Susan's Place Transgender Resources

HRT has been over all very positive experience for me. But one thing that I am trying to accept and understand is loss of strength and the stamina.
I knew I was going to loose some of the strength especially in my upper body but I am somewhat shaken by the extent.
I mean I literally can't open some of the jam jars any more which I used to get handed over to pop them open back prior to the HRT.
But also my stamina is much shorter. Now if I have somewhat harder day at work I am ready to quit after the lunch break. I know I have to pace myself better
but this is shocking to me.
I've been on HRT since 6 month ago and my body is going through great changes. I haven't lost any weight but I lost 4 inches around my waist. I can wear some thick sweaters under my jacket due to shrinking arm muscles and shoulder which was impossible to do prior the HRT.

I am hoping there is a lot of energy going into changing my body and once I finish developing my female curves I'd gain back some of my stamina.
I have been thinking of exercising but I already have physically fairly intense job. Its not construction type of work but it does involve lifting 25 to 50 lbs. all day long. Isn't this enough exercise?
What is your experience, does the stamina bounce back at some point further into the transition?
I was also thinking to get some iron supplement just in case, I really feel I need to do something about it.

 As the weeks go by I keep hoping to get back out on my bike and compare how it is now with how I was last year, but I hardly even have the willpower to do that! The other night I did some jumprope and was wiped out after less than 5 minutes.
One side of me wants to get back into an exercise regimin, even just lightly. While the other side wants to hold out til I have some more assets ;-)
Too much exercise = fewer assets, so it follows that no exercise = many assets, righty?
I hope to be a stable 158lb soon... fat weighs less than muscle, I just remembered, so I nolonger need to hit the 160 mark I think...  slowly getting there!

  This is suppose to be the norm.  But I gained strength due to the condition of my body and its unique interaction with the hormones.  I am a little dopey from the Spiro, but I am doing more.  I love it! 
  Joelene

I haven't lost any stamina, but definitely some strength.  What I normally used to buy at the grocery store and carry out to my car with one hand (a gallon of milk, two six-packs of Mountain Dew bottles, and 3 or 4 bags of groceries) is getting tougher.  Now the two things of Mountain Dew are enough to wipe out my arms after a few seconds, much less the rest of it.  It's not that I can't carry everything still, but my arms really get unhappy with me when I try.  I'm guessing there will come a day soon when some of the ability will go away altogether, but I won't miss it in the slightest.

To be honest, I like that this is happening.  It's one of those things that makes me feel just a bit more feminine.  Then again, I was never into sports or physical activity due to eye-hand-coordination deficiencies (freak accident when I was a year old that made me ambidextrous but uncoordinated) and under-developed lungs (breathing four packs of secondhand smoke a day at my dad's house growing up).  But I do play drums, and I can play as long and as fierce as I could before HRT, which is how I know my stamina is intact. ;D

I am mostly stressing about my work. I like doing my job to the best of my ability and so as a male I performed at 100%.
Now as female I just can't reach that old standard as my current 100% just doesn't reach the old male performance.
I am afraid my supervisor can notice the difference in the amount and speed of my performance. Also how do I explain that the difference is really due to transition and not due to some lack of motivation. Even if she trusts me it means she has less capable employee. Its just tricky since we have here before and after comparison and I established myself in the past as an superman. Now I need that superman to open this damn jam jar lid that is not budging in my hands.  :-\ I guess I feel somewhat embarrassed, but also a bit scared as to how long can I keep up with my current job if I keep loosing strength.

  I slowed down as well, I think it is the Spiro, but still I opened that salsa jar lid when my smart-aleck teen nephew couldn't last week.  Jar lids, try running the lid end under warm water, dry with a towel, try again.  Sometimes tapping lightly around the jar lid with the solid metal butter knife handle helps.  I opened that lid without those methods. 
  Joelene

Quote from: envie on May 13, 2011, 05:31:19 PM
HRT has been over all very positive experience for me. But one thing that I am trying to accept and understand is loss of strength and the stamina.
I knew I was going to loose some of the strength especially in my upper body but I am somewhat shaken by the extent.
I mean I literally can't open some of the jam jars any more which I used to get handed over to pop them open back prior to the HRT.
But also my stamina is much shorter. Now if I have somewhat harder day at work I am ready to quit after the lunch break. I know I have to pace myself better
but this is shocking to me.
I've been on HRT since 6 month ago and my body is going through great changes. I haven't lost any weight but I lost 4 inches around my waist. I can wear some thick sweaters under my jacket due to shrinking arm muscles and shoulder which was impossible to do prior the HRT.

