Athletic performance in your 40s?

[frorider]

On aging: though acceptance is difficult, the rewards are great.

On aging: it’s better than the alternative

[Foggy_Goggles]

Eat whole foods, lay of the sauce, stretch/yoga, be mobile everyday, focus of sleep, lift weights and be honest with yourself.

[bodywhomper]

Anybody have details about voltaren and side effects? The info in the packaging sounds like it’s not entirely topical, ie it’s entering your bloodstream.

I’ve had a PT and hand therapist recommend it for acute non-arthritis issues. I’ve mentioned to them that it’s an nsaid and asked if there are side effects, potential issues from administering in several areas of my body, if I should be concerned if I am also taking an oral nsaid, etc. I got blank stares, which sucked.

Where I live, most PTs seem to be focused on workers comp or geriatric and not on recovery of athletes after injury. Ive talked to a few skiing athletes in my area, and they’ve had the same conclusion. There are a few at one practice, which is typically booked, one who works part time and is also typically booked, and a chiro that functions as a PT for athletes. I’ve had friends who are athletes that travel over an hour each way for their PT’s that focus on athletes.

I’ve had 3 PTs that didn’t understand. My local sports med doc gets it, is an athlete and life long skier. Last time I saw him on a follow-up appt because my knee recovery seemed stalled with PT and I reinjured the knee (early this season), he diagnosed the specific weakness, gave me details of the muscle group to increase focus, showed me a few exercises, and advised to not seek additional PT (it’s his internal PT staff). I am grateful but confused.

[Dantheman]

I don't even want to know what my testosterone level is. I'm sure the chemo fried my balls.

Any reason you haven't gotten your T levels tested? TRT seems like a no brainer if the chemo really did fry your balls.

[98brg2d]

Voltaren is topical diclofenac and has been otc in most countries other than the USA for a long time. Same side effects as other nsaids although I’ve been on oral with no issues for far longer runs than my Dr will let me be on any other oral nsaid, he said it is generally easier on your body. Topically should have less side effects since it is lower dose and not as systemic but if it didn’t absorb through your skin it wouldn’t work, so yes it gets into your bloodstream. I find most oral work better than topical. I did have higher strength prescribed and filled by a compounding pharmacist and it worked better but irritated my skin so I went back to retail emulgel.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[Trackhead]

Any reason you haven't gotten your T levels tested? TRT seems like a no brainer if the chemo really did fry your balls.

It’s only been 3.5 months out of chemo. My hair is growing back, figure I’d give my balls time to do the same. Also hesitant to consider TRT. IGF-1 has some ‘possible’ mechanisms/receptors in Hodgkins and while it’s not testosterone, I’d want to thoroughly research prior. TRT can up regulate IGF-1 expression. I’d rather be hypogonadal than increase my chances of going through this shit again. Of course a talk with both urology and oncology would be prudent.

My hemoglobin started climbing around the 9th of 12 infusions. Ended chemo at 14.2. That’s was a nice surprise to not be super anemic. Doc thought I’d end up around 10-11. I guess bone marrow and erythropoietin was active. I’ll check my T in a few months. I did serum T, free-t, E, LH, SHBG at age 4O and free-t was excellent.

[BC13]

Glad to hear you made it through. Mild compared to your case, but after recovering from a herniated disc, I've had very different outlooks on outdoors time in that any time out is good time compared to being frozen up and in pain for every moment.

TrackHead, I'm glad you are in remission and enjoying life!



Sent from my SM-G981U1 using Tapatalk

[BC13]

I have had tendinitis in the forearms from skinning and it is oddly one of my most painful injuries.

Tendinitis hurts...a lot!

Sent from my SM-G981U1 using Tapatalk

[bodywhomper]

Voltaren is topical diclofenac and has been otc in most countries other than the USA for a long time. Same side effects as other nsaids although I’ve been on oral with no issues for far longer runs than my Dr will let me be on any other oral nsaid, he said it is generally easier on your body. Topically should have less side effects since it is lower dose and not as systemic but if it didn’t absorb through your skin it wouldn’t work, so yes it gets into your bloodstream. I find most oral work better than topical. I did have higher strength prescribed and filled by a compounding pharmacist and it worked better but irritated my skin so I went back to retail emulgel.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

The generic version that I bought is pretty specific about use for arthritis only and about the “dosage” to use, measured by length of bead. My PT and OT were both recommending off label use, which is fine to me, and were unclear about dosage and indicated that dosage didn’t really mattered. Both claimed that it was topical and thus only affected the location that I was applying it to.

[old goat]

Some years ago I had tennis elbow in both arms from shoveling. Forearm bands made it sort of tolerable but only spring cured it. Since then I have modified my shoveling--push instead of throw when possible, but mainly tolerating more snow.

[skideeppow]

I'm trying to get rid of tendinitis in my arm from snow clearing, and it flares up easily. Trying not to take too many NSAIDS, but prescription diclofenac seems to work the best. I'm using a generic topical gel too (like Voltaren).

Getting older kinda sucks.

