To be more specific. I’m naturally a slim guy and I used to workout 5 days a week to build up. However I went into depression and stopped. Further down the line I was diagnosed with ADHD and am using Vyvanse. I’ve heard conflicting information, but I’d like to know if anyone knows of it is safe and ok that I can go back to doing 1 to 2 hours of strength building 5 days a week. (No other substances are to be used including energy drinks of course, and any other stimulant drink available for workout purposes)
I used to lift anywhere from 3-4 days to every day of the week sometimes. Hit a rough patch (a big one this time), stopped lifting, lost too much weight, ADHD diagnosis, and now Vyvanse.
The reason you're finding conflicting information is because the answer depends for each person. It can be a bit risky to work out on stimulants because of the increase in heart rate and blood pressure. But that said, it is very possible to work out as long as you're going about it in a safe way. Personally I am lifting now 5 days a week with no issues at all, but it took a while for me to get there.
First few weeks taking Vyvanse, I didn't do any lifting at all. My heart rate would spike quite a bit (and still does) a few hours after taking Vyvanse. But I never felt any palpitations or chest pains any time. After a couple weeks, my heart rate was still elevated but closer to my resting heart rate. Then I started doing some easy lifting and warm-ups in the evenings. I also bought a smartwatch with a heart rate sensor to monitor my heart rate during workouts (and throughout the day/night).
Another couple weeks, I started to push myself more during workouts. At times I did feel like I was out of breath sooner than I should be so I didn't push too hard. I stayed very hydrated and completely avoided coffee or energy drinks. That is not a good idea on stimulants in the early days because they hit much harder than you might expect. Also the Vyvanse might help you lift on its own, so you don't need a preworkout thing honestly.
Now a couple months in, my workouts are almost as good as they used to be in the past. I have decent stamina, my heart rate never hits a dangerous level during a workout, no chest pains or discomfort, and the watch hasn't pick up any abnormal heart rate stuff either. Last week I also did some HIIT stuff a couple times but again didn't go too hard just yet.
But yeah, that's just my experience and it took a few months to ease back into it. I know some people just have too high of a heart rate / high blood pressure and either take some other medications to address that first, or they just workout before taking Vyvanse.
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