Training impacts on chemo and vice versa

Medical Q&A [Moderated]
1

Hi Austin… I recently had a lay-off/deload of a few weeks due to a tweak of some kind, followed by a full layoff of a few weeks after laparoscopic surgery. Soon I should be ready to start training again, and I will likely use the BBM beginner template. I have not had much luck incorporating RPE into my training so far, as everything seems heavy most of the time, and have used mostly %-based programs.

My return to training will be complicated with the need to do several cycles of chemotherapy. We haven’t decided the exact regimen/schedule yet, but it will be a platinum agent and etoposide.

if I can figure out RPE a bit, I think that auto regulation will be my friend in this situation. Are there any specific issues that I should consider when training during these treatments, as far as you know? I can’t think of how training would interfere with the efficacy of the cancer treatment, but maybe there is something I’m not thinking of? Or any way these chemo drugs could make training more risky? I’m sure they will make training less pleasant, to the extent I have nausea, fatigue, maybe neuropathy, etc.

im 49, male, been lifting about 2 years…

thanks for any thoughts you could share

2

I would strongly agree with the use of RPE-based autoregulation in this situation.

If you continue training throughout this process, you would be LESS likely to experience treatment-related toxicity, as well as LESS likely to experience depression and fatigue, and likely to have a HIGHER quality of life.

So we would strongly encourage you to continue training, adjusting training loads based on your readiness to train on a given day, and do not have concerns about interference with your treatment.

3

Thanks, I will be doing just that. Appreciate the encouragement.