I had epiconolitis for 18 months. I had cortisone injections, massage, rehab and finallly surgery, none of it helped.
I got a Thera Bar and used 3 different stiffness and the rendition I was gone in 2 weeks.

[jackstraw]

Eat whole foods, lay of the sauce, stretch/yoga, be mobile everyday, focus of sleep, lift weights and be honest with yourself.

There's a lot in these few sentences. It really is this simple, but that does not equate to being easy. Habit forming is the key.

Trackhead, keep kicking its ass! Fuck cancer

[Foggy_Goggles]

Thats more about health than athletic performance but yes, simultaneously challenging but not complicated. The other one I'll throw in the mix is pharmaceuticals as a last resort. There are so many side effects. I know of two people diagnosed with pretty severe intestinal issues from NSAIDs. Both were able to address their issues with primarily diet modifications. Modern medicine is great but it is mostly focused on symptom suppression and is not wholistic.

[jackstraw]

^oh hell yeah. OTC drugs should be limited imo. Natural anti-inflammatory foods (and herbs [emoji16]) are a big part of my diet for my knees, ms, and just overall health.

[Foggy_Goggles]

What anti-inflammatory foods have been working for you?

[Mofro261]

Nicotin valium vicodin marijuana ecstasy and alcohol

[Foggy_Goggles]

Nicotin valium vicodin marijuana ecstasy and alcohol

Yeah, but you need slowing down but not speeding up. There is no one recipe and I think that personal honesty provides guidance. If you feel healthy, you are healthy.

I just got to the point where I realized that everything I love in this world requires my health. Outdoor adventure sports (or whatever the fuck you want to call them) are pretty critical to my existence. We live to long to give up. Once started thinking like this, it became way easier to start prioritizing.

Haven't spent my entire adult life, almost, in a ski town, I've observed that as people age, then basically need to give up something. All the people I know that are old and happy, chose exercise and health. I'm lucky that my community is full of amazing humble roll models.

Now I gotta just learn how to integrate weed back into my routine.

[jackstraw]

What anti-inflammatory foods have been working for you?

All of them. Fruits, fish, nuts, turmeric tea, etc. I'm mostly vegetarian and have been for years. My wife loves to cook and is very health conscious, so I'm lucky. Ever since it's been legal I partake in edibles or tinctures.

Maybe it's all placebo, but I'm feeling pretty strong skiing and biking, so sure its working. [emoji16]

[Touring_Sedan]

Lesson: Don't sweat the aging process, just feel lucky every day you're alive without a life threatening illness. Every time I see people all depressed with an ACL tear I now just wanna say "fuck off"....you have idea how bad it can get.

This. The sooner I realized I wasn't 30 anymore the happier I was with my life. The time and energy I was expending on trying to catch up to myself left me ruined. My family and I are happier now that those days are over and I find myself enjoying every mile now. The transition wasn't easy, it took a couple of decent injuries and watching my kids grow up to get me to grow up.

[bodywhomper]

What about acid?

Maybe I mentioned earlier up thread (memory slipping in my 40’s, or maybe it’s the acid), but tai chi chuan has been very helpful for me. I first learned an application style Yang long form when I was 21/22 and living in San Diego in the late 90’s. The average age of long term students from my teacher at that time was mid-30’s. It took almost a year of classes and practice to learn the complete slow set, which takes about 45 minutes in a group of practitioners doing it together. At that age, practicing 3-4 days a week and basically doing nothing else, I was able to hot lap top to bottom mammoth all day long on 200cm gs skis making tele turns w/o getting sore. The form that I follow can make for very strong and powerful legs. The weapons forms, which I never fully learned, can make for a strong upper body. Add to that the growing body of information about improved balance and other positive health, it feels to me to be a good long term exercise for maintaining a good baseline level of fitness and mental health.

The tricky thing for me is maintaining a strong and consistent practicing routine. I would still be considered a “beginner” among senior practitioners. The closest teacher of my form is a 2hr drive away. It’s challenging to practice at home in the wet season due to a lack of indoor space. When I’m on it and regularly practicing, I’m feeling great and powerful.

[AK47bp]

Nicotin valium vicodin marijuana ecstasy and alcohol

Don’t forget Vitamin D.

[Trackhead]

h up to myself left me ruined. My family and I are happier now that those days are over and I find myself enjoying every mile now. The transition wasn't easy, it took a couple of decent injuries and watching my kids grow up to get me to grow up.

Yup....I'm WAY less selfish and it took me 45 years or so to learn that. Aging isn't all bad.

[dan_pdx]

You know the story about the young bull and the old bull up on the hillside checking out the big-titted cows in the pasture below? Young bull says "let's stampede down there hootin' and hollerin' and fuck one of those little honeys." Old bull says "nah man, let's sleaze down there all relaxed and quiet like and fuck 'em all."

Definitely adopting the old bull philosophy now. If I want to ride all season (bike or boards), I can't go 100% all the time like I used to. Gotta take it easy sometimes if I want to keep getting after it.

[subtle plague]

On aging: it’s better than the alternative

Immortality seems fine to me?

[subtle plague]

Nicotin valium vicodin marijuana ecstasy and alcohol

But that only works if your god is thesun.