Cycling and PAF

During the lockdown I have been going for daily walks, but to get some variety I have decided to take up cycling. I have just ordered a nice Belgian bike which should arrive in a couple of weeks. However, it occurred to me that cycling might not be the best thing for PAF- cycling up hills, for example, might get the heart pumping too hard. Does anyone know if there is a recommendation for or against cycling for those with PAF, or has anyone had any AF problems whilst cycling?

[Hidden]

General rule of thumb......if you can maintain a conversation whilst exercising you should be OK.....I appreciate that this may not be to easy whilst cycling, but I’m sure you get the gist 😉

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Yes, I have heard this rule which is a good one.

[Izzle]

I get AF as a regular event, but when in NSR I do cycle. My heart specialist recommended exercising to 70% of your age related max pulse (which you can Google). Wear a chest band and pulse watch. Work up slowly to the 70% value, hold it for 5-10 mins then slowly cool down. This regime is OK for other exercise, not just cycling.

Just remember we're all different so try it in easy stages.

[Deacon-L in reply to Izzle]

An excellent response from Izzle,

I was once at a lecture from a heart consultant who worked with professional athletes. His insight was that many people who had heart events would have them immediately after exercise in the changing room.

His message was NEVER stop an exercise session and immediately stop and sit-down. Always ‘build down’ the heart rate with a gradual cool-down period to return the heart-rate slowly towards normal. Most aerobic gym equipment has a cool down phase at the end because it is the healthy and safe way for the heart to slowdown from vigorous exercise.

A very helpful reply and reminder from Izzle. 👍🏼

[secondtry in reply to Deacon-L]

Developing your theme, I have found that the same caution applies when just being very busy with normal stuff/stress during the day i.e. don't collapse in front of the TV watching your favourite programme with your dinner when finished whatever you have been doing but wind down slowly perhaps with a short walk. In my early AF days I often couldn't sit down safely at all and so did half an hour light domestic chores to wind down first.

[robboian]

Hi. First I'll assume that you are on an. anticoagulant. Hope that the rest of this post is useful.

I am 67 have had AF since 2000. Various drugs, electroconversions and ablations. Most recently 12 month ago. I am currently taking flecainide and (touch wood) under control. I ride 250-300km per week, about half in the hills around Melbourne. Wear a heart monitor and try not to let my HR go over 135bpm. I am lucky that excersise has never induced AF (to this point)

On the other hand, my friend who is 72, gets excersise induced AF. He also takes flecainide which seems to do the trick.

So for me there are a couple of messages.

1. We are all different, take your medical advice.

2. Excersise of any sort is good provided that you stick within your capability. Cycling is neither better or worse than any other. But, I love it. You can easily stick within limits. It's relatively easy on the body.

3. Take the general advice that you should build slowly and seek medical advice if you have any adverse effects. If all goes well you'll be buying Lycra.

Good luck

Ian

[BigDunc]

Can be good for PAF particularly interval training good video on YouTube York Cardiology Sanjay Gupta AF and exercise

Obviously all depends on many other health issues hope it helps

[JohnHassall]

I have PAF and my doctors encourage me to cycle. I do around 150 miles a week. Get out there and enjoy it.

[secondtry]

Cycling up steep hills set my AF off before I even knew what it was, so keep your efforts down to 70% of your limits.

[Hidden in reply to secondtry]

Thanks to you and everyone else who has replied to this. It seems that most people think it is safe provided it is not strenuous. My plan at the moment is just to cycle on level surfaces at a normal speed and to dismount when going up any steep hills. In this way the heart shouldn’t beat about the 70% maximum which several people have mentioned.

[starry-eyes]

Some good comments already below but just to say my brother and I both have AF. We do not seem to go into AF when exerting within day to day lifting/shoving/exercising etc but the dangerous thing to do seems to be to sit down and relax!

[bikergurl]

I have PAF, and am an avid cyclist. Exercise has never prompted an event for me, not even strenuous exercise. Like others, mine seems to be triggered at rest, or when I go from a very low resting heart rate to quickly elevating my heart rate (like running up the stairs after sitting for a while).

