Opiates (Painkillers) effects on performance and recovery

Bump- would like to know as well.

I don't have any sources to back this up, but just personal experience.

I was a heroin addict for many years. Can't say much for how it affected my running, as I stopped, but I eventually quit, and got onto Suboxone, which I've been on now for something like 2-3 years (currently tapering off it). It's an opiate blocker, but also an opioid, and has many properties in common with them.

I think it has definitely lowered my testosterone levels, which I think will greatly affect performance. I gained a lot of weight on it, and it especially killed my sex drive (especially at high doses; as I lower my dose over time, my sex drive has been returning).

I think short-term and sporadic use won't affect athletic performance, but staying on opiates long term will eventually lower testosterone levels, as well as producing a nasty addiction.

Opiate withdrawals are probably the worst things I've ever been through. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone.

Opiates for the Masses wrote:

He takes a dose much higher than the prescribed dose

With tramadol, this can be dangerous. The reason standard practice (in the US, in any case) is to limit tramadol prescriptions to a maximum of 300 mgs/day (typically in 3 or more divided doses) is because of the risk of seizures at higher dosages.

As far as athletic performance and opioids, I haven't investigated the subject; if you wish to search for "opioids athletic performance" at

I imagine you'll find some interesting results.

My guess is that opioids, esp. tramadol, will worsen sleep quality (tramadol is notorious for causing insomnia), reduce testosterone and HGH release, interfere with insulin sensitivity and appetite/dietary control (opioid seem to cause one to crave sugary food), etc. generally impairing recovery.

As far as performance in a race or training session if taken, say 60 mins prior, I suspect only tramadol--due to its effect on norepinephrine--would be likely to have some performance-enhancing effect per se; hydrocodone and friends would reduce perception of pain, which would certainly help one push harder if "mental toughness" is an issue, but there may be some detrimental effect on the cardiovascular system at the dosages you imply (this is how opioids kill people)...

I did some research on google scholar and couldn't find a single relevant study. The only information I have found that seems pertinent to running is that it lowers testosterone in chronic users and impairs the functioning of the immune system. While these are both detrimental to running they have only been demonstrated with chronic use as far as I can tell. I was more wondering if similar to anti-inflammitories dosing after a hard workout would reduce training adaptation by blocking pro-inflammatory enzymes and such thereby limiting the benefit gained from the workout. I know that opiates are a slippery slope but I haven't increased frequency of use since I started several years ago and only take them on a or twice every 6-8 weeks. Sometimes I just want to relax and I wonder if they are less detrimental to running than having a six pack of beer.

you will take the biggest poops ever, unless you're on a laxative.

If only taking once or twice every 6-8 weeks, no, I don't think they'll have any negative side effects.

Do you ever feel the need to increase your dose or take it more often? Those are good signs that you'll be an addict later down the road.

I mentioned earlier that I was a heroin (and cocaine) addict, but I used to be resolutely anti-drugs (and drinking), but started down that path when I got a Vicodin prescription.

This is a good topic. Especially since opiates are becoming such a huge issue in our society. The amount of times you are talking about probably doesn't have much of an affect. That is just in my experience...not based on fact. Listen, I've been in your situation as well...once a month here and there just to relax on the weekend. I justified it that I wasn't wasting money on alcohol and feeling terrible in the mornings. Made sense! Not so much.

I'm not preaching..listen...if you could keep it minimal...dang...not a terrible idea. However, it won't stay that way. I DID the SAME thing for a couple years. Then my tolerance went up. Then the girl I was dating would say "how about this weekend" every weekend. So, it went from once a month to every weekend...to having the urge of everyday.

I still ran! It wasn't like taking them seemed to affect my running, but it was more of the lazyness that did. I would come home after working 10 hours and instead of doing my 10 miles and lifting...I would take the day off for that great feeling. So my running became 4 to 5 days a week. It really did change it.

I never let it get crazy though. I'm smart...I know what can happen. Dude, I wasn't even taking much. I'm serious. Just became more frequent..but nothing crazy. However, I could feel the addiction there. I would go a few days with nothing and I couldn't sleep...work felt terrible...I had restless leg syndrome..etc.

So I said...nah.. this is crazy. I still wanted something to relax..something to help me sleep (I have actual sleep issues my whole life and opiates did help that). Anyway, so I went herbal. Started taking legal herbal stuff that helped make me relax. I still do now. And it still irritates me. I can feel myself needing the herbal stuff everyday lol. You can laugh, but that's life. Drink coffee everyday for years and try going without it...you withdrawal.

Again, not preaching. I'm cool with what you are doing. Just figured I would lay out my feeling on it. I'm a former good runner too. 4:12 miler.

GoldenMiles wrote:

If only taking once or twice every 6-8 weeks, no, I don't think they'll have any negative side effects.

Do you ever feel the need to increase your dose or take it more often? Those are good signs that you'll be an addict later down the road.

I mentioned earlier that I was a heroin (and cocaine) addict, but I used to be resolutely anti-drugs (and drinking), but started down that path when I got a Vicodin prescription.

