Training on Beta Blockers

San Marzano
San Marzano Posts: 132
edited December 2011 in Training, fitness and health
Hi

I've just been diagnosed with Supraventricular Tachycardia following an incident where my heart beat went up to 225 and stayed there for the best part of three hours.

I have been subsequently prescribed verapamil and bisoprolol until I have an electrophysiological study / ablation in Spring 2012.

My consultant has advised that i should jump straight back on my bike but the beta blockers could make things difficult in terms of effort required - as they keep the heart rate within reasonable bounds.

Anybody else had a similar experience? I would be interested to know how (if at all) you have been affected / if you still feel confident to train (without fear of another episode).

Many thanks

Jon

Comments

  • jimmcdonnell
    jimmcdonnell Posts: 328
    I've been on a cocktail of hypertension meds for 15 years, including different beta-blockers; I'm on bisoprolol fumarate now and I can't say I've noticed a difference; my Garmin is set to show % of max HR (using the rough 'n ready 220 -age formula), and even up the biggest hills (admittedly I'm a commuter and tourer typically on 3% to 120% hills, not racing up 25% monsters) my HR gets to about 85% - 90% max unless I'm not completely well, in which case it can be higher.

    You raise an interesting point though, and though I've tried to look online for info on sports performance issues related to hypertension medication, having heard rumours of a 'ceiling' they imposed on you, I've found little or nothing.

    In my case, my lungs seem to 'top out' before my heart rate does. How does that compare to you?
    Litespeed Tuscany, Hope/Open Pro, Ultegra, pulling an Extrawheel trailer, often as not.

    FCR 4 (I think?)
    Twitter: @jimjmcdonnell
  • San Marzano
    San Marzano Posts: 132
    Hi Jim

    Thanks for your response. That's encourgaing. It'll be my first ride out this weekend so i'm going to take it really steady and see how it feels. I'll let you know how it went.

    Jon
  • pmannion9
    pmannion9 Posts: 287
    I know someone who is a runner who was on Beta Blockers...
    He was finding it increasing hard to run a fixed route. Always losing his breath etc....
    He was about to retire and by chance read an article about Beta Blockers...

    The slution he found was to take his medication at different times...He was taking all his tablets ( not sure what else he was on !! ) together in the morning. He left the Beta Blockers for an hour or two later and it has done the trick...

    if you experience anything similair it may help to try this...
  • jimmcdonnell
    jimmcdonnell Posts: 328
    BTW, I have never ridden up a 120% hill. And have no plans to until anti-gravity is invented. 12%.

    A few interesting but perhaps not very useful articles found by googling 'beta blockers vo2max'; worth a look though, informed is better than not.
    Litespeed Tuscany, Hope/Open Pro, Ultegra, pulling an Extrawheel trailer, often as not.

    FCR 4 (I think?)
    Twitter: @jimjmcdonnell
  • Full Merckx
    Full Merckx Posts: 143
    Both will limit your cardiac output as Verapamil is a negative inotrope so reduces cardiac contractility (and stroke volume) and the B-blockers decrease HR and as Cardiac output = Stroke volume x heart rate you will probably find some limitation on your exercise tolerance. At least after radio ablation you should be fine. Good luck
  • jimmcdonnell
    jimmcdonnell Posts: 328
    Full Merckx wrote:
    Both will limit your cardiac output as Verapamil is a negative inotrope so reduces cardiac contractility (and stroke volume) and the B-blockers decrease HR and as Cardiac output = Stroke volume x heart rate you will probably find some limitation on your exercise tolerance. At least after radio ablation you should be fine. Good luck

    It's as if you're trying to communicate with us, but we just. don't. speak. your language!
    Litespeed Tuscany, Hope/Open Pro, Ultegra, pulling an Extrawheel trailer, often as not.

    FCR 4 (I think?)
    Twitter: @jimjmcdonnell
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    "At least after radio ablation you should be fine"

    Is that one of those new fangled digital radio stations?
  • Tri-ing
    Tri-ing Posts: 21
    jimmcdonnell wrote:
    Full Merckx wrote:
    Both will limit your cardiac output as Verapamil is a negative inotrope so reduces cardiac contractility (and stroke volume) and the B-blockers decrease HR and as Cardiac output = Stroke volume x heart rate you will probably find some limitation on your exercise tolerance. At least after radio ablation you should be fine. Good luck

    It's as if you're trying to communicate with us, but we just. don't. speak. your language!

    Cardiac output is the amount of blood your heart pump out per min measured in ml. Cardiac output = stroke volume x heart rate. Stroke volume is the amount of blood pumped out of the heart in one beat, so by multiplying by hr, you get the amount in 1min. Negative inotrope means it causes the heart to beat with less force, mellowing out the contraction. If you reduce how hard the heart pumps, you reduce the amount of blood it will pump out with each beat.

    The beta blocker mentioned Verapamil will reduce the cardiac output by reducing the heart rate AND reducing the stroke volume because it is also has inotropic effects. If you have reduced the amount of blood your heart is able to pump to your body, you are going to be limited in how much blood you can get to your muscles and therefore how hard you can work them. Radio ablation is something I don't understand but it's a treatment for certain things.....
  • Old Tuggo
    Old Tuggo Posts: 482
    I took eye drops for glaucoma which contained beta -blockers and my MHR dropped from 165 to 140. As previously suggested, try taking them other than before training.

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