and did he performe an exercise test to measure his oxygenation capacity ?
For everyone adolescence is a challenging period for the skeleton and muscles due to significant growth, and specifically for cystic fibrosis recent studies have showned that cystic fibrosis may have an impact on muscle function:
- A slower muscle recovery after exercise.
- A muscular fatigue, objectified during physical exertion of the lower limbs, due more to a lack of contractility of the muscle fiber rather than missing transmission of nerve impulses controlling the contraction or relaxation.

In conclusion, cystic fibrosis may indeed play a role in the increase of pain or muscle pain, eg related to dehydration or lack of minerals. However, the intensive practice of your son, who must be encouraged in his practice, should also be followed in collaboration between experts in sports medicine and your CF team.

Sincerely,
Claudine Lejosne

07.04.2011