I am hoping there is a lot of energy going into changing my body and once I finish developing my female curves I'd gain back some of my stamina.
I have been thinking of exercising but I already have physically fairly intense job. Its not construction type of work but it does involve lifting 25 to 50 lbs. all day long. Isn't this enough exercise?
What is your experience, does the stamina bounce back at some point further into the transition?
I was also thinking to get some iron supplement just in case, I really feel I need to do something about it.

i never really had any muscle strength to begin with. i also get tired alot through the day. i just deal with it though. i've gotten pretty used to that, so you should too.

Quote from: JungianZoe on May 13, 2011, 07:43:23 PM
I haven't lost any stamina, but definitely some strength.  What I normally used to buy at the grocery store and carry out to my car with one hand (a gallon of milk, two six-packs of Mountain Dew bottles, and 3 or 4 bags of groceries) is getting tougher.  Now the two things of Mountain Dew are enough to wipe out my arms after a few seconds, much less the rest of it.  It's not that I can't carry everything still, but my arms really get unhappy with me when I try.  I'm guessing there will come a day soon when some of the ability will go away altogether, but I won't miss it in the slightest.

To be honest, I like that this is happening.  It's one of those things that makes me feel just a bit more feminine.  Then again, I was never into sports or physical activity due to eye-hand-coordination deficiencies (freak accident when I was a year old that made me ambidextrous but uncoordinated) and under-developed lungs (breathing four packs of secondhand smoke a day at my dad's house growing up).  But I do play drums, and I can play as long and as fierce as I could before HRT, which is how I know my stamina is intact. ;D

that's why i carry that stuff with two hands. it's not a big deal, you get used to it. i hold the most heavy stuff against myself with two hands.

Thanks Joelene9 for the tips. I did resort to those alternatives I remembered from the childhood as I lacked strength back then as well.
It's just that I am not used to resort to those solutions and now am forced to. It's just so unusual.

I am also looking at the spiro. It does make my blood pressure a bit lower then normal and I suspect there is just a bit of a limit as to how high it can go.
So after certain levels I just have to sit down and recuperate as my body can't supply the muscles with more blood. On the other hand I do sleep much better with lower blood pressure.

Also it is interesting to know that woman who are performing the same type of work as man are actually performing at higher levels than men!

Hrt really can make you pathetically weak as i am reminded of often too

was really glad to get off AA,s they eventually mess up how you are used to interacting. made me lazy and depressed and horrid to be around they have taken a while to clear my system mentally atleast

I haven't noticed any loss of stamina, but the other day i was really hit with how weak i had gotten. For one i was trying to open a bottle of coca cola and i just couldn't do it, so i had to ask a guy who opened it with ease. then we were carrying a table out onto the lawn and later back in and it was just so unexpectedly heavy and my arms hurt for days!
but i'm still able to carry big bags full of stuff that i bought at the supermarket, so, huh...

i'm happy HRT is working but it is a bit frustrating not being able to do things i was able to do before

I've lost both strength and stamina but I can't blame it all on HRT.  In fact, based on my history I'd say HRT had little to do with it.

When I started HRT I was 52 and doing competition-type swimming workouts 2-3 times a week.  I worked construction at the time and could go all day.  And right after a workout I was ready to take on the world. 

When breast development started becoming hard to hide, I stopped swimming.  Over the next few years I lost some stamina but had no noticeable loss in strength.  Then I was pulled from the field to do office-type work.  That means a lot of sitting on my duff.  I was 55 at the time.  2-1/2 years later I went full time, lost my job and, based on the feedback I was getting about working in the field again, opted for early retirement.  I'm now 60 and horribly out of shape (by my standards.)

So I'd say the loss of strength and stamina is 1. Inactivity 2. Aging and, somewhere along the line, HRT.

Quote from: Julie Marie on May 14, 2011, 06:48:08 AM
I've lost both strength and stamina but I can't blame it all on HRT.  In fact, based on my history I'd say HRT had little to do with it.

When I started HRT I was 52 and doing competition-type swimming workouts 2-3 times a week.  I worked construction at the time and could go all day.  And right after a workout I was ready to take on the world. 

