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RalphJackson

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Sep 5, 2014
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Learn about ALS
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US
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Ny
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Brooklyn
I have heard of ALS only through Lou Gehrig. I have seen the ice bucket challenges gain popularity recently. I am in college to be a physical trainer and have been working out excessively lifting heavy weights when I noticed fasciculations in my body and tremors when sleeping. I started to research ALS and of course got frightened. This is not the purpose of this thread however. Looking at various studies and cases of incidence I have realized that many individuals were very physically active at some stage in their lives. Now I realize that most people are at some point. What I am talking about here is marathon runners ,weight lifters, body building professionals, or collegiate athletes. I feel like there is some kind of link in conjunction with a certain gene of some type that triggers the ALS. Almost as if the physical exertion releases some time of a hormone or chemical into the body the connects with the gene and commences a breakdown of muscle tissue by signals sent neurologically . What I would like to know is how many of you were professional or collegiate athletes. How many of you pushed your bodies past it's limits physically? If you did how old were you when you were diagnosed? I don't know if a moderator will see this but this topic needs to be researched further and bought to someone's attention who can make a difference. I want this disease cured, I am very sensitive and compassionate about people affected and don't want anymore lives taken by this horrific disease.
 
This is a question that is being looked at in both the genetic studies I participate in. One in particular asked very specific questions for every 6 month period of my entire life along with diet environment occupation and hobbies. These are specific to familial ALS but they believe that lifestyle and environment issues carry over. fALS people can be studied before symptoms My sister and I both have genetic ALS. I was the one with the intense exercise history yet my onset was significantly later in age than my active but less athletic sister.
I don't personally see any value in trying to ask this of a very small group. There are a million confounding variables and yes it is one of the many questions that need to be answered
 
I don't personally see any value in trying to ask this of a very small group. There are a million confounding variables

Agreed. Not sure how seriously our members will take this, but you might get a few anecdotal stories.

Google "ALS in the military" and "ALS Italian soccer players" to get more confirmation of your theory.
 
I for one was very fit and active before ALS
 
How many of you pushed your bodies past it's limits physically?
Seriously? past it's limits? that actually boggled my mind!

My husband was never any kind of athlete or sportsman, not even sport in his youngest school years.

He was fit and active however.

As Nikki says, we are too small a group to poll on this. But it has occurred to researchers and hopefully with ice bucket donations there will be more research projects sprouting.
 
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