Most Recent Messages in Exercise & Sports

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Best pacemaker brand for athletes?

Follow on question to my inquiry below.  

I am going to need a new pacemaker this fall.  Which manufacturer has the best pacemakers for use by athletic types?  They are like any other product, with differences in software and firmware, so I assume one brand may be better than the others?  Is this true?  I'd be curious to know which one.

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Looking for a Northern CA specialist

I have an a/v block and I am now 100% paced by a Boston Scientific Advantio K063.  I am also an active cyclist, hiker and periodic skiier.

Over the years, I have had a difficult time working with my doctors office and the Boston techs to get my PM settings optimized for cycling (my main sport).  The doc's don't seem to have the time and the techs don't seem to have the experience.

Can anyone out there suggest the name of a SF Bay area cardiologist or other pr...

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Golf Restrictions

I'm 38 years old and I have had a pacemaker since I was 20 years old. Due to complications with endocarditis 7 years ago I had to abandon the intravenous leads and shoulder implanted battery and switch to epicardial leads and an abdominal implanted battery.

I have been an avid golfer since I was 5 years old. I never had issues with my leads or pacemaker while golfing when I had the intravenous setup. 3.5 years ago one of my epicardial leads started to fracture. My doctor was co...

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Post workout reaction day after exercising?

Hi All,

I haven't been on the site for a long time...after working two jobs for many years, I realized I've gotten very out of shape. I was concerned about returning to a regular exercise routine so I hired a personal trainer to guide me. The first work out went well. I had the usual muscle aches from working out, was a bit tired, but otherwise was fine.

So, the trainer suggested I do more on our next session. The day after the second session I felt sick...was tired, achy,...

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39 yo, Active Runner with PM for sick sinus syndrome

Hi all,

I'm a 39 year old active person who's had a Medtronic PM for about 2.5 years. Long story short, was diagnosed with sick sinus syndrome and historically not had an issue elevating heart rate so just had the PM set to kick in at 50 bpm and had rate response turned completely off. 

Lately, I've noticed on runs that my heart rate will go to about 160 and then afater about first mile (~7:30 minutes) that my rate will start to slowly decline and by 15 minutes in...

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recently told to quit any type of workout

i have had a ICD for 20+ years and have managed to stay fairly active within  my limits (not pushing too hard), as of two weeks ago was doing 60 miles on bike and regular swimming. On a recent echo cardiogram they saw that the right ventrical has become severly dilated and its systolic ability has severly declined. I am told to stop excersing until further notice. the condition is now being labeled as ARVC (Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy) , i previously was diagnosed wit...

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intermittent block variation with heart rate

Hi all,

hope you are all doing well.

I am interested getting a feel for the people who have intermittent heart block whether they know if in their experience it reduces with increased heart rate or decreases.

Looking through posts on here I get the impression that the majority of people seem to see their block increase with rising heart rate but I am keen to know if any others are on here actually see it reduce with increasing heart rate.

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Heart Rate Monitors

I am an active cyclist and hiker w/ a pacemaker.  Recently, my Polar HR10 has been giving very strange readings.  It works for a while normally and then strats giving low rates, below 50 (which I know cannot be true).  Changing the battery does not seem to help.  I have purchased an Apple Watch 6, which is supposed to be accurate but is it?

Does anyone have any idea what could be wrong with the Polar strap?  Does anyone have any solid info on which is the more a...

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Sports at school - what to avoid and how to inform teachers?

Hi,

I'm new here. My daughter (6) got her first PM last Dec, so this topic is quite fresh for me. She goes to Kindergarden and will join school in September. Of course we will inform the school about her PM and give some general information.

However I wonder if I should give any specific instructions to the teachers for physical education. At the moment we told her to avoid climbing up walls and pulling up on bars. She doesn't do any regular sports time being as everything...

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Hitting a wall?

I wanted to report that now, 6 months post PM and 2 weeks post 2nd Covid vaccine, I feel much better. I've done some 2.5 mile hikes around town, with my pulse staying at about 90. While climbing 500 feet, my pulse did get to 150, but then recovered to 90, as I leveled out. My question is, as I am finishing the hike, my pulse comes down to my set 60bpm with my oxygen at 99% and I feel very tired. Is there a wave to the recovery rate that after you have high pulse numbers, does it...

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pacemaker - walking

Hi all,

I am seeking some help on heart rates when walking. I am almost 70 and  I have a Boston scientific K185 which was inserted in January 2015. Have complete heart block and AF all the time  but asymptomatic.   Prior to the BS I had a Medtronic with rate response only. Had that for about 8 years.  The Boston Scientific has minute ventilation and an accelerometer and I have found with cycling that the combination works very well and consistently has...

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Revitive Medic Circulation Booster,

Can this be safely used ?

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Treadmill Test - experiences?

My EP has suggested a good way forward to check what is going on during exercise is a Treadmill test.

I have so much floating around my head at the moment as I am not sure whether I need more pacemaker support during exercise or less. I desperately need to not go off in the wrong direction after this test.

How will they decide if I need more ventricular intervention or less ventricular intervention?

 

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Kayaking

is kayaking okay with a pacemaker? I was never told it wasn't but i have since read it can wear down the leads due to repetitive movement. 

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Sports Cardiologists

Have anyone consulted with a sports cardiologist? 

With the passing of my EP cardiologist I don't have anyone adjusting my pm. With on-going struggles with it while running I thought maybe a sports cardiologist might be someone with whom I can consult. I run ultra slow but get out of breath, fatgued and feel chest pressure. Recovery is near instant but the 3 not-my-amigos are repetitive. Post run I can feel this, at times, more intensely. It seems as if the pm is...

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Pacemaker tracking during exercise - can it be adjusted?

Hi all

had a really good conversation with a new EP technician last week and he explained a lot and is very open to changes. He was very patient and let me ask a lot of questions.

I could sense he was busy so I let him go before asking him to explain one point he said that I have since looked up and still struggling to understand.

He said that he could see I was getting my heart rate up nicely and that it "was tracking consistently at 1:1". I know that 1:1 to...

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HR monitor that works

I have been experimenting with a range of heart rate monitors for exercise but struggle to find one that would constantly give readings. I've gobe through Garmin and some unbranded straps, and had no luck with them.

With optical readers I've tried Garmin forerunner 35 and 220, but both work once or twice, and after its pot luck if they record more than few minutes.

I've gone for Polar OH1, which first few times worked perfectly, and then again no reading. That was retu...

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Help with pacemaker selection for cycling

Hi, I'm trying to help my brother who has bradycardia and sick sinus syndrome.  He is also in a-flutter.  He had an ablation for a-fib about 4 years ago and now needs a pacemaker.  He is 66 and is an avid cyclist, he goes mountain bking up very steep trails.  He wants to keep riding until he absolutle cannot.  His doctor has told him he will put in whatever pacemaker he wants.  He is considering Biotronik or Boston Scientific.  Two of the doctors he has...

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metabolic conditioning & planking

https://www.eatthis.com/news-30-second-workout-trick/

I saw this work out on the internet. Seems to me it would be a safe one for pacemaker users. And does anyone know if planking is safe.

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Tonal vs Mirror vs Peloton

Due to all the different surgeries I'll be going through in the next few months, I would rather not be out on the streets running and cycling. Thinking about getting one of these new exercise machines. Anyone has any of the ones I've mentioned? Any thoughts?

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