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Fouad Abiad is a former Canadian professional bodybuilder of Lebanese descent. He was one of the faces of the sport in Canada in late 2000s after being named the Overall Champion at the Canadian National Championships in 2006.
Following the aforementioned feat, Abiad made appearances in various professional shows across North America, including the Arnold Classic.
On a recent episode of Straight Outta The Lair, Abiad, in conversation with former Welsh bodybuilder Flex Lewis, revealed the reason for his retirement after the Arnold Classic in 2017. He cited the kidney struggles he faced during his time competing and his fear of being put on dialysis in the future as the main reasons that pushed him to call it a day.
Fouad Abiad stated:
"I don’t want to end up on dialysis when I’m 55 or something. For those who don’t know, your kidneys are going to degenerate as you get older regardless of what you do."
Fouad Abiad on his retirement
From 2013 to 2016, Abiad really seemed as though he was hitting his peak with four top 3 finishes and two victories in seven competitions. However, he retired in 2017 after finishing sixth in the Arnold Classic. Speaking about his struggles with the health of his kidneys and his spouse, he said:
"It was a major reason why I retired, There were physical injuries, tears, and stuff like my tricep tendon. But the main issue is I want to be around for my wife. We don’t have kids. It’s me and her. I don’t want to leave her alone."
Fouad Abiad then talked about what is being done to maintain the function of his kidneys:
"We’re doing stem cells for my kidneys. There’s been some really good studies done on kidney regeneration through stem cells. So, I’m going to go that route in February and have him do that because your kidneys don’t regenerate."
"There’s no supplements you can take. There’s no diet you can be on. Once they’re scarred, they’re scarred. This is kind of like a last chance. I’m in a place now where they are good"
Stem cell therapy uses particular types of cells that play a significant role in kidney healing by replacing damaged kidney tissue and reducing inflammation.
Fouad Abiad then talked about how important it is to keep tabs on health throughout an athlete's career:
"I don’t express these things for sympathy. I express these things because hopefully some 25 year old kid out there that wants to be a pro is not thinking it’s do or die. I want people to realize that there is a way to mitigate your issues so that you can continue to bodybuilding and love the sport."
"No one says healthy but it can be healthier than the way I did it. A lot of bodybuilders bury their head in the sand and pretend they’re fine, which is what I did too. You don’t have to. There’s so much now too."
Finally, Fouad Abiad made it very clear that he is done with the sport for good and will not be returning to the professional stage:
"Even if I do stem cells and my kidneys are fine, I’m not ever going to compete again."
