Never give up

[chris45558]

I've just watched an interview with a great iconic British cyclist Sean Yates.He's in permanent AF and in his 60s and next year doing a 300km gravel cycling event.

What a top guy.

Just shows never give up and let AF win.

[theonethatgotaway1]

How can the heart cope with such exercise in permanent AF? Is it not risky

[BenHall1 in reply to theonethatgotaway1]

.... that's my initial thought too - and at that age - particularly the athletic world, marathon running and olympic grade cycling fer instance, seem to be littered with casualties caused by these sorts of physical endeavours. The only thing I suppose is that such athletes must have bodies that are otherwise finely tuned that this takes the pressure off the heart a bit.

[Hidden]

I wonder, how many of you would continue to drive the car with one deflated tire...? I believe, none! Why is it, then, so important to continue the exercise with partly disabled heart?! I consider it to be the violence of the brain over the body. Of course, everybody is right to do with his/her body whatever chosen, as long as the government finds it to be OK, lol!

[Omniscient1]

His GP will have told him (as did mine) that's it's ok as long as he feels ok. I don't do anything as intense as he does but still run. The limiting factor I believe (only verified by one Dr) is the lesser ability to get oxygen into the blood. Which limits effort.

[FSsimmer in reply to Omniscient1]

I have longstanding Afib ( Over 3 years now ). I was a distance runner and am nearly 70. My Dr told me the same, do what you can as long as you feel Ok...I don't run now, but do brisk walking ( my choice though )

[Jetcat in reply to FSsimmer]

I’d say that’s very sensible too simmer.? Even a brisk walk has many cardiovascular benefits as you already know so why put the heart under unnecessary stress.?👍

[FSsimmer in reply to Jetcat]

Cheers, take care

[Omniscient1 in reply to FSsimmer]

I'm 60. Good on you for carrying on carrying on - while you still can. A lot of us cannot of course.

[FSsimmer in reply to Omniscient1]

Thanks, and all the best to you

[MisterMagoo]

Always loved Sean Yates. Even more so now.

[AFCyclist]

Best to manage your condition to get out of AF by procedures or drugs but if you are stuck with it I am sure you benefit from keeping fit. Do not let AF control your life. My cardiologist also says exercise is good. See Cardiac Athletes page on Facebook.Perhaps he has an electric bike like me.

[Tryfan]

Whilst I have nothing but admiration for Sean, and all athletes. It begs the question that has always concerned me. How did he and so many other athletes and lesser runners and cyclists. Which I include myself. Become affected with Afib. So many of us come from the stable of runners and cyclists.

[Stodds in reply to Tryfan]

I used to run ultras, to a good standard. I have been told my AF started due to the overdevelopment of the atrium with the exercise…a normal response to the 100 or so kms I averaged in weekly training for many years.

[Tryfan in reply to Stodds]

fully understand. Always a dilemma. Whilst not an ultra. Ran good half marathonmarathons and reasonable full. After skiing injury I then went on to cycling. 100 mile time trials. But more on touring whiwhich I loved. Problem is we think we are doing our bodies good, low weight, low strong heart beat, but alas along comes Afib. So many people on this site with same history. Look after yourself and suggest you take mag taurtaurate Lots fifind it helpful. .

[Omniscient1 in reply to Tryfan]

Likewise I had a misspent youth doing many miles a week, and here I am on this forum (with all our fab members).

[Jetcat in reply to Tryfan]

And weight trainers Tryfan. I went to the gym for a good number of years and lifted heavy weights and I don’t think it’s done me much good.?? Apart from AFIB and ectopics Iv now got sore joints in certain places.!!! All unnecessary wear and tear and damage.!!! If I had my time again I definitely wouldn’t be visiting gyms and lifting weights and getting my HR soaring.?

[Rainfern]

Hearing this has made my bike get all excited! It has been sitting for months all lonely in the hall - a nice lightweight electric bike I paid a fortune for! We are lucky here to have good flat cycle paths along seafront and estuary. Ok bike, I hear you ….

[Decaf_Andy]

all specialists I’ve spoken to encourage excercise, even the Cotswold hilly cycling I do, even if in AF. I just take it easier if unlucky and AF kicks in while I’m out (I have to: power output drops by 25%).

Have done 80km in AF before and feel fine.

[Rosie1066]

That’s my motto, too! Never stop doing what you have always done. It’s kept me in good shape over the years.

