I’ve been taking Propanalol for a few weeks now and I wondered if this will have any effect on training? I asked Jordan about weight gain in the nutrition thread as I noticed a more rapid increase in weight (I assume this was due to eating slightly more than normal) than I would have exprected and read that a common side effect is weight gain in the form of fluid retention. Could this combined with creatine cause larger than normal fluid retention? Just to provide all the variables my waist measurement hasn’t changed, this morning it was actually slightly lower.
I noticed a bit of dizziness and nausea in the first couple of weeks but this seems to have died down.
Beta blockers tend to increase body weight and body fat in those who take them via a variety of mechanisms such as reduced dietary and stored fat metabolism, decreased MPS, decreased BMR and physical activity leading to reduced TDEE, and reduced exercise intensity. That said, these mechanisms usually take a month or so to manifest. Fluid retention is not a major side effect of beta blockers.
That said, these risks may or may not outweigh the benefits in those who are taking them depending on the indication.
Damn, so their not ideal for strength/physique training?
They’re being used to help with sleep and anxiety and I have noticed a benefit but I guess this could be placebo at this stage. Is there anything else you would recommend or could the side effects be less of a problem given the fact I do regular resistance training and conditioning?
I would not use nonselective beta blockers like propranolol for the management of sleep and generalized anxiety.
These issues do have other management strategies (both lifestyle / and medication) that are probably outside the scope of this forum, since making recommendations would require a lot more detail from you. These are things that can be discussed with a physician.