A-Fib and the Master Endurance Athlete

[rick miller]

The latest Joe Friel Blog http://www.joefrielsblog.com/ has a couple links that should be of interest to most on this forum, and especially those of us in the over 50 crowd.

http://velonews.competitor.com/cycling-extremes

http://www.drjohnm.org/2014/05/exercise-over-indulgence-and-atrial-fibrillation-seeing-the-obvious/

I'm curious as to whether anyone here, and particularly the medically informed, consider this line of research a game changer in the way we approach training and racing.  I am far from knowledgeable in cardiology, but it appears that we should, at minimum, be taking a harder look rest and recovery in our training plans.

Thoughts?

[Dr.Dre]

I think about this issue quite a bit.
I have several friends who have developed AF and are master athletes.

I think this will be researched more soon as people realize how many future patients are out there! there's several generations of slightly older serious athletes that may be prone.

There is probably a degree of pulmonary (right heart) and/or systemic high blood pressure (left heart/aorta/systemic) during exercise.

I think this can be much worse at high elevation as hypoxia leads to pulmonary vasoconstriction.

People at highest risk are those that live/train/race at higher elevations and for longer activity periods. those that add a diagnosis of nocturnal hypoxia, obstructive sleep apnea, high blood pressure would be at even higher risk. Optimizing your diagnosed problems or preventing them will attenuate your risk some.

Also, smoking and heavy alcohol could be issues- not too common for athletes (well, beer doesn't count:) )

This is all educated supposition. we do not know a lot about this yet.

Personally, I wont change what I do as it is too important to me. AF sucks but its not usually too bad. Ventricular tachycardia however is life-threatening!


Four things that could potentially help

1. Live\train\race at lower elevation
2. treat/ prevent above diseases (esp those that lead to hypoxia > pulm vasoconstriction
3. Beet root extract before exercise/ maybe daily? should be no safety issues, OTC. or eat tons of beets everyday. Prob mild pulmonary vasodilator. could unload right heart during exercise. supposedly increases power output 2-5% . all professional cyclists take it
4. VIAGRA. Used for people who have pulmonary hypertension (under a diff name so ur not embarrassed). I don't think anyone has studied this. I think there could be benefit both acutely and chronically. High altitude climbers have been studied and shown to have a 10% improvement in performance at HIGH ELEVATION. This is equivalent to EPO. I would consider it doping, personally, when racing. But, theoretically, it could decrease pulmonary vasculature overload during exercise or living at high elevation that could eventually lead to issues.

THis isn't medical advice. just an interesting topic for a exercise addict who loves exercise physiology

[bgiro]

I'm so glad you posted this information.

I've experienced V-Tach episodes and now carry a ICD.  My Cardiologist and others have told me to continue training and riding as I like, but it seems like this area of medicine is in the frontier stages of understanding.

Thank goodness I haven't experienced an episode since my ICD was implanted.  The episode itself is not very pleasant and I've heard the ICD can kick like a mule when needed.

[Dr.Dre]

I'm so glad you posted this information.

Glad you are alive. Im sure the ICD hurts but you'll be alive! I hope you are still able to exercise. Are you taking any cardiac meds?


I've experienced V-Tach episodes and now carry a ICD.  My Cardiologist and others have told me to continue training and riding as I like, but it seems like this area of medicine is in the frontier stages of understanding.

Thank goodness I haven't experienced an episode since my ICD was implanted.  The episode itself is not very pleasant and I've heard the ICD can kick like a mule when needed.

[bgiro]

I was on a beta-blocker but convinced my Cardiologist to remove all associated meds from my daily life.

I continue to ride and exercise but watch my recovery very closely.  

BTW, all my V-Tach episodes occurred a while ago,  March 2011.  Episode free since that time.

