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Can Catheter Ablation help with fitness goals?
Hello and thank you in advance to anyone who responds. I am a 35 year old female and I have been working out at a crossfit gym consistently for about 6 years. With as much as I train I really should be a machine but.....I am always a beat behind everyone. Add in a run or any sort of plyometrics and I am huffing and puffing like it is my first workout ever. During a 3 mile run my average time is 12:30/mile. After 6 years of training! I finally went to a cardiologist and after a series of tests they found an arrythmia that presents itself only during exercise. My heart rate bolts to about 200-220 bpm and then the arrythmia happens during the recovery. During the treadmill stress test it presented itself about 4 times during the recovery. The Dr. offered a catheter ablation to help with the arrythmia. My question is this...will this help me during exercise? Will the ablation help with the quick fatigue? Has anyone had experience with this? Thanks!
At age 35... if the guy said he could fix it... fix it.
Just note it will cost your "maximum out of pocket," which exceeds your deductible. Typically it's $2-3k on some high deductible plans it can be $5-10k. Just be prepared to write the check or make payments.
That being said, I'm going to run marathon #7 on my ablated heart on Sunday. I intend to finish in the top 15% of ALL runners... at age 45.
Go. Live.
Just note it will cost your "maximum out of pocket," which exceeds your deductible. Typically it's $2-3k on some high deductible plans it can be $5-10k. Just be prepared to write the check or make payments.
That being said, I'm going to run marathon #7 on my ablated heart on Sunday. I intend to finish in the top 15% of ALL runners... at age 45.
Go. Live.
COMMUNITY LEADER
I was never much overweight, but I was a smoker and did very little exercise other than the usual necessary walking.
At age 45 I quit smoking and began using the company gym to exercise, both weight training and aerobic exercise on bike and tread mill. My benchmark becoming the treadmill (coupled with some outside serious walks and jogs). When I started I had to work hard to do 3 miles in less that 45 minutes, 15 minutes/mile. Within a year or two (I forget now that was a long time ago and may be a key reason I'm still alive today) I was jogging at 10 minutes/mile, or 3 miles in 30 minutes - this improved over the next couple of years and I was pushing to get down to 9 minutes per mile for 3 miles. I got hear, but never made that goal. Of course I was getting older but this experience added much to my well being and I frequently said to myself "I'm not getting older, I'm getting better" and indeed I was in physical strength. My wife was also in good condition and we'd do a street-type bike ride of 30 miles in an afternoon, touring the country side around our home - that was real exercise too.
I tell you my story to give you a calibration on the heart question. At about age 55 I began to suffer form atrial fibrillation, went full time, permanent, but I was successfully converted with electric shock and spent years in normal sinus rhythm, always returning to AFib. When I was in NSR I went back to my running and other exercise, when in AFib I couldn't do any more than a okay walk, something closer to 20 minutes per mile and mostly level or only slight grade. When in NSR I was again pushing 9 minute miles... this in/out lasted for a few years than at age 67 I went into permanent AFib, never to return to NSR. I have not ran since that time and limit myself to hikes on relatively level ground.
In my case history if an ablation could have returned me to NSR I am confident I would still be running something near 10 minute miles, maybe 11 minute miles I am now 7 years older than when I was doing faster than 10 minute miles. The "not getting older, getting better" lasts only as long as one is pulling himself (herself) up from poor physical condition to something near what they are capable of at whatever age that is.
Good luck,
At age 45 I quit smoking and began using the company gym to exercise, both weight training and aerobic exercise on bike and tread mill. My benchmark becoming the treadmill (coupled with some outside serious walks and jogs). When I started I had to work hard to do 3 miles in less that 45 minutes, 15 minutes/mile. Within a year or two (I forget now that was a long time ago and may be a key reason I'm still alive today) I was jogging at 10 minutes/mile, or 3 miles in 30 minutes - this improved over the next couple of years and I was pushing to get down to 9 minutes per mile for 3 miles. I got hear, but never made that goal. Of course I was getting older but this experience added much to my well being and I frequently said to myself "I'm not getting older, I'm getting better" and indeed I was in physical strength. My wife was also in good condition and we'd do a street-type bike ride of 30 miles in an afternoon, touring the country side around our home - that was real exercise too.
I tell you my story to give you a calibration on the heart question. At about age 55 I began to suffer form atrial fibrillation, went full time, permanent, but I was successfully converted with electric shock and spent years in normal sinus rhythm, always returning to AFib. When I was in NSR I went back to my running and other exercise, when in AFib I couldn't do any more than a okay walk, something closer to 20 minutes per mile and mostly level or only slight grade. When in NSR I was again pushing 9 minute miles... this in/out lasted for a few years than at age 67 I went into permanent AFib, never to return to NSR. I have not ran since that time and limit myself to hikes on relatively level ground.
In my case history if an ablation could have returned me to NSR I am confident I would still be running something near 10 minute miles, maybe 11 minute miles I am now 7 years older than when I was doing faster than 10 minute miles. The "not getting older, getting better" lasts only as long as one is pulling himself (herself) up from poor physical condition to something near what they are capable of at whatever age that is.
Good luck,
I do hope you are stopping when it occurs during your workout? If you have a classic accessory pathway svt it should be an easy fix. As you age it may actually start to present at times outside your exercise circumstances. If you are getting it often when you exercise I would consider it since it will impede your ability to complete your workout. I can't say for certain it will increase your particular endurance but for me it seems like I can push myself harder than I could before the ablation. I would find out though specifically what type of arrhythmia they found. As I said before, accessory pathway svts are an easy fix but some of the others aren't. it is best to know exactly what you are getting into so you can make an informed decision. Good luck and keep us posted.
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