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!
I have a friend, who, 7 years ago, developed paroxysmal a-fib, PVC's, and MVP at age 38. + family history. This was all SEMI-well controlled on diltiazem and metoprolol with half assed wt loss (240 to 230)--but A-fib was still a problem.
Since gradually starting masters swimming last fall, with MD approval and negative stress testing (100% max hr and no s-t changes), echo, and ekg, his wt has dropped to 190. First he came off the dilt, now off the metoprolol. No afib events in 4 months, and only .2 sec off of 4 USMS cuts. He says taht shoulders willing, he's never going back.:applaud:
I have a friend, who, 7 years ago, developed paroxysmal a-fib, PVC's, and MVP at age 38. + family history. This was all SEMI-well controlled on diltiazem and metoprolol with half assed wt loss (240 to 230)--but A-fib was still a problem.
Since gradually starting masters swimming last fall, with MD approval and negative stress testing (100% max hr and no s-t changes), echo, and ekg, his wt has dropped to 190. First he came off the dilt, now off the metoprolol. No afib events in 4 months, and only .2 sec off of 4 USMS cuts. He says taht shoulders willing, he's never going back.:applaud:
