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<\/div>\nThe first instinct is to slow down. What if we pushed ourselves too much? Better to be safe than sorry. The news of sudden cardiac deaths in seemingly healthy people, many of them young, who collapsed right in the middle of their workouts, has made everyone a little nervous. These events have us asking some tough questions – how much is too much? Can you hurt your heart by exercising too much?<\/p>\n
Does too much exercise cause heart problems?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n
Sudden\u00a0cardiac deaths (ref. link<\/a>)\u00a0account for 40\u201350% of all heart-related deaths and 15\u201320% of overall mortality.\u00a0Studies show that men who are not used to intensive exercise are most at risk, while women and regular exercisers have slightly reduced risks. While it seems like the chances of a\u00a0heart attack during exercise\u00a0are higher if you suddenly go from couch potato to 5K, cases where high-intensity exercises lead to heart rhythm abnormalities, are the ones we should keep a lookout for.<\/p>\n Just like any other muscle in your body, as you begin to exercise, your heart will quickly contract and relax and blood circulation will increase. This helps to get oxygen-rich blood to your muscles, faster. As you continue to pick up the pace, the demand for oxygen in the blood will increase. The heart will try and keep up with this demand by increasing the heart rate<\/a> as well as the force with which the heart muscle contracts. This is why the heart races and body temperature rises as you move your muscles.<\/p>\n If the exercise puts too much strain on your heart, you may experience:<\/p>\n It is important that you pay attention to these warning signs, and rest. The most alarming symptom for most people is the uncomfortable sensation of\u00a0irregular heartbeats or arrhythmias.<\/p>\n Atrial fibrillation<\/a>\u00a0is a type of\u00a0arrhythmia<\/a> that\u00a0commonly occurs in older adults with coronary artery disease, valvular disease, or other\u00a0heart diseases. Studies (ref. link<\/a>)\u00a0have shown\u00a0that they also occur in people who take part in regular endurance exercise. One study estimated that the risk of\u00a0atrial fibrillation<\/a>\u00a0increased by about 16%, and the risk of\u00a0atrial flutter\u00a0increased by 42%,\u00a0\u00a0for every 10 years of regular endurance exercise, i.e. if one exercised three or more times per week, for over 30 minutes.<\/p>\n Tennis icon\u00a0Billie Jean King\u00a0 (ref. link<\/a>) and basketball star\u00a0Larry Bird (ref. link<\/a>)\u00a0are prominent examples of star athletes who developed\u00a0atrial fibrillation\u00a0when they were still young and active.<\/p>\n The most common recommendation for people who experience arrhythmias while exercising would be to scale down the duration and intensity of the exercise, but athletes in training or those who work consistently towards their fitness goals are often reluctant to give up on their hard-won stamina.<\/p>\n Although a European study (ref. link<\/a>) showed that male athletes reported fewer episodes of\u00a0arrhythmia\u00a0<\/b>after reducing their athletic activity; the response was greater in younger athletes (30% reduction in episodes) than in older athletes (11% reduction in episodes).<\/p>\n Experiencing\u00a0atrial fibrillations\u00a0or\u00a0heart flutters\u00a0can be scary, and might prompt you to reschedule your yearly health check-up. A full examination may reveal a stable resting heart rate<\/a>, normal blood pressure, and no findings on an ECG. The logical next step is to find out if the arrhythmia is stress-induced. Enter the treadmill test!<\/p>\n During a\u00a0stress test (ref. link<\/a>),\u00a0you walk on a treadmill so that you force your heart to work harder, while you step up your activity levels and monitor its performance using an ECG and blood pressure graphs. Doctors would look out for symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain, excessive sweating and fatigue as well. These changes could point towards\u00a0coronary artery disease (CAD)\u00a0 (ref. link<\/a>) or\u00a0exercise induced arrhythmias (ref. link<\/a>)\u00a0like atrial fibrillation or\u00a0tachyarrhythmias (both supraventricular and ventricular)<\/p>\n But there is a downside.<\/p>\n A stress test may not be able to pick up a developing heart condition or an underlying arrhythmia effectively.\u00a0The test lasts only 15-20 minutes,\u00a0giving the doctors only a limited estimate of your heart condition. Exercising in an examination room can never replicate the environmental conditions you are otherwise exposed to when taking part in endurance exercises, in your routine life. That\u2019s why a stress test does fall short when compared to continuous monitoring of both heart rate and heart rhythm, especially during exercise.