Can you tell your story? How did you go from one extreme to the other. How old were you? Have you recovered?

I take Tramadol for nerve pain from a few different surgeries. I only take on 100mg a day as prescribed, but I haven't noticed any changes in recovery. I DO however notice that days when I take it my sex drive is much lower than days I do not. My testosterone levels are normal though, so I am not sure that is the issue.

SC Steve wrote:

GoldenMiles wrote:

If only taking once or twice every 6-8 weeks, no, I don't think they'll have any negative side effects.

Do you ever feel the need to increase your dose or take it more often? Those are good signs that you'll be an addict later down the road.

I mentioned earlier that I was a heroin (and cocaine) addict, but I used to be resolutely anti-drugs (and drinking), but started down that path when I got a Vicodin prescription.

Can you tell your story? How did you go from one extreme to the other. How old were you? Have you recovered?

Sure, I will sometime when near a computer (on iPad now).

In short, I think going from one extreme to the other has a lot to do with preexisting predisposition towards addiction (brain chemical-wise), as once I started taking painkillers, I quickly found myself mentally and eventually physically addicted.

I first took painkillers when I was 17, a senior in HS. Really only in the last full year have I stopped relapsing constantly (I'm almost 27 now), and am doing better and trying to taper off the Suboxone I've been on for three years or so. I went to outpatient rehab, group and individual therapy, all of which helped. I've relapsed a lot since then however. Have been clean for six months at the moment, with my longest sobriety period around a year after getting out of rehab and onto Suboxone.

Thanks for taking interest. As my experience indicates, anyone doing opiates should be careful, especially if their family has a history of addiction or they feel they have an addictive personality.

^

Great Post

I actually appreciate the warning as I know how destructive opiate addictions can be. I hope no one thinks I am condoning the use of opiates by asking these questions because I am not and I don't view their use as harmless I am simply asking because I am quite good at avoiding and breaking addictions and am curious from a scientific standpoint as well as a personal one. To anyone reading this thread know that using opiates for recreation is a huge risk because you never know how predisposed you are to addiction until it's too late. Personally I have decided to never purchase painkillers for recreation and my supply is solely from past surgery prescriptions. I use infrequently enough to always have some laying around and just wonder if my infrequent use is sabotaging my training in any way. Regardless I think it's important to talk about since as stated above opiate abuse is becoming increasingly popular. Information is never bad.

TheHobbyHobbler wrote:

^

Great Post

Thank you!

From all I've ever read about opiates, and I used to be very interested in the subject, they have very few negative physical side effects, other than the previously mentioned constipation and gradual erosion of sex drive (this takes years of straight usage)/testosterone.

My guess is occasional use of opiates will have absolutely zero effect on your training. I think getting drunk, which many on here do, would have a worse physical effect than getting high once in a while on opiates.

tramadol is massively abused by top professional cyclists, and likely a lot of the euro-wannabe cyclists.

chris froome's (last years tour de france winner) team got a bit of heat recently for using it still.

highly addictive.

would not be surprised one bit if it's being abused by top marathoners as well on race day and maybe a few times in training in the final buildup beforehand when doing a very difficult workout.

Sinibald Aquinas wrote:

tramadol is massively abused by top professional cyclists, and likely a lot of the euro-wannabe cyclists.

chris froome's (last years tour de france winner) team got a bit of heat recently for using it still.

highly addictive.

would not be surprised one bit if it's being abused by top marathoners as well on race day and maybe a few times in training in the final buildup beforehand when doing a very difficult workout.

Interesting. Why Tramadol and not more traditional opiates (hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, etc.)? I'm guessing they abuse it to stop the pain of hard athletic efforts?

GoldenMiles wrote:

Interesting. Why Tramadol and not more traditional opiates (hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, etc.)? I'm guessing they abuse it to stop the pain of hard athletic efforts?

no idea. never had any of them in my system other than hydrocodone i think when i had strep throat about 10 years ago. you can google michael barry and see his take on tramadol. i think he said something to the effect of it just taking all the pain away, which can be very very helpful in a 3 week stage race or a 7 hour one day race with lots of cobblestones.

Interesting, I have used tramadol before and exercised on the tail end of the effects and felt incredible. However don't opiates depress the respiratory and nervous system- both of which would lead to a decrease in performance? I would think the only benefit during exercise would be a dulling of the pain but I find it hard to imagine the best athletes in the world have a hard time pushing themselves to the limit.

GoldenMiles wrote:

Interesting. Why Tramadol and not more traditional opiates (hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, etc.)? I'm guessing they abuse it to stop the pain of hard athletic efforts?

If other opioids are banned and tramadol is not, that would be one reason--I'd google to see if this is the case.

Tramadol is also not merely an opioid; it is an extremely weird drug which functions as

1) A very weak opioid

2) A prodrug which is converted in the liver into a much stronger opioid

3) An SNRI, a la Venlafaxine (Effexor)

4) A serotonin-releasing agent, a la MDMA (Ecstasy)

There are other effects as well...

The effect on norepinephrine makes tramadol much more stimulating than pure opioids, this is advantageous to endurance athletes.