Athletes

[anajunker]

Is there any athletes here that are on t3 only? I am a rock climber and I am wondering how using t3 only will affect my performance. I haven't been able to progress in the last 8 years. I finally figured out it is because I am hypothyroid. I hope t3 only is the answer.

[greygoose]

Why T3 only? Why not T4 + T3?

[mrsm49]

Yr best bet is to try thyroxine (t4) only first as that's a storage hormone and works for many people on its own.

I'm on a trial of t3 added to my thyroxine under my endo and i can tell you its not easy to get doses and timings right. Ideally youll need to be monitored with regular bloods Plus you need to get certain vitamins and minerals to the right levels first. Then there's the issue and stress of actually getting the t3 itself....

[Caesard]

Hey there, i'm not an athlete though I am into sports and I have been battling both hyper and hypothyroidism.

First question is how you know you are hypo? By symptom, you have some tests, doctors assessment?

And yes, as mentioned before, the golden standard of T4 supplementation is there for a reason, most persons in need of substitution do get along with it. Most, but not all and that where the problems that you see on those topics arise. The ones well on T4 have no reason to be here.

[mountaingoat83]

I am a keen runner, and being hypothyroid has made that more challenging - but hasn't stopped me. I completely agree with mrsm49 though, that trying T4 (levothyroxine) would probably be the best approach. I went from T4 to T3 only and found it very difficult to get levels and timing right. I then tried both together, but ultimately I am back on T4 only and trying to address other factors like gut health and iron levels to keep me more balanced. It can take a while to find the right dose of T4, as we are so sensitive to it, and don't expect it to necessarily be the same amount every day. For example I take 100mcg every Monday, 75mcg the other 6 days of the week, except every other Thursday when I take 100mcg! There was a lot of trial and error getting to that dose.

Really hope you find a regime that works for you and can progress with your climbing.

[anajunker in reply to mountaingoat83]

Thank you so much!! I think I am going to try NDT (thyro gold) and t3 only and see how I feel.

[Caesard]

Confirmed! Heavy training comes with a packed forced landing. Unless a smarter approached applied....i take some supplementary dosage (approx 10%) after hard training sessions.