Hypothyroidism and Exercise

[Shaf3938]

I am just curious if working out very vigorously for a few days in a row without rest could effect thyroid hormone levels if on Levo thyroid replacement? The reason I ask if I exert myself very vigorously for a few days in a row for over an hour a session that eventually it kind of catches up to me.. I was wondering if anyone else notices something like this? like today I feel off! just curious if anyone else notices something like this?

[humanbean]

It's likely that you are running low on T3 as a result of your vigorous exercise.

It is low T3 that causes symptoms in hypothyroidism and high T3 that causes symptoms in hyperthyroidism. T3 is far more important to many people than T4 because every cell in the body needs adequate T3 for optimal functioning.

In healthy people the body makes thyroid hormones as and when necessary - and I'm referring to both T4 and T3.

In a hypothyroid body T4 is supplied, usually once a day, and conversion from T4 to T3 is often compromised.

You will have to do one or more of the following :

Reduce the amount of exercise you do

Change the form of exercise you do to something less vigorous

Take T3 as part of your thyroid hormone treatment

Optimise everything that might affect your conversion from T4 to T3.

[Shaf3938 in reply to humanbean]

Makes sense I do CrossFit like 4-5 days a week and been going like 4 days in a row! I think it’s catching up with me!!!

[Dix7 in reply to humanbean]

In my case, stated above, this was not the issue. I convert well and was also on some NDT combined with Levo, I was getting too much T3, and my heart rate was being dangerously elevated.

[tattybogle]

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu... this study may interest you .

I've always wondered if the reason i 'crash' if i do vigorous physical work would show up in my fT4/fT3 levels , but i have not been able to test often enough to know .... but in my case it ends up looking similar to Post Exertional Malaise PEM , which is more usually attributed to CFS/ME than thyroid hormones ( i'm not convinced i have ME, since this only started happening to me after i'd been on Levo for a couple of years) .

the only difference between what happens to me and PEM, is that i don't get the 'flu like symptoms' , just look and sound like i've had a stroke ,end up in pain everywhere , with dreadful brain fog and can't do anything much at all for a couple of days after wards.

I suspect if they checked thyroid hormones before , immediately after , 12hrs after, and 24 hrs after vigorous exercise we'd learn something useful....

[BiscuitBaby in reply to tattybogle]

HiI also have difficulty exercising. I used to run but I can't run a mile without stopping. I've tried building it up but like you ones I get to a point where legs just say no and fatigue takes over. Its really hard as exercise is so good for my own self. I don't get the same results from the gentler things like yoga. From what I've read on here it could be vitamin deficiency or diet related, or certainly contributing to it. Hope things get easier and you should either get private testing or see if you have a sympathetic gp and get t3 tested on nhs! Good luck!

[Crazy_CatLady]

I used to struggle when on levothyroxine. I'm a runner, I ran marathons before I became hypothyroid; but then when the hypothyroidism set in, my legs would feel like I had sacks of flour tied to them, and I could only run so far. I've been self-medicating with NDT over the last three years, so that I get T3 as well as T4, and this had made a world of difference. I am back to running, run 5 days a week, have run some half marathons. Hopefully I'll be brave enough to try a marathon again soon 🙂

[WILFRID123 in reply to Crazy_CatLady]

Bonjour, est ce que vous prenez du cynomel si oui combien à quelle fréquence dans la journée. merci

[Crazy_CatLady in reply to WILFRID123]

No, I don't take that, sorry. That is synthetic T3. I take NDT, which is natural dessicated thyroid extract, containing both T3 and T4. I take 4 grains (240mg) every morning.

Non, je ne prends pas ça, désolé. C'est du T3 synthétique. Je prends NDT, qui est un extrait de thyroïde desséché naturel, contenant à la fois T3 et T4. Je prends 4 grains (240 mg) chaque matin.

[Dix7]

Yes, always! I find I must limit even yoga to 30 minutes or I will have a couch bound next day. I can power walk 20 minutes, no longer. Been like this for years. In mid 2000 I worked out with a trainer for a year and totally crashed my adrenals!

[Yasai]

I'm not one for exercise, but my job is quite physically demanding - I am on my feet for 4+ hours, I run around a lot trying to get things sorted out, I lift/carry/pull a lot of, what to me, heavy things.

When I have a day off I will easily just sleep straight through to 7pm because I am physically and mentally exhausted. My body lets me know when I'm going too far with various aches and pains in my shoulders, ankles and wrists.

Generally I can manage the joint pains - if my wrist starts acting up, I'll use a wrist brace when I'm not at work or (and somehow I feel like this is controversial) while I'm sleeping, which usually stops my wrist from hurting for a few days. I have Co-Codamol on hand if the wrist brace doesn't work on it's own, because at the end of the day I have to go to work.

Basically, my approach doesn't work. I know it doesn't work, but I don't really have any other options. In that regard I don't have any helpful advice to give you, but I can reassure you that you're not on your own with this!