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Is exercise with ADT the Secret Sauce?

Posted by chippydoo @chippydoo, Mar 17 9:07am

Over 2 months in on Lupron and have found exercise seems to be the secret sauce that makes me feel normal. I have mountain biked for 35 years and recently invested in an E-bike. Seems to be the gift that keeps on giving. The E-bike is much easier to target aerobic zones, can push through mild headaches and feel great hours after an 1-1.5-hour ride in the forest. It also knocks down any depression and I sleep uninterrupted all night long. The hardest part is pushing out of the easy chair to get going. "Just do it" is my mantra. Has anyone else experienced the benefit of exercise while on ADT?

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chippydoo | @chippydoo | Mar 18 5:34am
In reply to @stew80 "I'm 84, so a lot of exercise and weights etc., brings me lingering arm and leg..." + (show)
@stew80

I'm 84, so a lot of exercise and weights etc., brings me lingering arm and leg muscle pain due to my age and a slow recovery of muscle micro-tissue repair. I do engage in a very active hour at tennis each week after popping a Tylenol. I actually get a runner's high out of that activity which is cool. I'm looking forward to playing golf again soon and in the past I've avoided using a cart when possible (depending on the course). Biking I have done as well.
'I've got to keep on movin' from Matthew Wilder's song, 'Break My Stride' is a rhythmic upbeat motivator tune for me. In some weird way ADT has led me to a better diet, exercise plan, etc., so maybe from a disagreeable, albeit necessary, therapy comes some good. P-cancer will NOT break my stride if I can help it.

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Stew, You're an inspiration! Adding to my playlist. Already one of my mantra's. Keep on Truckin!

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daveinflorida | @daveinflorida | Mar 18 10:27am

I don't know if it's exercise, genetics or luck but I've been on Orgovyx for 7 weeks with almost zero side effects. Most noticeable is loss of libido, but since I'm single right now it doesn't really matter. I just started getting a few mild hot flashes at night, but I got them occasionally before the drugs so don't know if that is the cause. I'm 65 and have been running and lifting for years, so just continued my routine, even increased the lifting. I'd say I'm a bit slower than I was before ADT, but not significantly, but I'm not really pushing it. Just registered for a marathon in October so will be training as much as I can while going through RT, which starts in 2-3 weeks.

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clandeboye1 | @clandeboye1 | Mar 18 10:37am
In reply to @northoftheborder "I hear you. A snowblower wouldn't really work in my urban neighbourhood (narrow laneways between houses,..." + (show)
@northoftheborder

I hear you. A snowblower wouldn't really work in my urban neighbourhood (narrow laneways between houses, etc), but I wouldn't buy one even if it would, because pushing the snow all the way around to the back fence gives me a great natural workout every winter.

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@northoftheborder There's an age to stop shovelling . I knew 3 individuals who did not get the message , one in White Rock .BC and three in Ontario -- They thought they were fit and up to shovelling heavy wet snow . You gussed it , they dropped dead , the youngest was 61 .
It's not worth the ego trip .

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chippydoo | @chippydoo | Mar 18 11:07am
In reply to @daveinflorida "I don't know if it's exercise, genetics or luck but I've been on Orgovyx for 7..." + (show)
@daveinflorida

I don't know if it's exercise, genetics or luck but I've been on Orgovyx for 7 weeks with almost zero side effects. Most noticeable is loss of libido, but since I'm single right now it doesn't really matter. I just started getting a few mild hot flashes at night, but I got them occasionally before the drugs so don't know if that is the cause. I'm 65 and have been running and lifting for years, so just continued my routine, even increased the lifting. I'd say I'm a bit slower than I was before ADT, but not significantly, but I'm not really pushing it. Just registered for a marathon in October so will be training as much as I can while going through RT, which starts in 2-3 weeks.

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Always great to hear these stories. Yesterdays motivated me to hit the trails and yours will motivate me this afternoon. Occasionally I fall off of the "fatigue cliff" and need a couple of days of R&R. I hope others find some inspiration from these posts. Together we can!

