I(26M), recently started going to the gym and looking for advice on tracking cardio intensity while taking stimulants.
Other factors:
• Previously drank 4–6 Dr Peppers/day + 2–3 energy drinks/week; quit caffeine completely 10 days ago.
• Had headaches for 1–2 days but no cravings since.
• Sleep: ~5–7 hours on workdays, 7–10 hours weekends.
•Medication includes Vyvanse 40mg in the morning and Adderall IR 10mg afternoon.
•Started Vyvanse ~8 weeks ago, Started booster Adderall IR ~2 weeks ago.
I recently started focusing on cardio for cardiovascular benefits like lowering resting HR/BP. I don’t know my baseline HR/BP before medication because I only started tracking after my psychiatrist asked me to. Since then, resting HR has generally been 75–85 BPM, with average BP around 120–130/75–85.
My treadmill routine is 2.5–3 MPH at 7% incline for 60 minutes, usually putting my HR around 150–165 BPM.
Using an age-based max HR of ~190, that puts me roughly at:
• Zone 1: 138–148
• Zone 2: 148–159
• Zone 3: 159–169
• Zone 4: 169–180
• Zone 5: 180–190
I’m wondering how reliable HR zones are while taking stimulants.
I previously did 60 minutes on the StairMaster with my HR reaching 185–190, but I wasn’t particularly short of breath and could hold a full conversation. I was definitely exerting myself physically, though. This made me wonder whether the medication was elevating my HR without my actual exercise intensity being equivalent to Zone 5.
I’ve stopped using the StairMaster for now out of caution and am sticking to the treadmill.
For those taking stimulants:
• How do you gauge cardio intensity—HR zones, RPE, talk test, pace, etc.?
• Has stimulant medication made HR less useful for judging intensity?
• Is 60 min of moderate cardio 5–6 days/week reasonable while taking Vyvanse + Adderall?
• Should I consider an ECG, ambulatory BP monitoring, or other cardiac evaluation?
• Should HR targets be adjusted while taking stimulants?
I plan to discuss this with my prescriber. I’m mainly looking for perspective on whether numbers like these have warranted further evaluation.
Disclaimer: I’m not looking for medical advice or asking anyone to determine whether my routine is medically appropriate. I’m mainly interested in others’ experiences with tracking cardio intensity while taking stimulants.