Bodybuilder Mike Sommerfeld continues to surprise fans after his epic 2024 Mr. Olympia showing. In a recent YouTube video shared on November 8, 2024, Sommerfeld opened up about his rare vampire sickness called Porphyria Variegata, revealing that his skin once peeled off in the sun as a result of the ailment.
The 2024 Classic Physique Olympia contest delivered twists, turns, and high drama. In the end, Chris Bumstead secured his sixth consecutive Classic Physique Olympia title but endured a hard-fought battle against Mike Sommerfeld, who finished runner-up. Only three points separated the two bodybuilders on the official scorecards.
Mike Sommerfeld Talks Rare Vampire ‘Gene Disease’ That Makes His Skin Peel Off In The Sun
With Chris Bumstead retiring from Classic Physique to move into the Open, Sommerfeld is now the number one contender to take home gold next year. Little did fans know that he’s had to navigate his career carefully due to an incredibly rare genetic disease, which also has affected how he approaches his performance-enhancing drug protocols.
“This is called Porphyria Variegata. It is very rare, so 0.0000001 percent of people have this type of gene sickness, gene disease and these people live mostly in South Africa.
So, I am literally one in a million here in Europe and the first time I really noticed it was in 2018 when I turned pro. I was walking outside in the sun and my skin started to burn, like almost chemically, super bad, super painful. I was 24.”
Sommerfeld had no idea what was wrong with him and described how his skin was literally peeling off his body.
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“I didn’t realize what it is and I was starting to scratch my skin and I noticed that I had my skin like pulling off everywhere and my skin was like paper, I could just pull it off and nobody knew what it is.”
Eventually, doctors determined that he is unable to produce hemoglobin properly, which led to a build-up of toxins that his liver has to process.
“They found out that my body is not able to produce hemoglobin properly. To produce hemoglobin properly, you have to have seven of the following steps, and the seventh one is not working properly. So, every time my body is producing hemoglobin and blood cells, there is some toxin that builds up and my liver has to filter it, but at that stage, six years ago in prep, low foods, like hard diet, it went really crazy.”
Since Mike Sommerfeld has been diagnosed with vampire sickness, he revealed that it has an impact on his steroid cycle, causing him to only use TRT for most of the year.
“It’s definitely negative. Definitely negative. As we talked honest, my off-season is basically TRT, like for 8-9 months of the year. I reached my weight cap the last five years, so I was not necessary to push so I was basically very healthy all year around and when it comes to contest prep” Sommerfeld explained.
Sommerfeld’s contest prep strategy is to make sure he is ready earlier given his condition.
“Right in the end, we are not pushing any hard drugs or orals, we try to get ready early, like 3- 4 weeks out and then just cruising and taking pressure off, doing less cardio, less intense workouts, better sleep, just making sure I am ready early.”
Outside of competitive bodybuilding, Sommerfeld is a successful entrepreneur who holds a few patents.
“You know the drop sticks, the pins that pop out, I invented these five years ago, so I have the patent for it. So, this is my German company, and rice cream, I invented rice cream for the German market, so I have the patent for that as well.”
“All the US Americans have nice rice cream and we Germans were not able to get it and I was like ‘Man, I want to have it,’ but it isn’t that complicated, just crush rice and put it into a bag and sell it.”
Since his unforgettable second-place showing at the Olympia, fans have been curious about what motivates Sommerfeld. Recently, he discussed being next in line for the Classic Physique Olympia and revealed that Open bodybuilding veteran Kai ‘The Predator’ Greene is his number one inspiration, which he credited for persevering through a troubled childhood.
Clearly, fans are still learning about Mike Sommerfeld, who has strung together an unbelievable career despite his rare vampire disease. Fans look forward to seeing him back on stage as one of the best Classic athletes in the world.
Watch the full video from the RX Muscle – Truth in Bodybuilding YouTube channel below:
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