Posted , 8 users are following.
Hi Everyone
Before I had a 2 month-long period of having svt episodes, I went to the gym 5 days a week, however after having these episodes, I was unable to work out due to my heart rate increasing. Although now being treated with Bisoprolol (1.25mg) daily, I want to go back. Is this a good idea? Does anyone else work out regularly with SVT?
Thank you
Rhian
0 likes, 9 replies
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dominika90457 rhianprince
Posted
Hi!
I was told that it's better to go for a walk or to ride the bike, but everyone is different.
How frequently do you have an episode and what was your max bpm? How long does it last usually?
rhianprince dominika90457
Posted
Thanks! I do like lifting weights but i'll go in slow I guess!
My episodes are very irregular (yearly) but once they start, i have them quite a lot for 1-3 months.The highest it has been is 180bpm..They also last about an hour per episode - it sucks a lot
chadcf rhianprince
Posted
I think everyone is pretty unique so the only way to find out is to try. For me personally I find that high intensity exercise is a no go as it triggers arrhythmias pretty frequently. Things that get my heart rate up fast and then slow down again quickly are the worst, as an example hiking up a steep hill is a big trigger. I'll be fine going up but once I get to the top and my heart rate starts to come back down, I'll have an episode. These days I do exercise but I stick to more slow and steady activities like cycling.
katherine46823 rhianprince
Posted
Hi Rhian
I have SVT and I work out daily with high-intensity exercise - karate, running, swimming. I used to have the occasional SVT attack but then they became more frequent. I am now on 100 mg flecainide daily and I have not had an attack since I started the daily medication about 3 months ago. I have been able to resume my exercise and I feel great. Good luck with your own medication regime. I hope you get it sorted as exercise can only be good for you.
annie56356 rhianprince
Edited
Have you asked your Cardiologist? Surely you have? We are a forum of unqualified lay people who know nothing of your health history, cardiac health status or even your age. We cannot advise you as to whether you should be exercising.
However if your heart rate increases with exercise this is a normal physiological response and shouldn't stop you exercising. If you switch over into SVT then you need to stop exercising until it's converted back to sinus rhythm. This is not a heart disease but an intermittent disorder of electrical conduction which doesn't affect your heart EXCEPT when it's switched over to the aberrant pathway.
People with SVT are not barred from doing anything they would normally do, unless they've been specifically told by their Dr not to exercise. I've had SVT for 30 + years and done everything and anything I wanted including running triathlons. It seems to be people's anxiety which prevents them moving on with their life rather than the condition itself which is a real shame.
agy26775 rhianprince
Edited
Oh wow, I've been there 😦
My SVT first started acting up big time when I was lifting in the gym... rushed to the hospital, got prescribed Atenolol. It helped immensely.
Went back to the gym a few days later, bam, same thing happens when I lift the weights. Went into another SVT episode.
Since then I've learnt not to lift heavy weights. And to only lift light weights if I am feeling good and have warmed up. Now I only really do yoga and long power walks in nature, it has such a good effect on the heart. I need to do more of it.
One thing that helps me immensely to control SVT is Magnesium. Have you tried that? It might give you that extra "SVT protection" that you need in order to hit the gym again. Works wonders for me, helps to prevent SVT for me personally and helps to soothe the body (and mind) as it naturally relaxes your muscles. Good luck
annie56356 agy26775
Edited
Lifting heavy weights forces your body into a valsalva manourvre which is what we do to reverse SVT but it can also trigger it. Any change in the pressure in your chest can trigger it. I once triggered it by diving into a pool, just by the way my chest hit the water. Bending down to pick something up is another similar trigger.
I might lift a weight 1000 times without triggering SVT and then suddenly one day it does. Meh, it's not going to stop me lifting anything. Live big or go home 😃
katherine46823 annie56356
Posted
That certainly rings a bell with me. The valsalva manouvre is supposed to initiate the mammalian dive reflex. So you would think swimming, with the diving into the water and tumble turn, would basically be doing that. But my first SVT occurred while swimming, and before I went onto daily flecainide, swimming was the activity most likely to trigger an episode. So we take our chances. Definitely I would get triggered while swimming (prone) or leaning forward, and reversal most consistently occurred while sitting back.
annie56356 katherine46823
Posted
Valsalva (or something similar with breath holding) will also trigger SVT as well as convert it.
I've done lots of swimming with no issues, only the one time when I dove in and obviously hit the water at an angle which caused a change to the interthroracic pressure enough to interrupt the beat. It was 25 years ago now.
As I've gotten older the SVT is much more likely to start when I'm laying or sitting still. Early mornings laying in bed are a trigger and I'm not going to stop that!