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chippydoo | @chippydoo | Mar 18 11:09am
In reply to @clandeboye1 "@northoftheborder There's an age to stop shovelling . I knew 3 individuals who did not get..." + (show)
@clandeboye1

@northoftheborder There's an age to stop shovelling . I knew 3 individuals who did not get the message , one in White Rock .BC and three in Ontario -- They thought they were fit and up to shovelling heavy wet snow . You gussed it , they dropped dead , the youngest was 61 .
It's not worth the ego trip .

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I'm not sure if there is an age to stop moving. Perhaps one that requires us to pick our battles wisely.

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mccannr | @mccannr | Mar 18 11:28am

I'm 75, gleason 9 and on orgovyx. I had a procedure after which the radiation oncologist prohibited any bike riding which was my Florida go to exercise. It's so flat I don't need a motor:). I swim a mile 3 days a week and participate in a pickleball for cancer patients group three days a week. Exercise makes me feel better, but my sleep is plagued by hot flashes. I have read that the conflict of ADT induced fatigue and the need for exercise can cause some guilt. I feel short of breath in pickleball and my mile time is down about 5 minutes but I soldier on like most guys.

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northoftheborder | @northoftheborder | Mar 18 11:51am
In reply to @clandeboye1 "@northoftheborder There's an age to stop shovelling . I knew 3 individuals who did not get..." + (show)
@clandeboye1

@northoftheborder There's an age to stop shovelling . I knew 3 individuals who did not get the message , one in White Rock .BC and three in Ontario -- They thought they were fit and up to shovelling heavy wet snow . You gussed it , they dropped dead , the youngest was 61 .
It's not worth the ego trip .

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Thanks for checking in. Yes, that's a sadly-common problem, and it comes from

1. Lifting snow with a shovel (which cases heart-rate spikes)
2. Inadvertently holding your breath while heaving the snow (ditto)
3. Shovelling furiously without warmup (ditto).

I use a snow scoop, which I push (instead of lifting), and just walk normally behind it. My heart rate rarely hits 130 (generally settles in the low 120s; I have an alarm set on my smartwatch just in case it spikes, but it's never gone off). Done that way, snow clearing is a great, safe workout, no more strenuous than walking on a treadmill with an incline, but 100% agree about the dangers of tossing wet snow in the air with a shovel — the first big snowfall of the year is one of the worst days for 911 calls.
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jeffMar | @jeffmarc | Mar 18 12:15pm
In reply to @mccannr "I'm 75, gleason 9 and on orgovyx. I had a procedure after which the radiation oncologist..." + (show)
@mccannr

I'm 75, gleason 9 and on orgovyx. I had a procedure after which the radiation oncologist prohibited any bike riding which was my Florida go to exercise. It's so flat I don't need a motor:). I swim a mile 3 days a week and participate in a pickleball for cancer patients group three days a week. Exercise makes me feel better, but my sleep is plagued by hot flashes. I have read that the conflict of ADT induced fatigue and the need for exercise can cause some guilt. I feel short of breath in pickleball and my mile time is down about 5 minutes but I soldier on like most guys.

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I know people that have been told not to ride a bike after having treatment, but that wasn’t a permanent suggestion. Have you checked with the doctor to find out if maybe after a certain number of months it would be OK to go back to Bike riding?

What procedure did you have that they told you not to Get on a bike again? Did you have a sling put in?

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mccannr | @mccannr | Mar 18 12:25pm

Only 6 week ban, it was a PAE

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brianjarvis | @brianjarvis | Mar 19 6:39am

There has been so much reported on the physical/mental benefits of exercise while on ADT, that it’s hard to miss. Here are a few:
> https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54c68ac6e4b06d2e36a4b8c9/t/55cb7275e4b0d97ae7ff60af/1439396469154/The+Benefits+of+Exercise+During+Hormone+Therapy_Insights+August+2015_PCRI.pdf

> https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YE61HSAsFb0

> https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8n0cIhamFvo

> https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3Vkdc72qb_M

Here’s a study about the benefits of exercise to counteract the adverse effects of ADT: (Resistance Exercise Training Increases Muscle Mass and Strength in Prostate in Cancer Patients on Androgen Deprivation Therapy) —> https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/fulltext/2023/04000/resistance_exercise_training_increases_muscle_mass.2.aspx

If you do what it takes, you’ll do very well with the hormone therapy - it’ll just be an annoyance; if you don’t do anything, the hormone therapy can be your worst nightmare.

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