Cardio exercise and Reta

gimmeshelter

gimmeshelter

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Hello Everyone -

I'm wondering about people who are lifelong lifters (3-4x per week) and also put in a solid amount of cardio. What does cardio feel like while on reta? Do you lose strength? Is fatigue worse? On average I ride about 2500 miles a year on the roadbike from March through December. I skip the winter months (I know I shouldn't, but I do). I'm in the research phase right now and want to shed 30lbs of stubborn muffin fat. I'm 6 5" 255 and my ideal look is lean with a bit of definition.

Thank u in advance !
 
I've included strength work. As for cardio, the sensation hasn't changed, but the heart rate numbers show an increase while on retatrutide. On top of that, my cardio volume is lower since my aim is to keep muscle.
 
I don't have anything useful to contribute, but I'm also curious to hear about other people's experiences with those same questions.
 
I don't work out at all. The heart rate thing caught my attention when I came across it, and they bring up Reta there. Typically I sit somewhere in the 72-76 range, though that's not true resting — more like taking a seat after walking back from the kitchen or something similar. Had my routine doctor's visit 2 weeks back, and it read 76. Yesterday we got a new Sleep Number bed that monitors HR along with other metrics. While asleep, my HR came in at 64. It's been 8 weeks since I started.
 
I've recently gotten back into gym training, and doing cardio while on Reta plus TRT has been feeling fine. One thing to keep an eye on is blood sugar — I've never crashed and I don't normally deal with glucose problems, but when carbs are low, Reta may put more strain on glucose levels.

Did some incline work this week. Compared to you, I weigh more, am several inches shorter, and am far less trained.





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My Tirz start date was December 12th, and Reta began on January 10th.

Apple recorded today's resting rate at 57bpm. I only started using an Oura this month.

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Habibibi said:

I've included strength work. As for cardio, the sensation hasn't changed, but the heart rate numbers show an increase while on retatrutide. On top of that, my cardio volume is lower since my aim is to keep muscle.
Click to expand...
has the higher heart rate been an issue for your sleep? I read it's usually around +8-10 bpm.
 
My daily commute involves roughly 12mile / 20km on the bike , there and back .Honestly, I haven't noticed a change, though dropping 20lb / 10kg means there's less mass to haul along, which helps.
 
woundcarping said:

I've recently gotten back into gym training, and doing cardio while on Reta plus TRT has been feeling fine. One thing to keep an eye on is blood sugar — I've never crashed and I don't normally deal with glucose problems, but when carbs are low, Reta may put more strain on glucose levels.

Did some incline work this week. Compared to you, I weigh more, am several inches shorter, and am far less trained.





View attachment 10714

My Tirz start date was December 12th, and Reta began on January 10th.

Apple recorded today's resting rate at 57bpm. I only started using an Oura this month.

View attachment 10715
Click to expand...
I should pick up a health tracker. Truthfully, there are moments when I'd rather not see the numbers, which isn't a great mindset. solid info , thank u.
 
gimmeshelter said:

woundcarping said:

I've recently gotten back into gym training, and doing cardio while on Reta plus TRT has been feeling fine. One thing to keep an eye on is blood sugar — I've never crashed and I don't normally deal with glucose problems, but when carbs are low, Reta may put more strain on glucose levels.

Did some incline work this week. Compared to you, I weigh more, am several inches shorter, and am far less trained.





View attachment 10714

My Tirz start date was December 12th, and Reta began on January 10th.

Apple recorded today's resting rate at 57bpm. I only started using an Oura this month.

View attachment 10715
Click to expand...
I should pick up a health tracker. Truthfully, there are moments when I'd rather not see the numbers, which isn't a great mindset. solid info , thank u.
Click to expand...

I keep things pretty simple. Between my Apple Watch and an Oura Ring, that's what I rely on. By certain measures, other choices might be "better," but up to now these handle what I need with very little hassle.
 
gimmeshelter said:

Habibibi said:

I've included strength work. As for cardio, the sensation hasn't changed, but the heart rate numbers show an increase while on retatrutide. On top of that, my cardio volume is lower since my aim is to keep muscle.
Click to expand...
has the higher heart rate been an issue for your sleep? I read it's usually around +8-10 bpm.
Click to expand...
My sleep hasn't been affected. I've seen my heart rate go up by roughly 15 bpm.
 
Cyclist/triathlete here — for me it comes down to the intensity. On a genuine zone 2 ride there isn't much in it, except that holding the lower end is a bit harder because the baseline sits higher.

