I’ve been, what I consider, an endurance athlete since 2017 or so when I started using structured training to better my cycling performance. I found TR in 2018 and haven’t looked back. The fitness gains and over all improvement in health have been miraculous. I just turned 56 last week and started a Tamsulosin (Flomax) prescription in September of 2019. After deciding to just deal with my enlarged prostrate symptoms, and refusing to engage a prescription by my GP, I consulted a urologist and was strongly encouraged to start treatment. Left untreated one of the outcomes is a failure of bladder function. Not being too excited with the prospect of entering catheter land, it was pill time.
This was a very troubling decision. Tamsulosin belongs to a group of substances known as alpha blockers. They relax you’re muscular (and blood vessel) system which in turn relaxes your prostrate enabling a more regular flow scenario. And that’s been my experience. Not like your 17, but better for sure. It also increases heart rate due to relaxed blood vessels that lower blood pressure. That’s also very apparent. I have an atrial fibrillation condition also (the joy of old) and almost always monitor HR. And there it is, around a 10 BPM increase from pre med levels. I’ve done some web research to explore experiences of other endurance athletes using Tamsulosin and didn’t come up with very much at all. Especially cycling related experience.
I was at a 209 FTP in July following my A event, took a few months off and was well below that coming into September. A shocking fitness loss really!
After almost 5 months on the med, I’d have to say the outcome has been quite unexpected. I started SSBV1 (260 TSS average) at the beginning of January with some non-plan training before that averaging around 160 TSS for the previous 6 weeks.
My fitness gains have been the best I’ve ever experienced with my last ramp test on 2/11/20 at 219. Probably a 10 watt per month gain easy over the last few months. My ramp test PR is 230. This led me to wonder if Tamsulosin is listed as a controlled substance. It’s not shown on the 2020 WADA prohibited list, but maybe on others?
Would be very interested in others sharing their experience while training with Tamsulosin or other alpha blockers. What are the possible health risks or performance enhancement for endurance athletes associated this class of substance?
Maybe Coach @chad can provide some related content for this post or on the podcast? Would love that…