[JayDJ]

Personally I'm not sure that he is doing the right thing, after all said and done he has had a warning that his heart is not working as it should. I tend to think that if ( and yes I know the difference) a car engine was misfiring jerking around and sounding bumpy - would you take a chance on it finishing its journey ?

[FSsimmer in reply to JayDJ]

Where did you get your medical degree to make that assessment?

[JayDJ in reply to FSsimmer]

Probably the same place you got your sarcasm.

[Taviterry]

I believe that Sean has been using an e-bike for some years. Quite an animal (compliment) on the bike in his pro days. I saw him at the start of a Tour of Britain stage in Windsor in the 1980; the veins in his calves were VERY prominent. At the end of one of my scans this year the nurse remarked that she sees quite a few cyclists and rowers with AF.

[pusillanimous in reply to Taviterry]

Here in South Africa, it's canoeists, a very popular sport on some quite wild rivers (my cardiologists was one), my son too!. My son had an ablation 17 years ago, never had any further symptoms, continued canoeing and cycling. Now at age 53, he mainly hikes and bikes with his 3 young sons, but since my AF is Familial and appears to pop up when we are older, who knows what the future holds.

[Ronnieboy]

Not to mention the tour de France winner Bradley wiggens has a reported heart rate of 35.

[Taviterry in reply to Ronnieboy]

Miguel Induráin, who won five Tours de France from 1991 to 1995, had heart rate of 28bpm!

[Hidden in reply to Taviterry]

There was a water-polo player, named Mirko Sandic, with resting HR of 36 and it was the lowest data I knew until now. Thanks for the info about still lower BPM! I lived my whole life with resting HR of 48, feeling perfectly OK. Such bradycardia, brought to exist through careful exercise, is beneficial for the heart and for the body. What's bad, is the bradycardia which is the consequence of medication or of disturbed HR regulation. But, IMHO, it is not the reason for immediate putting the pacemaker in people's bodies since it is transient state of the body and can, in an majority of cases, revert from itself.

[Ronnieboy in reply to Hidden]

I'm in your camp my hr is hovering around 50bpm and ,as far as I know,always has been.When I was 18 I joined the royal signal corps and stayed for 13 years including intense physical and mental training ,a few marathons as well.I had the AF experience in 2009 with a hr of 150,but since then nothing ,I'm not sure it was AF to be honest,it doesn't matter what I do now I never get an attack.eat rubbish food ,I have fair amount of exercise,not a great sleeper either,so I count myself lucky compered to some of the good people on this forum.

[Hidden in reply to Ronnieboy]

So glad to know that there are cases similar to mine. At the age of 47, I had an attack of arrhythmia which lasted for a day, was similar to AF, but I also doubt it was AF. The changed states of the body, which may cause arrhythmias, come and go, lasting shorter or longer periods of time. There is absolutely no need to make a panic the very moment people experience first arrhythmia problems (my first tachycardia was when I was 17 yo - it showed once and then the next attack came at the age of 47). If the bouts repeat, it they start being longer and longer, than it's a different case. Like you, I also consider myself lucky with my symptoms - almost none, lol!

[Ronnieboy in reply to Taviterry]

Incredible.

[CliveP]

Exercise is medicine.

There are few things worse for the body than chronic inactivity.

I heard of a study where people with serious heart failure were given interval training workouts (at an appropriate level). Cardiac performance improved in all subjects.

30 mins of vigorous exercise 4 times a week with an an easy hr on Sunday is a good recipe for cardiac health.

I’m sure that Sean Yates is in better overall health than if he just sat in a chair, posting about how exercise is dangerous.

[JayDJ in reply to CliveP]

"I’m sure that Sean Yates is in better overall health than if he just sat in a chair, posting about how exercise is dangerous."

There is no one fits all situation and many including myself are exercise intolerant. It doesn't mean to say that I'm idle or sit around all day but over exertion can kick my afib off big time, so what may be good for Sean Yates could possibly kill someone else.

[MiniMeGreen]

No way I could do any exercise while in AF. Yesterday I had a serious one, couldn't even get up to take something to eat. Almost fainted several times while trying to get up. I was happy when I managed to get a glass of water and some almonds.

[CliveP in reply to MiniMeGreen]

That’s tough. I think that many people with paroxysmal AF feel worse than those who are in AF all the time.

I only ever had persistent AF and felt pretty normal. I was able to exercise ok but at a much reduced level.