The difference shows up once I'm pushing harder, on sustained efforts or interval and speed work. At the top end I do feel a little capped, as though the bucket drains sooner — nothing dramatic — but the staying power for a long 300w effort has gone.

Not HR related, but through the hotter months I've struggled with hydration and fueling. Getting enough in during a ride is difficult; fueling properly on the long days was already an effort. Now I'm working around the fullness and trying not to tip into queasiness when I need to eat and drink close together. Hope that made sense
 
gimmeshelter said:

Hello Everyone -

I'm wondering about people who are lifelong lifters (3-4x per week) and also put in a solid amount of cardio. What does cardio feel like while on reta? Do you lose strength? Is fatigue worse? On average I ride about 2500 miles a year on the roadbike from March through December. I skip the winter months (I know I shouldn't, but I do). I'm in the research phase right now and want to shed 30lbs of stubborn muffin fat. I'm 6 5" 255 and my ideal look is lean with a bit of definition.

Thank u in advance !
Click to expand...
I began Reta not long ago, and on a morning when I had taken my dose before heading to the gym (I'm there 5/6 days a week), the treadmill left me feeling very light headed with a fast heart rate. Because of that, I now plan to inject on the days I don't work out.
 
Yeah, the higher heart rate is one reason I'm holding off on moving from tirz to reta. I'm a runner, currently training for 5&10k, and I log about 40-60km weekly. When I really push, I can feel some kind of ceiling. In the days following my injection, pushing sometimes brings a bit of nausea. That isn't tied to heart rate, though. After a few months my heart rate did come down, but it still isn't what it was before. (5-10 bpm higher) I'm curious how reta stacks up against tirz when it comes to the raised heart rate.
 
I'm having a bit of a tough time at the gym. Out of nowhere I'll get hit with nausea, and lifts that used to feel manageable now feel heavier. Maybe that's just from eating less and dropping weight? I began Reta roughly 4.5 mos back, and my current dose is 3.5mg.
 
Minkster said:

I'm having a bit of a tough time at the gym. Out of nowhere I'll get hit with nausea, and lifts that used to feel manageable now feel heavier. Maybe that's just from eating less and dropping weight? I began Reta roughly 4.5 mos back, and my current dose is 3.5mg.
Click to expand...
Yep, being in a calorie deficit — plus possibly depleted glycogen or insufficient carbohydrate intake — can do it. If eating feels like a chore, try spreading your meals out more. And take the weight loss slowly.
 
I've been working out my entire life. Now in my late 60's, I do resistance training for roughly 30 minutes, 3 times weekly, plus I walk 6-8 miles daily. Throughout my 6 weeks on Reta, nothing shifted in any of my metrics, and my workouts felt no different either. Currently I'm trying Tirz, and up to this point it's been identical.
 
Anami said:

Minkster said:

I'm having a bit of a tough time at the gym. Out of nowhere I'll get hit with nausea, and lifts that used to feel manageable now feel heavier. Maybe that's just from eating less and dropping weight? I began Reta roughly 4.5 mos back, and my current dose is 3.5mg.
Click to expand...
Yep, being in a calorie deficit — plus possibly depleted glycogen or insufficient carbohydrate intake — can do it. If eating feels like a chore, try spreading your meals out more. And take the weight loss slowly.
Click to expand...
My pace has been gradual—roughly 19lbs gone over nearly 5 mos. My daily protein target is at least 100g, though 140g would likely be a better fit, and my carb intake is probably too low.
 
I've taken Reta for roughly 5 weeks and dropped around 12 pounds. I haven't felt any loss of strength when lifting, though I train 5 days each week and that was already my routine before starting reta — my strength right now is unchanged. My heart rate hasn't shifted either, and I typically get in 30 mins of cardio.

By contrast, while on wegovy I did lose strength
 
Reta has clearly made a difference in how my training sessions go. Back when tirz was the only thing I was taking, I could usually summon enough energy on any given day to get to the gym and hit my lifting numbers. After I reintroduced reta in Jan, several lifts that used to feel manageable have become a struggle. I've been trying to eat extra carbs before working out, but it doesn't appear to make much of a difference. It's fascinating to me how differently each of us responds to these peps. My reta + tirz experiment wraps up at the end of the month, and I'm eager to find out whether my lifts return to normal once the reta clears out.

*I realize this thread was about cardio, but for me weight lifting is my main cardio!
 
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