[rick miller]

 

(well, beer doesn't count:) )

Glad there's a bright side to this 

[bmattingly]

Rick, Dre, others,

I have no medical expertise but I  have often wondered over the past few years if keeping a high heart rate for 12 hours, days on end is not good for my health?  I'm 48 now and got into enduro mtn biking about 6 years ago.  A year and a half ago when I finished the AZT750 my heart felt sore for a couple days like other body parts.  I had not experienced that in the past.  It went away and I feel pretty good on rides.  The articles and comments posted here are great.

Prior to distance biking I was a technical rockclimber for 20 years.  I loved long routes when I had the time.  In my 20s and 30s I thought the exercise was super healthy but in my 40s I wondered about how healthy it was to get adrenaline or cortisol dumps from the high risk situations.  I read something a few years ago that said repeat cortisol can cause a plaque to build up in the heart.  I think that in addition to high heart rate for hours endurance rides/races also throws in some healthy doses of cortisol now and then.

I hope to live a long happy life so the more I know the better decisions I can make.

[LiiT]

LSD is overrated and probably not the best training protocol for the general public.  Volume, Intensity, then technique is not the way to train.    Technique, Intensity then Volume is more appropriate and will keep you from some of the pitfalls of overtraining and injury.  I'll also say that sport specific and monocyclic activities need to be balanced with mobility and strength work if you plan on being truly healthy over a lifetime.   My sessions are generally high intensity with attention to technique.  When that starts failing-I'm done.   I focus heavily on interval training (gymnastics, Olympic weightlifting, row/run/bike/ruck) at short distances (less than 1600m) and have no fear of any mode, load, distance, or terrain.  Best part(s) is my family sees me since I'm not gone on all day run/rides, I'm actually in better shape overall than I was during my IM days, and I spend a whole let less on cycling maintenance.  However, when i do go on trips-no holds barred.  It's not uncommon for us to have 8-12 hours a day in the saddle.  all of it gravy.  GL and train smart.

[Majcolo]

Just the idea of keeping a high heart rate for 12 hours sounds painful. I do all of my long rides/bikepacking, even the ones I'm doing for time, at an average of around 70% of LT. I can't imagine pegging my HR for longer than a couple hours - I'm 48 now too.

Back in the day I got faster every year using Phil Maffetone's approach. It's low volume and low intensity - it almost feels too easy but the results came year after year.

Just starting to train for the CTR next year and for the first time I'll be incorporating mobility, plyometrics and Olympic lifting into the plan. Partially because the CTR is about a lot more than pedaling (50+ mi. of HAB at altitude), and partially because I'm older now, I ski and mountaineer in addition to cycling, and don't feel like it would be healthy or fun to sacrifice a big chunk of muscle mass again.

I may feel differently about the 'extra' muscle weight while going over 10 Mile next year though.

[Yogi the Barry]

Rick,
My thought is that this is a subtle attempt of yours to thin-out the AARP+ competition. This is going to kill me so I better stop doing it. Yeah, right... You're not scaring me off, buddy... 
Seriously, great read at those links. Thanks for sharing. This has added another mind distracting topic -adding to world hunger, world peace, best beer, etc. - to reflect on during those long stints in the saddle...
-Barry

The latest Joe Friel Blog...has a couple links that should be of interest to most on this forum, and especially those of us in the over 50 crowd.
...I'm curious as to whether anyone here...consider this line of research a game changer in the way we approach training and racing. ...

[rick miller]

Rick,
My thought is that this is a subtle attempt of yours to thin-out the AARP+ competition. This is going to kill me so I better stop doing it. Yeah, right... You're not scaring me off, buddy... 

Drat, foiled again!

[Majcolo]

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/10/bikes-and-tech/technical-faq/the-heart-and-masters-cycling_388002

More from Lennard Zinn on the topic.

[Yogi the Barry]

Those blood volume pumped numbers over a lifetime are staggering!

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/10/bikes-and-tech/technical-faq/the-heart-and-masters-cycling_388002

More from Lennard Zinn on the topic.