Microdosing and weight training

I’ve been wondering about how microdosing could help with weight training for a while now, so I thought I’d give it a go since I recently got back into weight training again after a few years out.  I’ve given it a few weeks of regular training without microdosing so that I have normal training sessions to compare the effects to.  I will not make any changes to my normal program, to ensure a fair comparison and will update this post with further results.

My theory is that microdosing with LSD may help with weight training for two reasons.  Firstly, LSD seems to produce a much more stimulating and energetic effect than other psychedelics.  Secondly, weight training is an activity that requires intense mental focus and resilience, where distraction and taking the easy route are the enemy of a productive session.  Microdosing with LSD is highly effective at improving focus on linear (but difficult or strenuous) tasks, and also seems to help diminish negative or self-defeating thoughts.  Whilst also a drug that’s great for creativity, I feel that LSD shouldn’t be overlooked for its ability to make certain essential (but not particularly enjoyable tasks or activities), more enjoyable, and therefore more likely to get finished!

Weight training with a 15ug microdose of LSD

I’ve chosen 15 micrograms mainly for safety reasons because I want to make sure that during this experiment I keep a watchful eye on my heart rate, hydration, thirst, sugar levels, and also my hand-eye coordination.  A 15ug microdose of LSD is definitely a microdose rather than a low dose and is pretty much sub-perceptual most of the time (for me).  At some point I may update with a 25ug low dose, but I want to see how 15ug works first.  I suspect that whilst 15ug is normally sub-perceptual at least when it comes to most physical sensations, this may change during intense exercise, so I’m being a bit careful here with my first weight training and microdosing session.

For reference, my usual routine includes various free weight exercises, bodyweight based exercises, and machine assisted exercises.  A few examples include pull-ups, dips, bench press with dumbbells or barbell, dead lifts, leg press or squats, some core exercises, and around 30 minutes of cardio per session.  For this experiment, I didn’t deviate from my normal exercises.

Results

Surprisingly, during my cardio warm up, my heart rate did appear to be 10-15 bpm lower than normal, although I think I would have to do this experiment several times to get an accurate average.  My sweat levels were around the same, even though my heart rate was a bit lower (obviously, I’m not measuring this very scientifically).

On to the weight training – I started with barbell bench press.  To begin with I didn’t notice a huge difference to normal.  Physically, it didn’t feel either easier or more difficult.  By the time I got to the third set though, I would say that I struggled less than normal at this stage, and my mental focus to power through was stronger – perhaps I achieved a rep or two more in the final couple of sets due to this mental intensity.  It was a similar feeling to when I’m doing something when microdosing that I don’t really enjoy doing, but need to do anyway (I often complete linear tasks quicker or easier).  The best way to describe it is that I was less doubtful of my ability to complete a rep or set, and this is hugely important for this kind of exercise.

Throughout the rest of my workout, the results were similar.  There was a sense of being on autopilot without having to work as mentally hard to get it done as I normally would have to.  I could watch what my body was doing, and instruct it with my mind, without feeling the ‘burn’ so intensely.  Paradoxically, this also lead to more of a sense of oneness with the body and mind, despite the way that I just described it because there was less of a flight between the two.

Of course, there could be a certain amount of a placebo effect here, but either way, I accomplished slightly more in the last couple of sets, even towards the end of my workout.  With weight training, these small improvements are important both for building/maintaining muscle, and staying motivated.

There are supplements, and other natural performance enhancers that are almost certainly more beneficial for improving weight training performance, especially long-term.  However, the important thing here is that microdosing didn’t make things more difficult, and I also had a productive couple of hours at work before the gym, thanks to the LSD.  Knowing that it’s not going to interfere negatively with a high-energy gym routine is reassuring to know.

I’d recommend that if you’re thinking about trying this, take a dose that you feel very comfortable on normally, because exercise does feel more intense than normal, despite in some way seeming easier – it’s hard to explain this contradiction, but if you try it yourself I think you’ll see what I mean.

Using a sauna whilst microdosing

I wanted to add that following my microdose + weight training workout, I spent 30 minutes in an 85 degree (centigrade) sauna, and felt absolutely fine.  I’m quite used to saunas followed by cold showers, but because extremes in temperature or feeling can make a microdose feel different, it’s good to know that there’s very little difference.  As I’ve found generally with microdosing, it seems to be quite easy to do what’s best for my body in that moment without overdoing it.

Update 6/2/19

My second session of weight training whilst microdosing went better than the first.  My heart rate was the same as normal, so I suspect the first session was an anomaly.  I also was less aware of the microdose effects, pretty much forgot I’d taken anything and completed my workout fully without any issues.  Again, I found it easier to get through it mentally, but physically I still couldn’t notice much difference.  I think that with these kind of activities, the mental benefits are going to be where microdosing is most helpful, if at all.  The good news is that at least it shouldn’t interfere with exewrcise routines in a negative way.

Note:  I am not a medical expert so please procede with caution if you try this.

Please feel free to comment with your own experiences or questions, as they may be helpful to other readers.