<\/p>\n Wearable heart rate monitors have become more popular lately.\u00a0How can a heart rate monitor<\/a> be beneficial to your workouts?\u00a0<\/b>It can definitely measure heart rates effectively, so you know when you\u2019re getting the most out of your exercise regimen. You can watch out for alarming increases and slow down when you need to. But there are limitations here as well, because devices that pick up fluctuations in heart rate may not be able to pick up changes in heart rhythm.<\/p>\n Just like everything in life, balance is the key. While working on your exercise routine, it does make sense to establish your baseline heart rate, endurance and stamina before rushing into an intense workout. As a seasoned athlete or as someone who loves their daily endorphin rush after a great workout,\u00a0\u00a0monitoring your heart rate and ECG while exercising\u00a0is a great way to detect fluctuations.<\/p>\n It is not uncommon for the heart rate to become irregular during exercise, especially if you are pushing yourself to your limits. In most cases, this is not a cause for concern and may resolve on its own after the exercise is completed. However, if you experience persistent or severe irregular heartbeats during exercise, or if you have a history of heart problems, it is important to speak with a healthcare provider.<\/span><\/p>\n There are several potential causes of irregular heartbeats during exercise, including: Dehydration, Electrolyte imbalances, underlying heart conditions such as arrhythmia or coronary artery disease and exertion.<\/span><\/p>\n If you experience an irregular heartbeat during exercise that is persistent or severe, or if you have any other symptoms such as chest pain or shortness of breath, stop exercising immediately and seek medical attention.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There are several steps you can take to help prevent irregular heartbeats during exercise, including:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n *The information contained in this blog is provided on an as-is basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy\u00a0or usefulness. The content in this blog is not meant to be a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content is meant for informational purposes only. This blog contains copyright material, the use of which has not been specifically authorised by the copyright owner.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Other Heart Health<\/a> Topics To Explore:<\/strong><\/p>\n Cardiac Arrhythmia<\/a> | Heart Palpitations<\/a> | Running Heart Rate Zones<\/a> | Low Heart Rate<\/a> | Smart Heart Rate Monitor<\/a>| Mental Stress Symptoms<\/a> | Heart Attack Symptoms<\/a> | Heart Palpitations Causes<\/a> | Increased Heart rate<\/a> | Heart Health<\/a><\/p>\n Frontier X2<\/a>:<\/strong><\/p>\n Smart Heart ECG Monitor in USA<\/a> | ECG Machine Price in India<\/a> | Best Heart Rate Monitor UK<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We\u2019ve all been there \u2026 the last few steps away from the finish line, the last mile on the exercise bike, the countdown to the end of a great bench press session. You can feel your blood pounding in your […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":4044,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[115],"tags":[128,154],"class_list":["post-4034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-heart-rate","tag-average-heart-rate","tag-heart-rate"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat happens inside our bodies as we exercise?<\/b><\/h2>\n
That Funny Feeling: What symptoms of heart disease could you experience while exercising?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n
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The Panic Button:\u00a0<\/b>Can too much exercise harm my heart?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n
The Next Step: Running for a Stress Test\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n
Active Monitoring: The Smart Approach\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n
\nFrequently Asked Questions on Irregular Heartbeat :<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nIs it normal to have an irregular heartbeat during exercise?<\/b><\/h4>\nWhat causes irregular heartbeats during exercise?<\/b><\/h4>\n
What should I do if I experience an irregular heartbeat during exercise?<\/b><\/h4>\n
Can irregular heartbeats during exercise be prevented?<\/b><\/h4>\n
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