Exercising when on Atenolol

[Citylady]

Hi - I've just bought an exercise bike to try and lose some weight at home.  To burn fat I need my heart rate to be above 117bpm (I'm in my 50's) but no matter how hard I try, I can't get above 70.  I take 50mg Atenolol every morning for high blood pressure.  Could this be the reason I can't raise my heartrate?  Any suggestion how I can get round this problem so I can get burning that fat off?  

[MrsNini]

I am new to this community.  My story is long and crazy but I can tell you that I was on Beta Blockers for a while and I was also trying to lose weight. It didn't happen.  My cardiologist knew I was trying and he never said anything about the beta blockers.  Here we are several years later and I was just diagnosted with "Chronotropic incompetence" among other things.  If you look it up on the internet you won't find much and if you go to WebMD there isn't anything at all, but what it basically means is that my heart rate when on exertion doesn't get above 90 beats (I think it is 90).  What is the funny parts is that I have palpatations that will reach well over 120.

[erijon]

Flycaster is correct, even on Atenolol, you should be able to acheive a higher heart rate. Like Flycaster, I have lost about 70 pounds now over almost two years and I do 45 -60 mins of cardio at 75 - 85% of my max predicted heart rate. That level will do more for your heart than it will for your weight. I did not start losing weight until I started counting calories as well.

You do need to report your heart rate during exercise to your doctor to be safe.

Hope this helps,

Jon

[Flycaster305]

Beta Blockers like Atenolol indeed put the breaks on your heart rate.  I take a different Beta Blocker and have the same situation, but 70 bpm seems low even for a beta blocker when exercising.  Are you exercising for at least 30 minutes, and another question is of course, how accurate is your heart rate monitor?  I think I'd report that to your doctor and perhaps you need a lighter dose.  Most people taking beta blockers where I work out report an exercise heart rate of about 100 - 105 BPM.  The standard heart rate/age does not apply to people taking beta blockers.  

I equated taking a beta blocker to quitting smoking.  Both lower your heart rate, both will cause weight gain initially if you don't cut back the caloric intake.  That's just how it works, and aerobic workouts don't really burn calories, simmer is probably a better word compared with cutting back on calories.  I lost about 50 pounds put it was over almost a five year span.  That being said, at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise daily will strengthen the heart and improve your blood pressure.  Hang in there, don't get discouraged.