Athletes, do you have Insufficient Heart Rate?

[asdfkj]

Long-time runner here. One of the symptoms that clued me in to an autonomic issue was my heart rate progressively stopped keeping pace with my workload, over the course of a year.

The experience was different than simply being tired from a maximum effort (burning lungs and burning/aching limbs). It was this feeling like my heartbeat and breathing were not keeping up with my legs. My HR monitor backed up this story, showing a 10-15 bpm decline during max efforts.

I've had cardio workups, nothing structurally wrong with my heart, though I do have prolonged QT.

Googling around I found the term "chronotropic incompetence" - here's an overview: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.110.940577

Athletes, have you experienced this? Were you able to do anything about it?

Thanks 🙏

 

[Sushi]

23 hours ago, asdfkj said:

Googling around I found the term "chronotropic incompetence"

I have chronotropic incompetence. It can be easily spotted on a treadmill stress test. After 3 tests over about 9 months, I was given a pacemaker. Probably not the answer you would like, but it was a tremendous relief.

[asdfkj]

Thank you, Sushi. On the contrary, this is helpful to know and I'm glad you were able to find relief!

So far, mine is subtle (10-15 beats lower at max effort), so cardiologists have explained it (and my baseline bradycardia) as due to athletic conditioning. But data from my sports heart rate monitor tell a different story.

Did you by any chance have a similar issue with breathing rate?

 

[Sushi]

1 hour ago, asdfkj said:

Did you by any chance have a similar issue with breathing rate?

I would be left panting on treadmill tests and it would take a bit to return to normal breathing.

[Garden Gal]

yes. and if one more doctor looks at my low heart rate and comments how I must exercise a lot and be in good shape I am going to scream.