Weight training and supplements

[dawnydawn1]

Hi I am new to the forum and would like some advise on supplements that I would like to take as I weight training 6 days a week to build muscle and burn fat I am lucky even thought I have hasimoto I am a very slim size 8.

I would however like to take supplements mainly caffeine performance enhancers and whey protein how safe is it?

I take 100mg of levthyroxin daily.

I was taking soy protein twice daily and after feeling really tired and depressed I researched it and found a whole heap of foods that I can't eat mainly soy and my beloved peanut butter

I have tons of questions as my gp won't refer me to a specialists so I can get advise on diet ect..

I also have alopecia that is really stressing me.

Looking at shampoos that might help. Any advise? Currently on a derma cream for this.

Mantle thanks all

[Matt8394Alien]

I have Hypothyroid and each morning I take 50g of whey protein and I drink a pint of Naked or Innocent brand fruit/vegetable drink and also take all my vitamins and minerals and it has helped me feel better. Feel less tired during the day. I did cut out coffee altogether as it does not mix with hypothyroid. Has really helped my insomnia. I use to be a bodybuilder and lived on 7 meals a day and at a peak was 20 stone but it is clear I was in early stages of my thyroid disorder. I was still bodybuilding whilst on levothyroxine and it never made any difference to my ability to build muscle.

[dawnydawn1 in reply to Matt8394Alien]

Would you advise taking fat burners as a preworkout?

If they are full of caffeine I guess not!

I drink 2 cups of coffee with caffein and 2 cups caffein free a day

Glad the whey is OK to take

[Matt8394Alien in reply to dawnydawn1]

Caffeine is a substance that constricts the veins and many within bodybuilding avoid it as you want maximum blood flow into the muscles. I use to use stimulants before training but had same results without them. Everything is diet. Supplements are over hyped and not worth the money. The main competition bodybuilders don't use supplements and just focus on tuning the diet in. Same for people who are not bodybuilders but just looking to get toned etc. Caffeine for me with my thyroid issue really brings on brain fog and gives me bad insomnia even at low dose. A solid diet with the correct split of protein, fat and carbs is really best approach.

[Matt8394Alien in reply to dawnydawn1]

Meant to add. I take whey protein because many of the vitamins we lack with hypothyroid need lots of amino acids for the body to correctly use them and also for normal hormone function.

[dawnydawn1]

Good point I sip BCAAA during training so that's a plus? Is that right

Thanks for your help Matt

[Matt8394Alien in reply to dawnydawn1]

BCAA's are the king.

[greygoose]

Dawn, there's no reason not to eat peanut butter, unless it disagrees with you.

Do remember that you should be taking your levo on an empty stomach, leaving an hour before eating or drinking anything other than water. Leave four hours between levo and iron, calcium, vit D3 or estrogen; and six hours between magnesium and levo. Or, any drinks of supplements that contain these things. If you don't respect the time delays, you will not be able to absorb all your levo.

[dawnydawn1]

Peanuts are a no no for hypothyroidism so I have given up the peanut butter.

I often take my levothyroxine when I get up in the night for a visit to the loo so often it could be 3am to ensure a time lapse of any food and drink I don't eat or drink until 8am other than a cup of hot water with lemon at 6am. Is Lemon ok?

[spongecat]

Hi dawnydawn! I take whey isolate with my breakfast porridge and l-glutamine. BCAA to sip during workout. I only weight train 3 days a week but pretty much a full body workout; bench press, squats, cable work, leg press, dumbbells etc. Sometimes I take green tea extract tablets if I need a kick up the backside before a workout....I've discovered that 3 tablets gets the motor running! I don't drink tea or coffee as a trade off. I have an epic collection of herbal teas!

I used to train 6 days on splits but I got a very bad reaction nearly a year ago with extreme muscular back spasm that mysteriously appeared after I had a rabies jab (for a safari in Africa). The most excrutiating pain I have known. My chiropractor was wondering if it was a combination of overtraining (for a Hashi) and foreign body (the vaccine) overwhelming my immune system that caused this manifestation. I definitely hadn't "crocked" it on an exercise, it was all very weird.

