Hi, I'm a 57 year old male swimmer with atrial fibrillation taking rhythmol twice a day. (I'm in sinus rhythm most of the time.) I also do a 2,800 yard workout four times a week and aspire to NQT for the 50 and 100 freestyle.
I can't seem to get straight answers from my cardiologist. He says that it is fine to swim, but deeper questions are beyond him.
For example...
Is it OK to really press myself in my workouts?
(I'm out of breath at the end of some of my sets, but who isn't?)
Should I be thinking of long even swims rather than sprint swims?
(I do mile and two mile open water swims, but they're not very exciting for me.)
I'm fighting for breath sometimes during my sets. Is this just a matter of conditioning, or is there a direct link to the a fib?
I have the low side of normal blood pressure. Is there any relationship between blood pressure and whether people are better constituted to be sprinters vs. distance swimmers?
Any information from M.D.s and/or others who have heart conditions would be appreciated.
See you at nationals!
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Former Member
I guess the short answer to your question is that, in the absence of documented coronary artery disease (or more uncommon conditions like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy), the risk of death during strenuous exercise is very low. But probably not zero. However, if your a. fib. is a problem when you exercise, that should be addressed, since it will affect your performance.
One final point. I assume you've had your cholesterol checked; given your family history, statin therapy may be a consideration even with a "nomal" value. An inexpensive (about $40) test is the c-reactive protein which is a marker for CAD and may predict who would benefit even more from early institution of a statin.
I guess the short answer to your question is that, in the absence of documented coronary artery disease (or more uncommon conditions like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy), the risk of death during strenuous exercise is very low. But probably not zero. However, if your a. fib. is a problem when you exercise, that should be addressed, since it will affect your performance.
One final point. I assume you've had your cholesterol checked; given your family history, statin therapy may be a consideration even with a "nomal" value. An inexpensive (about $40) test is the c-reactive protein which is a marker for CAD and may predict who would benefit even more from early institution of a statin.
