BP Meds = Performance Loss + Weight Gain??

[barryj]

I'm 59.......ride 100-300 miles a week on my road bike and have been on Losartan for a year now after trying two other meds that robbed my performance badly. I youst to ride allot of centuries before all these meds. 

Since the Losartan I'm still a little slower but the bigger problem is I have gained 20 uncomfortable lbs. that I can't shake even with all the miles.

Have any of you guys on BP meds had an unwanted weight gain??

What BP meds are you guys on and any  side effects you noticed?? 

[barryj]

Opps -------  Guess it should go in "Off Topic"    Don't think I can move it.  Admin, some help here please.

[SunSurfer]

I'm 59.......ride 100-300 miles a week on my road bike and have been on Losartan for a year now after trying two other meds that robbed my performance badly. I youst to ride allot of centuries before all these meds.

Since the Losartan I'm still a little slower but the bigger problem is I have gained 20 uncomfortable lbs. that I can't shake even with all the miles.

Have any of you guys on BP meds had an unwanted weight gain??

What BP meds are you guys on and any side effects you noticed??

Losartan is not recognised to cause, by it's mechanism of action, or be associated with weight gain. Likely to be coincidence rather than cause and effect. (wearing my anesthesiologist's hat)

[barryj]

Hey SS -

 

Yeah, I saw that in the data sheet as well....but I polled my biking forum on bikeforum.org and 9 out of 10 responses on the same med had unwanted weight gain....which got me on this train of thinking.

 

Additionally to pick your Med experience - I had a cardiac heart scan/CT Scan and scored  a 7 !   A score of 7 says I have less than a 10% chance of any heart related disease the next 5 years!  Cardiologists here don't even start worring about heart diease until the score is over 400!   So with high BP, low heart rate and a CT score of 7 do I even have to be on a Hypertension med??

 

Also I just ran out of the Losartan today/Sundayand I see my Doc this Tuesday.............you see any problem just stoping taking it?

[lordmetroland]

wearing my anesthesiologist's hat

 

Is that all it takes? I was under the impression there was some schooling involved. I gotta get me one of them hats and start a practice.

[SunSurfer]

Is that all it takes? I was under the impression there was some schooling involved. I gotta get me one of them hats and start a practice.

Michael Jackson's cardiologist thought the same thing.

[SunSurfer]

Hey SS -

Yeah, I saw that in the data sheet as well....but I polled my biking forum on bikeforum.org and 9 out of 10 responses on the same med had unwanted weight gain....which got me on this train of thinking.

Additionally to pick your Med experience - I had a cardiac heart scan/CT Scan and scored a 7 ! A score of 7 says I have less than a 10% chance of any heart related disease the next 5 years! Cardiologists here don't even start worring about heart diease until the score is over 400! So with high BP, low heart rate and a CT score of 7 do I even have to be on a Hypertension med??

Also I just ran out of the Losartan today/Sundayand I see my Doc this Tuesday.............you see any problem just stoping taking it?

Your poll suffers from selection and reporting bias.

Your doc has all your relevant information and I am not going to give you any advice about what to do with your medications.

 

Edit: (The last line sounds harsher than I intended. It is not good medicine for any doctor give you advice without all the relevant information.)

Edited May 16, 2016 by SunSurfer

[lowrider]

You doctor has your medical information. Have you made it CLEAR to Dr. your life style, sport involvement,and

expectations. A second professional opinion is always an option.

[lordmetroland]

Your doc has all your relevant information and I am not going to give you any advice about what to do with your medications.

 

But Michael Jackson's cardiologist might suggest a big moonshine jug full of propofol and benzodiazepine as just the thing...

[Beckmann AG]

More to the point, have you changed shoes, pedals or any other gear in the past year?

Do you ride with an HRM or wattage meter?

Chances are, for whatever reason, you're flaring off the lighter volatiles rather than the bunker fuel.

 

Bikies often have a habit of overlooking the obvious in favor of the esoteric when it comes to performance/fitness. Not saying that's you, but remember that correlation isn't always causation.

[SunSurfer]

But Michael Jackson's cardiologist might suggest a big moonshine jug full of propofol and benzodiazepine as just the thing...

Not if you want to lose weight. Too many calories in the lipid emulsion that solubilises the propofol. ;-)

[Beckmann AG]

^ Right, but weight post-mortem should be lower, no?

[breeseomatic]

DISLAIMER:

I'm not a sports nutritionist, a doctor, CSCC, or anyone qualified to make a serious recommendation, just a former skinnyfat roadie that changed my activities and became a much better cyclist with better physique.  Also, we don't have all the details, I can oly assume that you road cycle exclusively for exercise.

 

First, I would look at your diet.  It's possible to get lean with diet alone, it's easier to do with diet and training.  On the flipside, it's pretty easy to get fat.

 

Second, I would look at your riding and see if you are biased towards long slow rides vs shorter more intense rides, I think it's the former since doing 300 miles of hard intervals would kill all but a Cat 1 rider.  You may be training your body to store more fat with your choice of diet and cycling intensity.  Also there is a HUGE difference between exercise and training and their ability to produce desired results.  make sure you have a plan.

 

Personal experience:

Initially, I eliminated my cycling to do intense cross training under the Crossfit label 2-3 times a week and I was able to drop 15 lbs, from 155 to 140 very quickly.  That was the first 3 months, then I started riding my road bike to and from cross training on Saturdays, it was a 20mile round trip across FLAT terrain.  Getting there was fun as I worked up a good heartrate and was ready for class, getting back was an exercise in survival.  After 3 months of that, I returned to club rides on Saturdays and my performance went through the roof.  I only rode on Saturdays with a local club and the guys noticed and commented on how I was out of the saddle, dancing on the pedals during climbs chasing riders in the front and I even shared in pulling the peloton on the flats.

