Thats what the medication does, increase heart rate among other things to stimulate the central nervous system.
As long as the medication is in your system i wouldn’t assume you’d run into problems with endurance training/racing. but as soon as the medication is below therapeutic levels you’d probably tank or notice a significant drop in performance.
I speak as a pharmacist with regards to how the medication works, i am sure others would be able to give you info as far as personal experiences go…
Thats what the medication does, increase heart rate among other things to stimulate the central nervous system.
As long as the medication is in your system i wouldn’t assume you’d run into problems with endurance training/racing. but as soon as the medication is below therapeutic levels you’d probably tank or notice a significant drop in performance.
I speak as a pharmacist with regards to how the medication works, i am sure others would be able to give you info as far as personal experiences go…
X2 - Most meds are a CNS stimulant to “wake-up” sleepy parts of the brain and help you mentally function better. You may also notice a higher metabolism and weight loss…you see a good deal of “thin” people who are also ADHD. I was tested earlier this year since I have absolutely no ability to pay attention during long lectures. Turns out I’m just bored as hell and need to pay the f*ck attention.
I would go see your doctor, your dosage might be off. I have been blessed with ADD, despite the stigmatism there are a lot of advatanges to having ADD. I have been taking Ritalin since I was in elementry school and haven’t noticed a change like you have stated between period of time when I take and don’t take it. I guess it is only fitting that when my prescription ends I have a hard time focusing on getting some more. Thankfully I was able to get a TUE for Ritalin. I don’t notice a difference between my athletic performance on and off Ritalin, but I do notice a MASSIVE difference in my life outside of sport, especially in my ability to maintain relationships with coworkers, customers, family and friends. Definitely keep at it,and best of luck in finding the solution that works best for you.
What prescription did you start on? I was prescribed vyvanse about 4 weeks ago. I started at 20mg once daily, usually around 8am. After playing with the dosage every few days, my doc now has me at 60mg in the morning, and 30mg around 3pm. I’m a law student, and have a few evening courses, so the afternoon dose keeps me on top of my game until about 10pm.
I guess my experiences regarding workouts are similar to your own: increased HR, MUCH lower RPE, etc. My last run was one of the fastest runs of my tri-life by about 1:30/mile improvement. Even then, I felt like I could go faster. I had to force myself to slow down simply because I was hitting 195+ BPM and it sort of freaked me out that I felt so good. My breathing was under control - not labored at all. I told my doc about it and he said I have to force myself to slow it down to 175 for sustained efforts. But when I do that, I’m running slower than I did before. It’s certainly a catch-22 in that I have to balance out RPE vs. safety. Not that high efforts are never a good idea, but I already have a heart condition as it is (ventricular septal defect), and I have to remain cognizant of the potential adverse effects of the meds. With all that said, my doc preaches that the reason why I was put through a barrage of heart-related tests was to make sure I was a healthy candidate for such a high-risk medication. He told me to have complete confidence in the medication, beware of the high HR, and proceed as normal.
The other side effects are the ones that I’m having the hardest time with. Vyvanse has absolutely killed my appetite. This is a good thing given my size (very much a clyde…), but I’ve caught myself in the bonk zone on 2 occasions, even with the medication trying to convince me otherwise. Additionally, no matter how much water I drink, I’m always thirsty. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten to a point of dehydration since starting the meds, but its definitely perpetual dry mouth on the bike/run. I feel like I can’t get enough water. Finally, Vyvanse is doing such a good job of making me work and study harder that I often find myself putting off workouts because I want to study/stay late at work. This isn’t typical for me. I used to prefer a nice long bike ride over reading a casebook, but that has changed. I think these are all “good” side effects for the purpose it is intended to do, but it definitely effects my workouts.
My doc, who is also a triathlete/marathoner, said that I should probably stick to longer, more endurance-focused distances. He said I’m perfectly fine for a half iron in November and a marathon in January. I’m going to avoid sprints now so as to avoid the higher HR issues. Keep your doc up to date on what you’re feeling, and I don’t think it would be a terrible idea to seek out a doc that is experienced with endurance athletes. They seem to have a better hold on what happens in training/racing and will keep that in mind when working out your dosage. And remember these meds are definitely high-risk, with documented sudden deaths on the record. Don’t mess around with the higher HR zones - force yourself to slow down and take it as the cost associated with the improvements on focus. After all, that’s why we get on the meds in the first place.
Sounds like we are very similar. I started on vyvanse the 13th of July and started at 30 mg a day for 1 week then up to 60 mg for a week, and I am now at 70 mg once a day. I go back to see the doctor in a couple of weeks to follow up. I have also noticed the lack of appetite, and lost around 15 lbs since starting, was around 200 now about 185, but im not complaining about that. Everything you describe about your runs fits me to a T. I work as a coach at a university and keep long hours and used to live of of coffee, but since I started taking the meds, I hardly drink it anymore, and my energy levels are great. Thanks for sharing your experiences and advice it is much appreciated