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Weight lifting causes skipped beats

I am a healthy male, but I can get premature or skipped heartbeats sometimes when I am lifting weights. I know this is probably because I strain hard while lifting or possibly my breathing, but I do not get these while doing aerobic types of exercise, why during strenuous lifting and is this something to worry about?
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Avatar universal
I feel your pain, I had a episode of afib back in December of 2014 caused by binge drinking I downed a pint of Jack Daniels in 10 mins about an hour later I was passed out drunk woke up vomited and went into afib it wasn't a good experience I spent 3 days in the hospital to be monitored for blood clots and they monitored my heart rhythm I also got a echo cardiogram which came back normal and I was cleared by the cardiologist the he said hes sure it was the alcohol. I still get those skipped beats with exertion like lifting and walking up a hill but only if I was sitting for awhile if I am active during the day I have no problems. Sex can also be trouble for me with bigeminy where the heart skips every other beat I'm guessing from adrenaline producing too much of it. I've put my worries behind me I've seen a cardiologist not much else I can do except enjoy life we are expecting our first child so I look at it as the next chapter of my life I'm 24 and I'm putting every worry behind me no more anxiety. I hope you all can do the same and forget about these harmless heart skips and flutters.
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1423357 tn?1511085442
I suspect that when you lift, your breathing, and tensing of the abdominal muscles is causing abrupt internal pressure changes.  People who experience supraventricular tachycardia utilize this phenomenon called Valsalva to convert episodes.  I used it for over 50 years to halt my SVT episodes. But this inadvertent maneuver can also cause arrhythmia in people, perhaps those predisposed to it.  
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Avatar universal
Im the same way Clifff....when i play basketball once or twice a week i dont feel anything...maybe one skipped beat during the whole time im playing BUT when i lift weights it automatically starts happening during the early stage...meaning that once my heart rate is up and running they go away. Ive had 3 AFib episodes in the last 7 years and everytime i feel these skipped beats i get freaked out that i might jump into AFib again. Furthermore.....when i feel these skipped beats i dont experience any other symptoms such as lighthead, difficulty breathing, or any sort of chest pain.
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Avatar universal
I asked my EP about skipped beats.  He said that it was actually a PAC occurring very early after the normal contraction which then stretches out the time to the next normal contraction.  I don't feel an extra beat when I have skipped beats so I don't know that I agree with his explanation.

I am wondering if exercise and lifting weights is pushing stomach acid into my esophagus and causing vagus nerve stimulation.  I have a mild reflux condition anyway so it wouldn't take much to push acid up.  I don't get a bad acidy taste when lifting but maybe there is enough to get into the area where the vagus nerve enters the esophagus.  I found this great link showing how the vagus nerve wraps around the esophagus and where in innervates- http://www.nature.com/gimo/contents/pt1/fig_tab/gimo6_F4.html
If a person has a hyper-sensitive vagus nerve, high vagal tone, I can see how irritation in the esophagus could set off heart arrhythmias.
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Avatar universal
I'm not sure if I have pac or pvc, I only know I can feel the skip. Sometimes they will come in bigeminy where every second beat is skipped and sometimes trgeminy where every third beat is skipped, this lasts about 5-6 seconds. My family all suffer from skippedheart beats, my brother has bibigeminal pulse where his heart skips every second beat 24/7 but this has never caused problems for anyone in my family so it must not be life threatening just nerve racking . I've worried my self into depression but I'm finally almost out of that and back to exercising again.
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Avatar universal
I will get the PAC's or missed beats when using my abdomonal muscles, such as when I lift weights or pull a wrench when working on my car.  This does not always happen, but often enough to know that there is a connection.  My thought, and have read confirming opinions, is that the vagus nerve is getting stimulated by the abdominal muscle contraction and sending the signal to the heart.  The vagus nerve runs between heart and stomach and controls heart rate by slowing it down.  A signal spike from the vagus nerve is probably responsible for PAC's and missed beats.  My MD says that I have high vagal tone, which to me means that it doesn't take much stimulation to produce heart arrythmias.  I was going into Afib so recently had an ablation done.  I am hoping that it will stop the PAC's as well as the Afib, but I have doubts that it will since all of the work was done inside my atria.  Time will tell.
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Avatar universal
I'm a 22 yr old male and I've had skipped beats for years, but now I only get them when I lift something heavy or mild exertion never during exercise when my heart rate is up.

Idk what to think but they are scary.
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Avatar universal
Hey there. I get the same... Ive been worried abt it which makes it worse. Get examined just incase... but breath easy that you're not the only one.
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Avatar universal
I have the same issue when I laugh hard or basically run myself out of breath. Has anyone actually gotten any information on why this happens. I would be interested to know. I'm just glad that I am not the only one.

Regards
Chad
Helpful - 0
386141 tn?1291396896
Hi,

I too get these beats when lifting weights or working out. I have worn a holter monitor while working out and the Dr says as long as the heart is not damaged, then PVC's are quite normal during exercise.

The same as when I laugh, sneeze or hiccup I too get a missed beat.

I just wished I did not feel it, I would not care so much then!!!

Regards

Tracey
Helpful - 0
703870 tn?1273024642
I don't lift heavy weights, but I do get a skipped beat if I do a deep laugh or chuckle, which is when I strain my abdomen muscles or chest muscles.  Weird that it does this sometimes.

Have you discussed this with your Doctor?  If you become really concerned about it, you may want to have it checked out just for piece of mind.

I'm not a doctor, but I can pretty much tell you that these things are benign in nature, and it could be that you are over-stimulating your vagus nerve when you over strain while lifting.

Same thing happens to be when I laugh really hard..

Zach
Helpful - 0
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