Toney Freeman is a former bodybuilder. While focusing on health is important for all bodybuilders, Freeman learned about health the hard way after finding that he had a parasitic infection.
Throughout our time watching pro athletes it’s become very clear just how important bloodwork is for lifters. In order to get the best physique, bodybuilders need to treat their body as a machine and alter every little part. Of course, sometimes these alternations can lead to health risks.
Consultations with doctors are important to maintain a healthy lifestyle in the long term. For Toney Freeman, when he did finally consult a doctor to check his health, he found out more than we was hoping for. In his consultation, he discovered he had a parasite living inside his body. A kidney worm that was leaching nutrients out of him.
His story is recounted here:
He goes on to explain this was the cause of his depleted energy and other health issues during his time as a professional bodybuilder.
After the parasite was found, he was able to take action to remove it from his system. But more importantly, this event changed his entire view of how bodybuilding works. He made it his mission to test his entire body to find his problems and improve his overall health.
While this was not the primary reason for his retiring from the sport of bodybuilding – it was one factor that led him down a different path.
While some retired bodybuilders continue to work on staying massive, Freeman switched back to a smaller size. He says he understands that keeping mass for too long can lead to long term health problems. And after his parasite nightmare, he wants to put health ahead of muscle.