Better cardio, but a bit higher RHR

[Observer]

I just posted this on another forum, and thought I’d post it here as well.

I recently began TRT within the last few months, and I am on what is considered a low dose of 75 mg a week. I’m still going through a transition period, and my dose was recently increased as I was previously on 50 mg. a week until my recent blood work.

On 50 mg I noticed very little overall difference with the exception of a little better recovery after my workouts. On 75 mg a week my cardio has improved a bit, as I can go harder on the stationary bike and my times are better. I also feel better overall with my energy levels throughout the week, and my sleep has improved some. However, even though I’ve noticed improvement on my cardio, my resting heart rate in the morning is about 3-4 beats per minute faster. In the past, when my cardio improved, my RHR was lower.

Any thoughts or opinions on this?

 

[massimo1]

You should go by your blood work. My point is to check not only your testosterone level but also other factors that turn up in a general blood test. In my case, 100mg/wk (sub-q) divided into 3x per week pushed my hematocrit over the tolerable limit of 52. Having had a pulmonary embolism in 2019, I have to really watch this. But, according to my hematologist, who recently did all sorts of exotic testing on me, I am overly sensitive to testo. So, I stopped for a couple of months to get my HCT down to 44 (normal) and have started again at 50mg this last week.

 

[jipped genes]

I do not know. currently I am on 100 mg week. I have been all the way up to 125 mg wk but I was over 800 ng/dl if I remember correctly. Never had a prob with hematocrit at this dose. Yeah blood work is the only way to see.

 

[genetic freak]

Just to echo the comments above. Look at your labs. Blood viscosity can play a role on how hard and fast the heart needs to pump. That being said, from what I have observed personally, high hematocrit did not increase my resting heart rate or blood pressure. My hematocrit has ran as high as 58.1 and my resting heart rate was still in the low 50's and blood pressure 120/68, the same as when my hematocrit is 50.3.

 

[Observer]

Thanks to the replies above. Very helpful.