Consistency Equals Success - CLOSED (Page 15)

Originally posted by JBacarella



I would always get calf cramps going from bike to run, then I started drinking flat coke at the transition and the problem went away. I think I needed the instant sugar off of the ride.

Originally posted by sawyer1206
A question for the whole group: What is your resting heart rate?

The reason I'm asking is with plans to enter longer Triathlons this year I went to my doctor back in November for a general physical as a precaution. All the tests came back normal except the EKG. The doctor said he saw some "irregularities" and was ordering a treadmill stress test. I went yesterday afternoon, took the test and got the results back today via telephone. The nurse called and said they were "abnormalities" on my test and the doctor was referring me to a cardiologists. I asked her what the "abnormalities" were and said the doctor noted that my at rest BPM was too low. The test results showed a 40BPM at rest rate and he wanted me to see a cardiologists.

I did some research this evening and learned there is a condition called Bradycardia which is a condition when the heart rate is too low. It states that it is common for active adults who exercise frequently to have an at rest heart rate lower then 60BPM.

Originally posted by sawyer1206


A question for the whole group: What is your resting heart rate?

The reason I'm asking is with plans to enter longer Triathlons this year I went to my doctor back in November for a general physical as a precaution. All the tests came back normal except the EKG. The doctor said he saw some "irregularities" and was ordering a treadmill stress test. I went yesterday afternoon, took the test and got the results back today via telephone. The nurse called and said they were "abnormalities" on my test and the doctor was referring me to a cardiologists. I asked her what the "abnormalities" were and said the doctor noted that my at rest BPM was too low. The test results showed a 40BPM at rest rate and he wanted me to see a cardiologists.

I did some research this evening and learned there is a condition called Bradycardia which is a condition when the heart rate is too low. It states that it is common for active adults who exercise frequently to have an at rest heart rate lower then 60BPM.

Originally posted by trisuppo

I always defer to listening to docs.

Two years ago when I started planning a more rigorous endurance schedule and a couple years removed from passing 2 individuals who died while running the Detroit HM I decided that I would ask my doc if I should get an echo cardiogram of my heart done. Basically a sonogram of your heart function. I had read this can be used to detect issues that were not apparent in a physical or EKG. (I'm not a doc, please remember that). My doc brought in another doc in the office who also ran Triathlons and was just a bit younger than me. He and I chatted for awhile and he admitted to having requested a similar test...mostly to put his wife at ease (same issue for me). I had the test and no issues.

I would go to the cardiologist. Get the issue sorted out and make sure you don't become a statistic. A heart problem in the swim is often not recoverable.

Originally posted by JBacarella

Dennis, I am currently going through the same thing my doctor said it is likely Athletic Heart Syndrome. It is the result of endurance training. My resting heart rate is high 40's low 50's, and the crazy thing is my BP when resting shows pre-hypertensive. When my HR is high my BP is normal.
AHS is the result of the entire heart growing is size because of endurance training. The heart is a muscle and like any other muscle when worked the muscle becomes bigger. When the muscle becomes bigger, the chamber gets smaller. The biggest issue is that the left ventricle becomes very large and when they do an EKG it will appear to be Bradycardia, and the elctrical impulses won't appear normal. In my EKG it appeared to look like a blockage, because of the electrical impulses. My Echo is scheduled for next week.
My MD has significant experience with athletes and endurance athletes, plus he is a friend and I play soccer with him, so he knows that I can our run most 20 year olds. The first thing he asked me when he saw my BP was my about training schedule. I have been monitoring BP and heart rate for a couple of years, and the results are consistent with AHS. He also predicted that my tests would come back as "irregular." No other symptoms show.
AHS appears in a small number of endurance athletes, and it is not indicative a heart disease, and your body adjusts to the work volume. The problem is that you are no longer "normal", just like BMI probably does not apply to you any longer. The primary issue for you right now is confirmation that it is not heart disease and that it is AHS, then go forward training.
If you look at it, it is another really cool way to see your body adjust to training. Long term no damage is being done, and if it is AHS, you will be good to go.

Originally posted by mbanddv

Completed the Goofy Challenge on Sunday! After a few days in the parks and a half marathon on Saturday, my quads were absolutely screaming at me from the starting line. Stuck it out and ran my first negative-split marathon, completing it in 4:03:28. Absolutely perfect running conditions -- no wind, temps in the 50s/60s, and cloud coverage throughout. I took Monday off to rest and travel, but I can't wait to jump in the pool tomorrow.

Originally posted by sawyer1206







Thanks for the input guys. I have never heard of AHS(Athletic Heart Syndrome) before today James so thanks for the information. I googled the syndrome and it looks like if that is indeed what I have, it is reversible. I'm going to send a link of the article to my wife so it may calm her down a bit. I'm still waiting for the Cardio doctor to call and set up an appointment but until them I intend to carry on as usual.

Originally posted by pvfd304

Lots of worrying about hearts here, me too. I have a family history of heart problems so about three years ago I found a heart sonogram test being offered though a local Cardiologist group to help screen for problems. It was a sort of walk in screening, you did an interview and then they did a sonogram of my heart and arteries. It all came back good but it was nice to know before starting a vigorous exercise program.

Nice to find any problems before you end up finding them on the side of the road during a run. (or swim)

ETA: I do have a problem with getting dizzy especially after standing up. Low BP, low heartrate and being 6'4" all adds up to a bit of a lag when I need more blood flow to the 'ol noggin. Seems to get worse after a long hard workout. Jumping out of the pool gets me sometimes too.