Welcome to Phoenix Rising!
Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of, and finding treatments for, complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia, long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.
To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.
I've been lifting weights just fine 5-6 days a week throughout this illness.Does anyone have any first hand experience with post exercise fatigue after strenuous exercise (basically anything aerobic) vs lifting?
I've been lifting weights just fine 5-6 days a week throughout this illness.
Doing any kind of aerobic exercise provokes PEM. BCAAs, glutathione, citrulline, ornithine each have been helpful in beating PEM.
I was in good physical shape when I got sick and I have seen what deconditioning does to patients. To me, its a survival strategy to exercise, and it promotes mitochondrial biogenesis, e.g. more mitochondria to make energy, plus brain derived neurotropic factor, and other things that are beneficial.This is highly unusual. I was wondering where you fit on the light/severe scale ? Are you capable of working full time ?
I was in good physical shape when I got sick and I have seen what deconditioning does to patients. To me, its a survival strategy to exercise, and it promotes mitochondrial biogenesis, e.g. more mitochondria to make energy, plus brain derived neurotropic factor, and other things that are beneficial.
I've lifted weights for over 30 years and know what I am doing. I am careful and work within my energy envelope, and my workouts have included 3-4 naps on the gym floor, stopping when I got dizzy and crashed. I was able to lift weights during the period I was sleeping 16 hours a day.
At this point, though I've improved a lot, I'm still about 70-75% of normal. I am not capable of working full time - I work 12-20 hours a week, mostly less than 5 hours on any one day. If I work more, I get PEM.
I've found that though I've gotten stronger, its pretty impossible to set any goals. Its better if I just do the best job I can given how I feel on any day, and I don't exercise if I feel slammed... I listen to my body and exercise at about 80% of what I think my limit is.
I was in good physical shape when I got sick and I have seen what deconditioning does to patients. To me, its a survival strategy to exercise, and it promotes mitochondrial biogenesis, e.g. more mitochondria to make energy, plus brain derived neurotropic factor, and other things that are beneficial.
I've lifted weights for over 30 years and know what I am doing. I am careful and work within my energy envelope, and my workouts have included 3-4 naps on the gym floor, stopping when I got dizzy and crashed. I was able to lift weights during the period I was sleeping 16 hours a day.
At this point, though I've improved a lot, I'm still about 70-75% of normal. I am not capable of working full time - I work 12-20 hours a week, mostly less than 5 hours on any one day. If I work more, I get PEM.
I've found that though I've gotten stronger, its pretty impossible to set any goals. Its better if I just do the best job I can given how I feel on any day, and I don't exercise if I feel slammed... I listen to my body and exercise at about 80% of what I think my limit is.
I think any exercise we can get is beneficial, even if broken down into small increments. The biggest issue is being limited by feeling drained of energy - I can't work out enough to be out of breath or sweat at the time, or be sore the next day.I was in very good shape too and had been weight lifting for years. The first year I still went to the gym, but I was getting worse while trying to train (even though I followed a specific protocol and was very careful). I was very dizzy and shaky and had to lie down on the floor after every set. I still lift weight, but very little, in bouts of 15 seconds. In the hope of not losing all muscle mass.
I’m glad you can do it though, it must feel good, even though it feels bad, lol !
But these causes wouldn't onset suddenly, would they. Less Last november and december -- a year and a few months ago -- I was still in top athletic shape.Mmaybe not the infection, but mitochondrial dysfunction in Complex I, hypoxia, and/or oxidative and nitrosative stress may contribute. And lack of amino acids, as glycolysis may be impaired.
Yes, they could. Depends on what else is going on with infections, nutrient depletion, toxicity, stress, trauma, microbiome, prescription drugs, development of autoimmunity, tick bites, etc.But these causes wouldn't onset suddenly, would they.
Yes. PEM triggering seems to occur for me when using up all the oxygen in my muscles with aerobic activity or intense activity.For those lifting without PEM: are you able to do muscle-building lifting (causes tissue damage) without triggering PEM, or is it just muscle-maintaining lifting that doesn't cause PEM?
Glad it works for you. However, I have read your many posts, have tried it, and found its done nothing for my PEM.For those who haven't encountered my thread ( http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/possible-pem-blocker.56232/ ) yet, I came across something that very effectively blocks physically-triggered PEM for me: cumin (regular, not black). A level tsp blocks my PEM symptoms completely for three days, allowing me to do strenuous physical activities that would otherwise trigger PEM. It doesn't work on the increase in symptoms triggered by cognitive activities.
Only a couple of people so far have reported trying cumin, and reported positive but indefinite results. If you're avoiding exercise because of PEM, you might give it a try.