Hypothyroid and running

[Yesletsgo]

There’s a discussion on another thread about running when you have an under active thyroid. Mine’s been under active for years but as it’s been properly medicated from the start it’s not something I really think about.

If the conditions is well managed does it affect your running? So many of the symptoms could be put down to being older or (peri)menopausal. Tiredness is a common feature but how tired do ‘normal’ people of your age get? Especially if they run?

Finding it hard to lose weight? Is it because you’re eating more, or you’re building muscle or is it because your thyroid isn’t working?

Very interested to know how other people are affected. My personal philosophy is take my daily medication and just get on with whatever I want to do. I don’t use it as an excuse for being overweight, that’s down to diet and lifestyle and general attitude. Yes I get tired but if I can take the occasional rest it doesn’t slow me down. My short legs slow my running way more than my thyroid does!

[Hidden]

If you’re happy just keep on doing what you’re doing. If you’re worried consult your GP and search online about thyroid problems. That’s what I did when I found out about heart rate training as I have high blood pressure and take meds to lower it.

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

I thought about going to see the GP before I took up C25K but decided against it because (a) Covid and (b) I worried he'd advise against it because of the arthritis. Thyroid didn't even cross my mind as an issue.I didn't give it any thought in relation to the running because it's not something I spend much time thinking about. For me it's not a big deal, it's all under control but obviously other people have different experiences.

There's a thread on here where some people seem to find it causes them real problems. I'm just curious to know in general terms how it affects other people.

The only person I've met who had severe problems she blamed on her hypothyroidism was obese and didn't take her medication because she couldn't be bothered. If I'm on the correct dose of thyroxine I feel pretty much 'normal', whatever that means.

[sparky66 Graduate10 in reply to Yesletsgo]

I'm pretty much same as you, I have an under active thyroid, but managed well with mediation, it doesn't seem to cause me any notable issues, I was 10st one when I started C25K.. I'm now 8st 12lbs. No particular change to diet..

I am Vegan and eat mostly heathy whole foods.. so my weight loss has been due to upped level of fitness.. especially as my run miles have increased 🏃‍♀️🖐️

I could give you a tip that may help your arthritis..

I take a daily dose of tumeric and black pepper..

You can make this yourself or buy in capsule form..

It has really improved my inflammation and aching knee issues I previously had 🙏

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to sparky66]

Thanks Sparky66, I drink turmeric tea and use lots of black pepper on my food and also take glucosamine. My knees have really improved since I started C25K, much to my surprise.

I’m trying to incorporate more veggie/vegan dishes into my diet and am enjoying it way more than I thought possible. Today I even used nutritional yeast on my salad rather than Parmesan 😁

Still waiting for the weight loss to kick in, I’ve lost TWO WHOLE POUNDS since starting back in March 😁🥈🏆 but losing weight was never an important goal, the main thing is I can now run 5km nonstop which is far more valuable to me.

[sparky66 Graduate10 in reply to Yesletsgo]

Absolutely, running is so valuable gives us so much more than just the running.. confidence, sence of achievement, better mental health..the benefits are many! I'm so pleased to hear you are making healthy food choices..I love nooch (nutritional yeast) I make a lovely creamy sauce recipe with it.. it's on one of my posts in the Vegan site on here if you've not joined it's quite good 👍

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

That’s very interesting, i’ve taken medication for hypothyroidism since my mid 30’s and being naive once I had the tablets I never really gave it another thought. I work full time I run once or twice a week and I get tired but i’m 65 so think I’m doing ok. I know people who use their under active thyroid as an excuse for everything , I put on a stone when I gave up smoking and that’s not down to my thyroid function

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10]

Mine was diagnosed when I was pregnant. I expected the doctor to tell me tiredness was part of being pregnant at 43 lol but to his credit he investigated it properly. Like you I hardly think about it and don't think I've ever used it as an excuse. Being over 60 on the other hand is something I often think about and am tempted to use 🤣

[CBDB Graduate10]

Hypothyroidism can come in many guises, and it can be a real struggle to get the adequate medication you need as well as understanding the nutritional complexities that can affect this condition.

I am thankful for you posting this to explore hypothyroidism and running, however I would just gently ask to avoid suggesting that hypo sufferers are using the condition as an excuse for being overweight. It really doesn’t help, nor is it true. It can also be hurtful to those who have struggled with this condition for a long time.

To get a sense how difficult to manage this condition can be for some, one just has to read posts from the HU forum for this condition at healthunlocked.com/thyroiduk

That forum has ca 120k users, which is an indication of how many people seem to be suffering without being able to resolve it with standard medication. Standard medication works for many but not for everyone.

To get a sense of the complexities of weightloss and managing the condition, you can also read my post on that forum and its replies: healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Hope these links might help with understanding the condition and it’s complexities.

And thank you very much for raising these issues.

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10 in reply to CBDB]

Thanks for the detailed reply. Different people are affected differently and of course some people are worse affected. I wasn't aiming to shame people and sorry if I did this. My point was that a lot of people are treated very effectively for the condition.I'm slightly overweight and the weight won't shift but it's been more or less steady for the last 20 years. I gained a dress size because of a love of butter in my cooking. When I cut that out, and biscuits/cake in the office, the weight went. Am I still overweight because of my thyroid? Possibly but my guess is that a professional would tell me it's my lifestyle.

The tiredness hits from time to time. Sometimes I'm sure it's thyroid related. Others it's because I've been busy. Or, these days, because I've been running. It could just be my age these days.

If anything I was hoping to find that a lot of people don't find that the condition has a huge impact on their lives. Once again, sorry if I upset you.

[CBDB Graduate10 in reply to Yesletsgo]

🙏👍🏽😃🏃🏽‍♀️ (The most important thing: we keep on running! 😃😃😃 Well done! 👏👍🏽🏅)