POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: Poz Brit on June 01, 2006, 03:59:35 am
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Over the last couple of years, I have noticed that after a work out, it has been taking longer to recover, now it takes four to five days, and the second and third days my muscles are really sore, I have been working out all of my adult life and my recovery rate has always been one day, I have been attributing this to aging as I am now 56 years old, or is it perhaps partly due to HIV, has any one else had this problem? Or is it just me?
John(UK)
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Hi John
Prior to my diagnosis four years ago I used to swim and play netball..about a year after my diagnosis I noticed my legs wouldn't carry me as far as they did before and my arms became weak, but like you I'm not sure if it comes with age (58) or if the HIV has anything to do with it..but I still have trouble walking and suffer some pain when I walk any distance...I know this is not much help to you..just my 2 cents worth.
Hugs
Jan.. :)
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Hey John,
I'm 35 and have found what you are experiencing also. A day or two after a workout my arms and backs of my legs feel that painful that it makes walking very uncomfortable and this lasts for a couple of days, so I try not to overdo anything like that anymore. Mind you, a few days ago I was in the yard doing mowing and getting in to the gardens with a mattock and I'm paying for it today with those same muscular pains. I think it's partly to do with the meds/hiv as I never had these types of aches after exercising ever before in my life before becoming sick and taking meds.
Jan! Please stop saying you are 58 NO ONE believes you! hehe, you are a goddess in my eyes.
("")("")
Matt
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yes my muscles seems to be taking bit longer to recover too....but may be its psychological in my case....i have had hiv over two years i am sure....but been diagnosed 2 months ago...and its after diagnosis that i think my muscles take longer to recover
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John,
If i may suggest that it is just stress, you just burned out. It's not u getting along, HIV .........
You had been thru' alot of late, if i don't get mixed up, u had your mother's cancer & then death to due with.
Take a break , go for massage therapy and acupunture , u must be able to find them in the UK.
Go for a few sessions of massage with an ITEC graduate to have your body, mind & soul work on, then u can post again or PM me.
8) 8) 8)
Siang
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While I haven't noticed any difference in my recovery rate, I have found it more difficult to build muscles with resistance training since starting meds. That and the weight gain, though I also started meds shortly after moving in with a boyfriend who cooks !
Oh the life of a bachelor living off of cottage cheese and hotdogs :)
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I'm in tune. Now thats its finally nice out, I've been biking and mowing alot, and I soon discovered the endless stamina I always was so proud of and famous for having, is wearing thin. I think its the meds, and maybe a case of getting back in shape after sitting all Winter. Its hard to adjust to having to "take it easy".
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I don't really notice much of a difference.....my muscles seems to be ok, but i just can't seem to bulk up....maybe i need to change my routine. Maybe when you are working out, you are over doing it? could that be possible? You know your body the best, maybe it would be a good idea to take a bit easier when you work out.
Justin
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If you find you are having problems building muscle mass, you should ask your doctor to check your testosterone level. Many men with HIV have very low levels. Low testosterone is easy to correct with patches or androgel.
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Hi John,
I think for me it depends on what meds I am on, and how my health is doing. When I was first diagnosed, I can't say I noticed a difference in my stamina, and throughout the 13 years of being positive, I have had times that I could workout very hard, and others that I could barely walk on the treadmill. So I am not so sure it is the hiv alone that makes working out more difficult at times, but a combo of the virus, meds and the general state of one's health.
Christine
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.
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The older you are the faster you age! I've been working out for over 25 years. In my 20's no warm up needed... just crash the weights full strength and go!... in my 30's I began to have small injuries... now nearly 50, I have to be careful not to overwork and to always rest any sore part of my body.
As far as the HIV thing, there was a recent article speculating that HGH is unusually low in HIV+ people. There is a clinical trial underway using low dose HGH in HIV+ patients. Your HGH levels go pretty much undetectable by 60 anyway, and contribute to your inability to stay lean. Also, HIV may affect your testosterone levels. Even women need some testosterone. There is a supplement in this month's POZ mag. on fatigue which talks about low hormone levels in HIV+ and some treatment recommendations.
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I dont think its hiv related. how could it be. NO. Find another excuse.~jordon
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If you find you are having problems building muscle mass, you should ask your doctor to check your testosterone level. Many men with HIV have very low levels. Low testosterone is easy to correct with patches or androgel.
Thats how we discovered i was very low in the testosterone department. A simple total serum level revealed i had a score of 119. Normal is 300 to 800, so I was pretty much running on empty. I went on Androgel- insurance pays for it, and the effect was almost immediate.
Also look into having your thyroid checked as well.
FYI- Anrogel runs retail around 220 amonth, there is a lower priced alternative called Testim in case you have to do a self or partial pay. The test runs around 140 bucks.
Yes I am a believer in Nelson Vergel's Medibolics!
regards
Brock
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Hi John, I am 43 and have been much more physically active in the last 4 months. Though I have visibly built muscle, I must say that it feels sour most of the time.
There was a time I was blaming the sourness on HIV or the meds, but I really believe that is not the case now. One thing I find that really helps is making out the right balance between physical activity (no matter what it is) and rest. Sometimes we tend not to allow our muscles to rest enough before giving them another 'work out'. Irrelevant of HIV, one has to find finer balances as one is growing older. Very often I like to ask people in the same situation who are HIV- if they go through the same thing, and most of the time they do and are less physical active (general speaking then myself).
The massage proposed by water duck, can work wonders and speeds up the resting process.
take care,
mark.
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Hi John,
I have noticed soreness mostly in my legs, but I have bad knees (college football). I have noticed that I have to push myself a bit more though.
I had complained about late afternoon fatigue, and my ID doc told me that many Poz men do encounter problems with testosterone. I get my lab results Monday and we will see.
I have noticed that since going on meds, that my muscle mass is different though. I seem to bulk up more now whereas before my muscles seemed longer. Not sure if that has any correlation, however.
Keep up with the working out, and maybe listen to Siang about the massage. I think you deserve one
Take care,
John
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John,
I experienced the same thing a few years ago after working out regularly for a number of years. I decided to give YOGA a try! Now it's all I do, except for a nice hike in the desert when my legs aren't bothering me too much. There are some wonderful yoga instructional tapes/DVDs available. I use Rodney Yee's programs at home. You might also look into a class in your area. I actually enjoy my "private classes" at home, though. I find yoga to be both an exhilerating and wonderful workout (I was shocked how great a workout it really is!), and a rather spiritual experience.
You don't have to STOP working out. But you MAY need to change what you do. I wish I would have started doing yoga years ago!
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MitchMiller notes that low doses of HGH seem to improve the ability to gain muscle mass . I can attest to that. When I was very sick ( lost 35 lbs ) and then went to Rehab..My Dr prescribed Serostim ( HGH) one shot within the 8 hours or so before workouts really helped to regrow the almost wasted muscles and put some weight back on. Now I am much leaner and have a slender build but very Little fat.I never was a gym rat and always was more of a swimmer/runner type( <6% ) It worked for me and is the only HGH approved for HIV + treatment. One negative...be sure your insurance will pay it is very expensive..Medicare will pay and most large insurance companies have approved with " medical necessity" forms.
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If HIV has affected my workouts I have not noticed it. Some days I feel lazy but everyone feels that way sometimes.