
Raina Kranz, C.P.T.,
Contributor
Thyroid Nation
Raina shares with us, her ideas and guidelines for what we should be thinking and doing when it comes to exercise and thyroid disease.
EXERCISING WITH THYROID DISEASE
These are guidelines or a checklist that all of you can use to determine if what you are doing is correct for you or not. One thing you all should be evaluating is if what you are doing is not working then you have to try something new. Patience and giving something time to work is critical….there is one thing you should notice very soon after starting something…FEELING BETTER. If you are not feeling better then it is not for you.
1) Thyroid Hormones
Is your TSH optimal for you? Is your T4, T3 or fT3, fT4 TOO LOW in range or below range? All of these are KEY to having energy to exercise. If they are not in optimal range and optimal for you….exercise is NOT an option for you right now. Why? More than likely you are either in adrenal fatigue and converting your T4 more to Reverse T3 and LESS T3. This is your bio-active hormone that gives you energy. If you are on T4 medication only…exercise for you will be even more challenging. So what happens if your are not optimal? You will increase the adrenal fatigue, gain weight, sleep all the time, have no energy and be depressed.
2) Malnutrition or Mal-absorption
If you have not successfully healed your gut you will not absorb your medication, food and nutrients to nourish your body. This is a subject in itself.
3) Too Little Carbohydrates or Too Little Calories
This is a stressful situation for our bodies. You can eat less and eat very little complex carbohydrates if you are NOT going to exercise. Complex carbohydrates in the right amount for you will supply your muscles with needed fuel for muscle contraction. The key is to not eat more than you body requires for your activity level for that day. Eating not enough food and eating too few complex carbohydrates, will alter your thyroid levels and will cause your thyroid to become more hypo if you try to exercise with no fuel. Then go back to (#1) because this will happen.
4) Exercise that is too intense will lower/deplete your bio-active T3 hormone
This is a fact. This happens to everyone even those without thyroid disease. We do not bounce back as a healthy person does. This is the research…. Intensities above 75% maximal attainable Heart rate will lower serum T4 and serum T3 in healthy and thyroid patients. It takes anywhere from 3-5 days for a person on T4 only medication to recover from exercise that is 75% or higher in intensity. This includes cardio only, weights only and any combination of both. That being said, that 75% doesn’t even apply to the thyroid patients because we already have lower Heart Rates and Blood pressure…
so an intensity level of 65% or lower would be better.
Duration comes into play on an individual basis and current exercise level. So, backing off and cutting down is a better fix for thyroid patients… Training or exercising every other day or every two days is better. The key is to NOT CRASH…the next day. If that happens you are doing too much and too hard. If you find you can exercise and feel great the rest of the day and can exercise again after a day of rest..then you are doing something right.
5) Adrenal Fatigue
If you are in adrenal fatigue you should not be exercising, dieting or limiting carbohydrates, at all. You should not be overeating as well. No sugar, no caffeine, no stimulants. There is research that has shown that very very low intensity walking for 45 minutes to an hour can actually help adrenal fatigue. This would be at an intensity of 45% of maximal heart rate or less.
6) Recovery & Rest is more important with exercising than the exercise itself with thyroid disease
If you are not sleeping well, taking recovery days or nourishing your thyroid…you will not be able to maintain a consistent exercise program.
7) Increasing Mitochondria and (ATP) in the muscle for muscle contraction and decrease the quick fatigue we experience during exercise
PRE- DRINK, and trust me this works…. 1 teaspoon of honey in water with 3-6 pinches of Himalayan sea salt. This can be taken anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour before a workout.
8) POST Work-out recovery
BCAA’s (Branch Chain Amino Acids) can be found in a whey protein powder or in SUN Warrior vegan protein powder. You need all 3 of the BCAA’s ( Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine) all of the other amino acids are a bonus. This is critical in muscle recovery.
I add 2500 mg of L- Glutamine to assist with muscle recovery. This is a two-fold supplement as L- Glutamine is used to help heal the mucus intestinal lining and it is part of a healing the gut protocol, as well.
9) Listen to your body
Your body will tell you when it feels like exercising, when it does not and how much is too much. You need to learn and listen to your body.
About the Author
Raina Kranz, C.P.T. attended and is certified from the American College of Sports Medicine. She studied Kinesiology/Biomechanics. Living in Hollywood, Florida she is a full-time personal trainer and coach. Find her at her website, Personal Fitness Training Florida and wonderful online Facebook Group, Thyroid Discussion Group. Click to schedule an appointment or to learn more about Raina’s Customized Thyroid Exercise Training Program at Thyroid Trainer.
Questions or anything to add about thyroid and exercise? We want your thoughts in the comments section–Please! Or on our Facebook Group, Hashi & Graves Thyroid Nation RADIO
Well, I will post this question on our Facebook page, for you. I’m so sorry for your struggles. I too am not well and it is not fun. Here are a few articles that may help, though:
https://thyroidnation.com/use-these-9-exercise-guidelines-with-thyroid-disease/
https://thyroidnation.com/hypothyroid-exercisers-and-the-connection-to-over-training/
Hope that helps! Feel free to reach out.
Thanks~Danna 🙂
Hi Dot,
Thanks for your comment. Are you certain you do not have Hashi’s? Having your antibodies tested, will allow you to find out. Sometimes, over-exercising has the opposite effect. Have you read this: https://thyroidnation.com/lose-weight-exercise-can-do-opposite/
A good functional medicine doctor, might also be helpful in addition to your regular doctor. You might need to be on a different therapy protocol. Keep us posted. ~Danna
Hello, im 19 and have was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism at the age of 13, i train a lot at the gym and wonder if i should take bcaa supplement?
I found your article after looking more info about Bcaa and Thyroid. You recommend taking bcaa, however packages of bcaa powder mention, that people with metabolic disorders should not take it. I believe hypothyroidism is metabolic disorder. So I am very confused as why you recommend taking something, that is actually NOT good for us to take. Could you please explain me, is Thyroid disorder and taking bcaa ok? Thank you