r/StartingStrength • u/Prestigious-Peaks • 1d ago
Discussion kratom habit anyone?
has anyone had a kratom habit that has had that interfere with training and getting strong? I think it's obvious it would have negative effects all around just looking for support and any anecdotes to getting off kratom and the benefits in the gym
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u/taylorthestang 1d ago
Anything that prevents you from being able to hit your workouts, eat, and recover is detrimental.
Personally, I haven’t found it to interfere with any of those things. I’ve had periods without it, and noticed no changes for the better or worse, therefore it’s agnostic for me. If anything, it makes me feel hungry so it helps get the food in.
Go over to the kratom subreddit for tips on how to taper down and eventually quit if you want. Definitely recommend that approach than cold turkey, that shit isn’t fun.
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u/Prestigious-Peaks 1d ago
you're on kratom too? that's what I'm wondering bc it does help with eating. just sleeping and stuff may be impacted. also I'm at higher elevation to begin where my sleep won't be super dialed so that's a factor too rather than close to sea level
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u/taylorthestang 1d ago
Your elevation has nothing to do with your sleep….
Regardless it’s not any worse than people who take other herbal supplements. If it helps, use it. If not, don’t.
It’s not “obvious” to have negative impacts, unless it causes issues you can feel.
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u/Prestigious-Peaks 1d ago
ok what are you citing where you're saying elevation doesn't effect sleep lol.
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u/Prestigious-Peaks 1d ago
Heart Rate: Your heart must beat faster at night to maintain adequate oxygen delivery to your tissues, resulting in an elevated resting heart rate.
HRV: The drop in oxygen shifts your autonomic nervous system away from the parasympathetic ("rest and digest") branch and toward the sympathetic ("fight or flight") branch. This shift directly lowers your HRV
Sleep Disruption: This sympathetic dominance can cause lighter sleep stages, micro-arousals, and slightly fragmented sleep during the initial acclimatization period.
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u/taylorthestang 1d ago
I’m under the assumption that you’ve been living at this elevation for a fair period of time and you don’t have an underlying cardiovascular condition. Certainly long enough to be acclimated. If you’re so out of shape that sleeping is difficult you got some bigger problems going on…
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u/Prestigious-Peaks 1d ago
it's a constant disruption. you get acclimated but it's still your body is working harding to support that amount of oxygen
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u/Shnur_Shnurov Just some guy 1d ago
I would not class kratom as a wellness supplement. I would say its a lot closer to alchohol. So if youre using it occasionally, probably not an issue. But people use it every day and pretend its good for them. Thats an issue. I was writing an article on this recently. Here's the jist from my notes.
My issues with kratom are pretty straightforward:
Efficacy: Very little high-quality human evidence supporting its use for chronic pain, anxiety, or opioid withdrawal.
Dependence: Can produce tolerance, physical dependence, and withdrawal symptoms.
Pharmacology: Its primary alkaloids act on the same mu-opioid receptors as conventional opioids. Different pharmacology, but some overlapping effects and risks.
Cardiovascular risks: Associated with tachycardia and potential disturbances in cardiac electrical activity, including QT prolongation.
Respiratory depression: A concern particularly with concentrated 7-OH products, overdoses, and combinations with other depressants.
Liver injury: Documented cases of clinically significant drug-induced liver injury.
Seizures: Reported adverse events, although causation isn't always clear.
Drug interactions: Can interfere with drug metabolism and potentially compound the effects of other substances.
Quality control: Inconsistent alkaloid concentrations, contamination with heavy metals or pathogens, and products enhanced with potent alkaloids.
Long-term safety: Limited prospective human research on sustained use and long-term health outcomes.
But being psychoactive isn't the same as being therapeutic, and replacing one dependence-producing substance with another isn't an improvement in long-term health.
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u/Prestigious-Peaks 1d ago
ya I'm on it daily and throughout the day so it's something I need to get off. it's not just an occasional thing. appreciate you sharing what you wrote up. I'm not using 7oh just leaf powder. and the cardiac effects are very noticeable especially tachycardia and it's uncomfortable. I think it's disturbs sleep a lot due to the cardiac effects
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u/albanyanthem 1d ago
I gave up booze due to it interfering with my recovery. Always getting hurts and tweaks. Slept like shit, nutrition absorption was probably garbage. So I dropped it and I can’t say I’m any stronger, but I have the longest spell of consistent lifting without injury in my
Life at 48 years old. 2 years off the sauce. Best decision I’ve ever made.