Is physical exercise a trigger for your afib?

[calicles]

I've been experiencing afib for two years. I'm trying to find some triggers to try to control it a little. In my case exercise seems to be one of the triggers. Have you found a relation between exercise and afib?

[Desanthony]

Depends what exercise. I can't pick up a heavy weight - picking up a box full of books put me back in Afib after my first CV. Other than that regulated exercise - watching my heart rate on a monitor does me good.

[secondtry]

I triggered AF doing short sprints, cycling up a steep hill and skiing and walking at altitude. So the short answer is Yes. However, I have always believed (not sure why!)AF is triggered by the accumulation of various factors and so triggers are many and varied as it depends which one happens to be the straw that broke the camel's back. My advice would be focus on varied lifestyle improvements & in the meantime scale down exercise to half your normal level.

[Daisy2908]

Since I had my cardio version in August I have gradually built back up to my pre AF exercise which includes daily spinning classes where I work to my Max heart rate for parts of them. I’ve had no issues so doesn’t seem to be a trigger for me. I’m really pleased about that as exercise is really important to me but everyone’s different. My cardiologist did give me an exercise ecg to reassure me first and his advice was to try to do what I did before and stop if I had any problems. At first I was very anxious about it but as every week has passed I’ve become more confident.

[Hidden]

There is an interesting article here on exercise and AF. See: alivecor.com/blog/articles/...

particularly, the section headed “adrenergic Afib”. There is also advice on maximum heart rate during exercise: “ Make sure you don’t get above 50% to 70% of your maximum heart rate. Calculate this by subtracting your age from the number 220. If you’re 40 years old your maximum heart rate is 180 and you don’t want to get above 126 bpm“.

[momist]

Triggers : Everyone tries to find them. That way lays frustration and madness.

I've come to believe that it's just random, and that triggers don't exist. YMMV.

Good luck, but don't get too obsessed with this.

[Tryfan]

A question I have wrestled and continue to wrestle with. Like you I have been a runner long distance cyclist. Played most sports to a competitive level. Is the answer in the statement.

Being older 71, still fit and active, I am anxious to keep it that way.

What I have discovered is that it is more important to wind up and down more slowly than you perhaps did.

As already mentioned try to avoid getting and staying in the red zone for too long. Pay more cognisance to weather and temperature, too warm, too cold adds stress to activity.

Exercise an hour after eating. Though snacking whilst say cycling is ok. Dont overload on sugar. Stay properly hydrated, drink twice as much as you think. Avoiding energy drinks.

What I feel are triggers for me is stress. Both physical and emotional. If you have had a hard day physical or emotional. Take it more easy, dont push it hoping to correct the days wrongs.

Hope it goes well. Oh. Alcohol I'm afraid is not a good bed fellow. I'm not T total but one or two drinks over a longer period than you would have normally taken seems ok for me. Just avoid the pressures, drinking in rounds, higher alcohol content. I now always look at the %alcohol content and try to avoid spirits.

[Roto]

I'm certain lifting weights at the gym started my first few episodes of Paf

I seem to be bomb proof on all other Af triggers..

[BuckleyBoy]

I get exercise induced AFib. I didn't recognise it as such many years ago when I used a Heart Rate Monitor during endurance cycling, and saw very high (200+ BPM) pulse rates. I never really felt bad and just kept going. Since diagnosis (on a treadmill test) I try to avoid over stressing myself while cycling but sometimes AF kicks in. A brief rest usually brings my HR back to NSR. Only once did I ever feel light-headed / dizzy when trying to keep up with a group going uphill. I still cycle regularly but a little slower, and use an indoor turbo trainer occassionally if I can't get out. Interestingly, I often feel the 'thump in the chest' which indicates I've gone into AFib after I've gone over the top of a climb or reduced my effort on the turbo trainer. Again a brief rest and I soon return to NSR and can carry on exercising.

As referenced by"Samazeuihl" above, I haven't heard the term ADRENERGIC AFib before but I assume this means that the AFib is kicked off by adrenaline. This would make sense as a couple of times when sitting still watching TV I have got over excited watching sport and had a couple of mild AFib periods. If it is actually adrenaline hormone release that triggers my AFib during exercise I wonder if there is a way of targeting this to inhibit it ??

[Haveafib]

I have had PAF now for 5 years. I can trigger the AFIB by:

1. Running - even short distances.

2. Lifting weights over my head.

3. Working outside on my feet all day.

Have to say exercise is definitely one trigger for my AFIB.