This + 100.

HRT does not automatically make you weaker, loose muscle and stamina. That's a myth. I've been on very intensive HRT, longer than the original poster of this thread, and at most I've only lost 10-15% of my upper body strength... and I was pretty muscular for a guy to begin with. So it's not a given.

Diet, exercise, and genetics play a huge part. I work out for 1 to 1.5 hours every day. Running, biking, aerobics, spinning, eliptical, and light free weights. You have to be proactive if you want to maintain your upper body strength, stay toned, and not put on pounds. This really isn't rocket science, but you have to put in the daily constant effort it requires.

I don't think anyone is trying to spread a myth here, people just share their own experience.
I was just asking other people's experience as this is something I am trying to get used to or counteract it.

JennX, may be you don't notice so much the loss of strength because, as you stated, you were muscular guy to begin with.
So if you were bigger and muscular guy and lost a bit of it you just don't notice it as much as some lightweight never had a big muscle person.

I am 5'9" and weigh 140 lbs. I have hardly any fat on me. I never gained muscle mass (low T count to beginn with prior the HRT) and like I said my work is physical. Think of UPS delivery person but without the hand truck. I walk daily about 6 miles flat and stairs and carry constant weight of about 50 lbs. I've been doing this for years and I like the job because it keeps me in good shape. The only thing I am not doing is jogging for some cardio workout due to lack of time...I have a child.

But jogging is something I am looking to get back into and already have jogging stroller. I used to run up to 6 miles twice weakly and loved it.
As for diat I eat mostly vegetarian but there is still some meat in it. All organic, and never any fast food.
Due to some allergies I tried to quite granola for breakfast as this is pretty much the only suger I take in but interestingly
nothing holds me for as long as the honey granola or muesli with milk or yogurt.

JennX do you have some dietary suggestions?

Women who do physical work have to work harder than men doing the same work. Women trying to maintain strength - especially upper body strength - have to work harder than men trying to maintain the same level of strength. Women athletes performing at the same level as male athletes are actually better, and working harder. It's unfortunate, but it's fairly simple biological fact: testosterone is anabolic, estrogen is catabolic. I'm transitioning the other direction, and I'm gaining strength, endurance, and muscle mass while sitting on my butt eating fast food and playing on the Internet.

Having done physical work with a female body (I was in the Navy) I assure you it's possible to keep up with the guys. But you have to use those workarounds that, like you said, you haven't had to use since you were a child. Learn to instinctively use leverage whenever possible. Take advantage of your newly expanding hips and breasts to balance things on. When carrying something heavy but small, wrap your arms around it and hold it like a baby. Lift things onto a table at first, then reposition your arms so you're holding them against your body. Carry a backpack or messenger bag and use it for anything that fits. Basically, try to find ways to make it so your legs and core (which shouldn't be losing much strength) are doing most of the work.

You'll probably also begin to find that you bruise more easily, your skin is more delicate and you get cuts and scrapes frequently, sometimes without even realizing it at the time. There's really not any way around this.

thanks for your perspective kyril, its very insightful.
I love your name by the way!

Quote from: envie on May 14, 2011, 09:55:46 AM
I don't think anyone is trying to spread a myth here, people just share their own experience.
I was just asking other people's experience as this is something I am trying to get used to or counteract it.

JennX, may be you don't notice so much the loss of strength because, as you stated, you were muscular guy to begin with.
So if you were bigger and muscular guy and lost a bit of it you just don't notice it as much as some lightweight never had a big muscle person.

I am 5'9" and weigh 140 lbs. I have hardly any fat on me. I never gained muscle mass (low T count to beginn with prior the HRT) and like I said my work is physical. Think of UPS delivery person but without the hand truck. I walk daily about 6 miles flat and stairs and carry constant weight of about 50 lbs. I've been doing this for years and I like the job because it keeps me in good shape. The only thing I am not doing is jogging for some cardio workout due to lack of time...I have a child.

But jogging is something I am looking to get back into and already have jogging stroller. I used to run up to 6 miles twice weakly and loved it.
As for diat I eat mostly vegetarian but there is still some meat in it. All organic, and never any fast food.
Due to some allergies I tried to quite granola for breakfast as this is pretty much the only suger I take in but interestingly
nothing holds me for as long as the honey granola or muesli with milk or yogurt.

JennX do you have some dietary suggestions?

Didn't mean to hurt anyone's feelings... but a lot of stuff I've read regarding HRT has turned out to be false, after going thru it myself. So, I'm just trying to give others getting started the benefit of my own personal experience. No offense meant.

Also my T level pre HRT was in low 200s... like 210 ng/dl so I was pretty much in the same boat, if not worse off. However, T production (or lack thereof) really has little impact on building and/or maintaining muscle mass. See any of the number of female body builders, athletes, fitness pros, and/or trainers walking around. There are many other physiological and biological mechanisms at work in our body, than just T production. The human body is really good at adaptation and compensation.

I'm 5'11" and was closer to 200 lbs. pre-HRT... and I've lost a considerable amount of weight in the last few months, all the while on HRT, which many claim is an impossible feat. And I can assure anyone, that with hard work and dedication, it is not.

As for exercise, I jog sometimes 3-5 miles a day or bike 15 miles a day. Cardio, is either step-aerobics, stairmaster, or eliptical machine for 30-45 minutes. I also mix-in free weights (press, flies, curls, squats- nothing fancy) to maintain upper body, particularly upper arm strength. The free-weight component is key. If anything, I've lost some strength, but gained a huge amount more in endurance due to the extra cardio. They is key with cardio is to get your active heart rate up at least above 100 beats/min (more like 120-140) and keep it there as long as possible.

My diet is pretty basic. Low carbs, high protein, little to no fat. No processed sugars, extra salt, lots of raw/steamed veggies and fruit. You do have to watch the high potassium items (like bananas, raisins, oranges, potatoes, etc if your are on Spiro though which I am). I don't eat any red meat, nothing fried/or breaded, and vey little lean chicken and a good amount of wild fish. Brown rice and wholewheat pasta occasionally as well. I don't drink much else beside water, and never (ever) eat fast food. Pretty much everything I buy or cook is organic (especially all my fruits and veggies). Cooking your own food is key, as you know exactly what went into it, and how it was prepared. I do like to go out for Sushi though.
;D

well, i haven't ever done much exercise, i don't take care with what i eat, and i sit on my butt all day, and miraculously i somehow always hover inside a good BMI (well at least the couple of times i tried a friends Wii Fit i did :P) and i did definitely lose strength due to HRT, but hey it's not like i ever did anything to have it in the first place

Things are going very well for me lately and apparently my physician thinks so too. Yesterday she gave me a prescription for the entire year, 11 refills! I hadn't ever heard of such a thing before, but it'll surely make life just that much easier :-)

She brought up some good points: why change anything since I've finally adjusted to all the changes. So, no shots for me, just pills. And a reduced amount of medroxy, about 25% of what I started taking.

Yippee!!

Testosterone does have an important role in regards to muscle strength and mass for both men and women.  I find that most women (even old ladies) are stronger than I am, which is due in a large part because of my testosterone deficiency. Of course, as already said, things like going to the gym, nutrition, and heredity also play an important role as well.

After 2.5 years of HRT and first spiro then cyproterone, I haven't really lost a lot of muscle mass or strength.  I did see a small decline in my arm strength, particularly working in the yard and hauling things to the curb.  My stamina is about where it's always been, but I've also been walking a five-mile route two or three nights a week.  I'm proud to say at almost 53 years of age, I can do those five miles in one hour, or a 12-minute mile. 

Now, can anyone help me gain the discipline necessary to lose some weight?  Another 20 pounds would make me feel a lot better, I'm certain.  :D

To me discipline equals will power.
While not on HRT a dropped 50 lbs. with eating less but healthy, drinking less but better drinks, 2x a week 3 miles jogging, 2x a week jumprope for 20 minutes.
As you age the optimal heart rate beat for burning fat is dropping so you have to monitor your hear rate in order to exercise most efficiently. YOu can find chart for your age group somewhere online or buy one of those watches that mesure hear rate, They usually come with that chart. Important thing to keep in mind is that the fat burning process doesn't start until about after 20 minutes into the exercise. So you don't want to overdo it right away and quit after 30 minutes as that means you only had about 10 mintes of effective fat burning exercise. It will also take you some time to gain the condition to exercise for 45 minutes or more. Take yourself a time just try to be steady and committed. It took me 1 year to loose my weight.