[Jajarunner]

No Afib during exercise either, running or cycling xx

[KMRobbo]

I used to go running to STOP my AF. We are all different with AF!

My EP WANTED ME to carry on running after my ablation.

[Lesleyray]

Hi, I generally cycle once a week outdoors and cycle in the gym 3 times a week but during lockdown had two af episodes and lots of flutters, spoke to my doctor and now waiting for a referral to see my cardiologist, my last episode was last May (put it down to meeting John Barrowman, fan girl lol) I’m on 100mg flecainide twice a day and 20mg rivaroxaban, Doctor thinks I’m now ready for an ablation

[cpalmermn]

I’m a lifelong cyclist that developed PAF along the way. Never got Afib while cycling, but would start to hit me in the evenings after a more strenuous ride. It gradually progressed to no rhyme or reason for episodes.

Start easy, don’t max HR along the way and see how you feel. I ended up getting an ablation after 3 years of PAF, it’s done wonders.

[David1958]

I have always been a cyclist. Within a year of my only ablation I started riding again. I am 9 years post ablation no flecanide and no beta blocker. I ride 15 miles in my toughest gear going at it hard for the entire ride every other day. Max heart rate 135 bpm with average of 122 for the entire ride. I did not start off going at it hard. I worked up to it. I eventually got into interval training on the stationary bike (pre-covid) and doing laps in the pool (pre-covid). Switched to the bike to have any sort of exercise during these covid times including walking 2 .5 miles every night with my wife. Take it easy to start and slowly work up to a sweat if your heart behaves. Like everyone says make sure you cool down and let your heart rate come down to a normal level. In interval training your heart will learn to come down 30 bpm in 1 or 2 minutes on its own before you go at it again. Something to look forward to!

[Hidden in reply to David1958]

I’m not sure I’m going to be cycling at quite this level! I see it more as a way of getting some moderate exercise as an alternative to lockdown daily walking. I’ll take things very carefully and will check my pulse before and after as well as taking Kardia readings. I spoke to a cardiac nurse and she said it was fine “provided you don’t overdo things.”

[David1958 in reply to Hidden]

I certainly did not jump into interval training right off the bat. That took me quite awhile to achieve. Down here in Florida it is flat as a pancake. You always have to let your body tell you what you can do.

[johnMiosh]

Belgian bike? Ridley or Mercx?

I developed AF due to a lifetime of cycling. I would recommend a chest monitor for HR, The wrist ones underestimate during AF.

I wouldn't worry too much about % of maximum, the caculation will be very inaccurate. Just pedal comfortably; what you will need to watch for is a sudden increase. I found that I would be fine for a while, but then my body would decide it needed more blood, so my HR would increase. The AF stopped the heart filling properly, so my body increased my HR, but the AF ... etc. Before i knew it my HR would be over 250 and I had no energy.

Betablockers sorted this out and left me able to cycle at a reasonable but restricted rate. At 55 my tested max HR was 187, but while waiting for ablation I restricted myself to 135, and rode the canal paths rather than the local hills. I am sure my level of fitness helped my recovery from ablation.

[Hidden in reply to johnMiosh]

The bike parts are made in Belgium and the bike will be assembled here in the UK (the shop owner here is Belgian and he uses his name on the frames) I’m not going to be racing or doing anything too strenuous. I plan to just cycle on flat surfaces, initially at least, and will see how the heart reacts before progressing. As you know, AF often affects athletes, so if you were a competitive cyclist that is sufficient to explain your AF.

[David1958 in reply to Hidden]

My family has a history of arrhythmia which I believe predisposes one to AF. In my case I got dehydrated and exhausted at the same time and tipped over into AF. I try to avoid both of those triggers. I had to wean myself off of coffee because caffeine makes arrhythmia worse. I am here to tell you there is life after coffee.

[Hidden in reply to David1958]

I’m generally OK with a single coffee but I drink mostly Swiss water process decaff, which doesn’t result in too much loss of flavour. I also recommend white tea which has a third of the caffeine content of black tea and is a very healthy and enjoyable drink.