I'm fine now but after my workout which I do quite leisurely to use up the stored glycogen and what have you, then I'll do 45-60 minutes of LISS on the treadmill at a walk. This seems to suit me and I feel great and am gradually losing podge. I'm early retired so have plenty of time. I tried HIIT and it made me quite bad, difficulty sleeping and overheating in general....far too much adrenalin getting squirted out I think! I think for me having the day off inbetween allows me to recuperate and I feel great with no foggy mind or horrible fatigue crashes. I don't obsessively count calories but am fairly mindful of carb/fat/protein ratios. I don't weigh myself because people can get very down with body weight and can be all over the shop anyway...it's how your clothes fit for me.

After workout I flop around in the sauna/steam room and do the hot/cold thing. Have another whey drink with more l-glutamine, it looks disgusting I call it "chernobyl juice".

I'm gluten free and no milk. The l-glutamine also helps any gut permeability issues that a lot of Hashis have, so that's two birds with one stone! I'm also on 100mcg Levo and supplement with D3/K2, magnesium and selenium.

[estrellaliliana]

Not only those foods but no goitrogenics for hypo people.

Also as you increase your workout routine it takes more of your thyroid so you'll probably need to be adjusting meds as you feel more symptoms, tired, etc.

If you are really concerned about your health watch for the heart as caffeine and a little too much of levo can trigger heart problems, plus you're working out so you're putting more pressure on heart. Know your body.

[Wolfiesmom08 in reply to estrellaliliana]

"Luckily, cruciferous vegetables are only goitrogenic in the raw state. Cooking or lightly steaming will deactivate the glucosinolates, as will fermenting the vegetables (as in sauerkraut), thus diminishing the goitrogenic activity. While consuming fermented and cooked cruciferous vegetables is preferred, occasionally eating small amounts of these foods in the raw states should not aggravate autoimmune thyroid conditions."

thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

[hachiko in reply to Wolfiesmom08]

[estrellaliliana in reply to Wolfiesmom08]

nothing for hypo maybe but for health in general. Suzy Cohen on fermented

suzycohen.com/articles/ferm...

[Wolfiesmom08 in reply to estrellaliliana]

I'm so glad you posted this!! I love Kombucha but I struggle with headaches and migraines 2-3 month since being diagnosed with Hashis. I'm pretty sure it's related to my hormones but I'll try anything.

[Angel_of_the_North]

Be careful. I used to be a competitive body builder and eventually blew up my adrenals (and became hypo later) with over training. 6 days a week is too much unless you are not working and spend an awful lot of time recovering. You'll probably build muscle better by doing an upper/lower body spilt twice a week (ie 4 days) or even less, and taking more recovery time. You build muscle during recovery - not during training. Whey protein is generally good - but be aware that as a tiny size 8, there is a limit to how much protein your body can deal with in one go - you might need digestive enzymes also (esp if you are hypo). You might find that D Ribose and BCAAs give you more stamina in a safer way than caffeine - but if you need performance enhancers, you are probably over training. Those on gear can overdo it, naturals can't without risking their long term health.

[Matt8394Alien in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

I was training to compete and I honestly to an extent believe that all the years I took steroids and growth hormone may have led to my thyroid issue. Nobody in my family has thyroid problems. As you probably know, many bodybuilders take T3 as part of their cycle to help increase the anabolic condition. Maybe I would have gotten thyroid without having took drugs but it really makes me wonder.

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Matt8394Alien]

It used to be T3 or triac back in my day (or both). I messed up my adrenals, but I got to the Britain! Your body, esp adrenals, can take quite a lot of abuse when you are on gear, but it gets you in the end. I remember a young lad from our gym - a junior Mr Britain - dying from atrial fibrillation on his way to compete in the US. Big muscles are addictive but they aren't worth your health.

[dawnydawn1]

That is sound advice angel of the North I was thinking of cutting my training to 5 days a week. I do a run on Saturday (no training that day) so I'll still be exercising 6 days a week.

I am currently doing it all natural apart from bcaa whilst training and only one whey protein after training. l was taking cassin before and also a whey protein in the morning