Blog changes

Thanks to everyone who followed Training Because I Can! over the last nine years. This blog started with Addison's Disease, hypothyroidism and a crazy idea of doing an Ironman distance triathlon. My life has changed and so has this blog. I am using this blog strictly for Addison's Support topics from here on out. I hope to continue providing people with hints for living life well with adrenal insufficiency.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Addison's, exercise and cortisol & Pictures unrelated to the topic


I was skimming through "Practical Programming for Strength Training" by Rippetoe & Kilgore, page 98 and found this interesting (to people with Addison's!) passage:
Cortisol reponse is trainable.  After a bout of maximal exercise a novice may experience a much greater than 100% increase in blood cortisol levels, whereas a maximal exercise in an elite trainee may induce as little as a 20% increase.  
Although I'm not a doctor, I have felt that Addison's people who are new to exercise should increase hydrocortisone before the new activity.  See my post:  Training, Setting Goals, Getting Started under "GOALS-MEDS".  Now there's some confirmation that there might be a scientific basis behind it!




Ranchers, their dogs, sleigh and workhorses checking on the cows.  Only in Idaho.



Trumpeter Swans flying by.  They are HUGE!  Nearly 5 feet high with up to an 8 foot wing span.



Paul with a great view of the Tetons behind him.




A penny stuck in the ice.  I kicked it into a deep pile of snow trying to get it out.  However, yesterday I hit pay dirt.  I found $1.91 in change on the side of the road.  Luckily I was near my car because it was a lot of money to carry!!!

3 comments:

Pip said...

That's an interesting piece of research! I also wonder if someone who has an efficient cortisol response as a result of physical training would then be able to use their medication more efficiently. If so that might explain why some of us go on to cope with Addisons better than others.

Your blog is inspiring me to experiment a little with my exercise dosing. Before I came across it I didn't really worry too much about extra dosing. Before my 116km ride on Monday I doubled my morning meds (10mg instead of 5mg) and then took an extra 5mg about two and a half hours into the ride. I then took the rest of the day's doses as normal. I think that the mid-ride dose in particular helped my endurance and my trainer remarked on how strong I rode on the way back.

I have a 150km race on Saturday and I'm planning on doing what I did for my 160km Taupo race - 15mg beforehand and then 5mg about halfway through. Hopefully that will be enough to give me a bit of a boost!

Unknown said...

Hi Pip! Best of luck to you on your Saturday race!

I've got theories on why some, like you, can use so little HC and others need so much more. I think you're right, some people use HC more efficiently, some have more going on (autoimmune problems or other diseases) so they need more and I think some people eat well and digest food and medication well.

We're all so different. I know one woman who is much taller than I, works a physical job, comes home and works hard taking care of someone and she can get by with 10 mg of HC a day! I am like you, 5'2" tall and active, I need 25 mg of HC a day. You can do well on 15 mg! Amazing!!! I wish someone would study us so that we could understand what makes us need more or less HC!

:) Dusty

Anonymous said...

Physical stress is stress. It one reason I can't weight left alone. We I need more HC I got very confused. So when I am lifting and need more hc. I start counting wrong.