Mainly a mountain biker without a power meter, so no watts or VO2max numbers. Still, I've been topping or placing near the top on local Strava segments. I'm riding faster than ever. TRT is probably helping, and I also developed asthma from Army exposures, but the bigger change seems to be steadier eating instead of the old binge-and-diet pattern. Power numbers have gone up across different weights I've carried over the years, and I credit the removal of those big swings in intake. I've never reached a point where the medication stopped me from hitting my calorie floor, even at 2.5 mg sema or 8 mg reta per week. Two sandwiches before a ride still feel like rocket fuel, and that's basically the only adjustment I make on big days besides drinks and electrolytes. Perceived effort feels lower overall, which again traces back to steadier nutrition.
The title pretty much covers it. This is connected to another thread but looks at things from a slightly different angle. I've spent time thinking about how these medications interact with endurance sports and training. For me that means soccer, cycling, running and triathlon, though any endurance activity is relevant. Most discussion centers on weight loss, but for endurance work the real question is whether muscle, power and aerobic fitness stay high enough for actual gains. In cycling, for example, climbing improvement depends more on power-to-weight, endurance and recovery than on the number on the scale. One side of the trade-off is that lower weight can raise relative power on hills and improve running economy by cutting excess fat.