 

During that time, I changed my diet.  I was a very carb dense eater before, and changed to focus more on eating lean proteins and selecting higher fat content foods that benefited my performance.  I noticed that my old diet was making me feel bloated and the few times I did not eat during the day, I felt better during and after the workout.  I was super hungry, but I felt less bloated and had more energy going into class.

 

Take this with a grain of salt:

I recommend that for a short period, you drop your miles down quite a bit, or eliminate them, and do something different.  Geting in the gym and deadlifting and squatting with a barbell, not a leg press machine, real squatting can be a real stimulus to your body.  If you can, find a qualified coach to get you on the proper form, as much as you are able since you may have mobility issues (we all do), you don't want to injure yourself.  Catalyst Athletics has some really good info on their site and in their e-books if you can't find a good coach.  If you devote some time to get through a cycle or two of a specific training program and see what's going on, you may see some very positive changes and can then tailor your program to fit your goals.  

 

"Shocking" your system with a completely different form of exercise/training may reverse your current trend of being fatter and slower.

 

Hopefully that helps you out some. 

Edited May 16, 2016 by breeseomatic

[www.oldsnowboards.com]

Opps -------  Guess it should go in "Off Topic"    Don't think I can move it.  Admin, some help here please.

Done, no worries. 

[lordmetroland]

I recommend that for a short period, you drop your miles down quite a bit, or eliminate them, and do something different.

 

Back in the early 90s, as the mountain biking World Champion, Ned Overend was rumored to spend less than an hour a week on in-the-saddle training.

[barryj]

All good points guys.

 

I off to the Doc Tues. to see what I can change.  I do think these meds are killing me!

[Corey]

First, I would look at your diet. It's possible to get lean with diet alone, it's easier to do with diet and training. On the flipside, it's pretty easy to get fat.

Personal experience:

Initially, I eliminated my cycling to do intense cross training under the Crossfit label 2-3 times a week and I was able to drop 15 lbs, from 155 to 140 very quickly. That was the first 3 months, then I started riding my road bike to and from cross training on Saturdays, it was a 20mile round trip across FLAT terrain. Getting there was fun as I worked up a good heartrate and was ready for class, getting back was an exercise in survival. After 3 months of that, I returned to club rides on Saturdays and my performance went through the roof. I only rode on Saturdays with a local club and the guys noticed and commented on how I was out of the saddle, dancing on the pedals during climbs chasing riders in the front and I even shared in pulling the peloton on the flats.

During that time, I changed my diet. I was a very carb dense eater before, and changed to focus more on eating lean proteins and selecting higher fat content foods that benefited my performance. I noticed that my old diet was making me feel bloated and the few times I did not eat during the day, I felt better during and after the workout. I was super hungry, but I felt less bloated and had more energy going into class.

Take this with a grain of salt:

I recommend that for a short period, you drop your miles down quite a bit, or eliminate them, and do something different. Geting in the gym and deadlifting and squatting with a barbell, not a leg press machine, real squatting can be a real stimulus to your body. If you can, find a qualified coach to get you on the proper form, as much as you are able since you may have mobility issues (we all do), you don't want to injure yourself. Catalyst Athletics has some really good info on their site and in their e-books if you can't find a good coach. If you devote some time to get through a cycle or two of a specific training program and see what's going on, you may see some very positive changes and can then tailor your program to fit your goals.

Oh man, has this ever worked for me! I'm down 40 lbs since ATC with a similar routine, but with StrongLifts 5x5 instead of crossfit.

I'm learning to avoid sugar and breads in any form, which is really hard to do in today's food/marketing atmosphere.

There are two big problems with this plan:

1. I have buy all new clothes.

2. I'm worried that my boards are going to feel like giant pieces of stiff timber once I get back on snow.

[barryj]

Corey....what is "since ATC with a similar routine"??

[barryj]

Doc says I'm a Mutant - Cardiac CT scan of  "7" , Stage 2 Hypertension #"s and resting heart rate of 48 on 3 different classes of BP meds that have had drastous effects..........never drank, smoked and exercise 7 days a week

 

Doc is ending me to see a Cardiologist-------

Edited May 18, 2016 by barryj

[www.oldsnowboards.com]

Doc says I'm a Mutant - Cardiac CT scan of  "7" , Stage 2 Hypertension #"s and resting heart rate of 48 on 3 different classes of BP meds that have had drastous effects..........never drank, smoked and exercise 7 days a week

 

Sending me a Cardiologist-------

Not sure I know what this means but it doesn't sound good? 

[www.oldsnowboards.com]

Corey....what is "since ATC with a similar routine"??

Alpine Trenching Convention

[Corey]

Yes, I changed my diet a little before ATC (was called SES) and started lifting weights a little after. I've never felt better!

[barryj]

Ha1 - ATC!  Of course - I was thinking it was some medical procedure you had done!

[BobD]

Just to check that it's not the plus diuretic version, losartan hctz ?

 

Diuretics can play havoc with your electrolyte balance, especially if you don't get enough minerals, drink reverse osmosis water etc.

[SunSurfer]

Just to check that it's not the plus diuretic version, losartan hctz ?

Diuretics can play havoc with your electrolyte balance, especially if you don't get enough minerals, drink reverse osmosis water etc.

Reverse osmosis water......? Who didn't go to school on the day they did science? Can I sell you some pills that will remove the Higgs bosons from your butt so it doesn't sag as you get older?

Losartan all by itself messes with the excretion of sodium and potassium and water in your urine, as just part of its' mechanism of action for lowering blood pressure.

Edited May 18, 2016 by SunSurfer