Heart block and exercise: What to expect?

Diagnosis: Right bundle branch block plus a left anterior fascicular block.

Symptoms: I experience intense, rapid palpitations accompanied by significant fatigue whenever I engage in even moderate physical exertion.

Should I focus on improving my cardiovascular fitness—through running, hiking, or cycling—or is it wiser to step away from physical activity altogether?

Have you seen a cardiologist yet? If not, what are you waiting for? They should be the very first person you consult!

I can't say for certain regarding your specific situation; my own experience is mostly limited to mitral valve prolapse and WPW syndrome.

Tell me... do you experience tachycardia while at rest? Has that ever happened?
When you're being physically active, what does your heart rate hit? Is it 120? 150? 180?

An elevated pulse during exercise is perfectly normal. Tachycardia, however, is a condition where the heart essentially loses its necessary recovery time. That isn't normal.

They’ll run an EKG and an ultrasound, which will show exactly what's going on. Essentially, any defect in the heart means the organ isn't pumping as efficiently as it ought to. Beyond that, when you mention "intense physical activity," that's pretty subjective—it could mean anything. Are we talking about climbing five flights of stairs, or running a marathon?

Douglas Wells78 said:Have you seen a cardiologist yet? If not, what are you waiting for? They should be the very first person you consult.

He provided his bio and pointed me toward the research I ended up conducting.

Douglas Wells78 said:Tell me, do you experience tachycardia while at rest? Have you ever dealt with that? And when you're being physically active, what does your heart rate look like—around 120? 150? 180?

During physical activity—whether I’m hitting the gym, going for a run, or just taking the stairs to my sixth-floor apartment—my heart rate can climb as high as 160 or 170.

I once ended up in the ER because my heart rate spiked to 220 bpm for absolutely no reason. It was a complete anomaly—nothing like that has ever happened before or since.

It might just be nerves and stress. My father passed away at the beginning of the year, and I think that's weighing on me.
I’m also carrying about 20 pounds of extra weight right now, so my main priority is finally shedding it.

Douglas Wells78 said:Get an EKG and an ultrasound. It’s the only way to see what's actually going on under the hood. At the end of the day, any kind of defect in the heart means the pump simply isn't performing as efficiently as it should be.

I've run the searches:

EKG results show a right bundle branch block combined with a left anterior fascicular block.
Results are back: everything looks normal. Both morphology and function are fine, and there’s no sign of any noise.
Holter monitor results: peaked at 160 bpm (chasing the bus) and bottomed out at 40 bpm (while sleeping).

Regarding physical activity, it’s hard to say exactly how much strain you're putting on your heart. Have you ever done a stress test—you know, an echocardiogram or a treadmill test? They hook you up to the monitors while you run, which would give you the most accurate reading of how exercise impacts your fatigue levels. It really comes down to measuring intensity. Running or climbing stairs can be incredibly intense, but then again, someone could be doing those same movements at a snail's pace like an old man.😉

Losing extra weight is always a good move. However, what I’d really emphasize is that you can keep your heart, lungs, and bile healthy just through hiking, long walks, and things like that. You don't need to push yourself to the limit unless you're training for a professional sport. To stay in shape, keeping your heart rate under 150 beats per minute is plenty.

That 220 bpm figure... hmm, isn't that just the absolute upper limit? Did they tell you what was actually happening? It might have been ventricular tachycardia. Those kinds of arrhythmias can be fatal.

Stress definitely does weird things to the body! Look, if you aren't worried about the cost, I highly recommend Super Mario from Pfizer. It runs about $33 and you only need one capsule a day after a meal. If I recall correctly, there are 30 capsules in a bottle. Coenzyme 10 primarily boosts energy for the heart first, and then the rest of the body follows. If you have a heart condition, you’ll definitely see the benefits from Q10. You can find more info on Google—just search for "Coenzyme 10" and read up on it.

Douglas Wells78 said:Regarding physical activity, it's hard to say if it’s actually straining your heart. Have you had a stress test? You know, where they hook you up to the monitors and have you run on a treadmill? That would be the most accurate way to see how exercise affects your fatigue levels. It really comes down to measuring intensity. Running or climbing can be quite intense, but then again, it could just be a slow pace, similar to an old man's stroll.😉

Yes. My heart rate was 90 before the test. After nine minutes on the treadmill, I hit about 190 bpm (they stopped me there, though I personally felt capable of keeping on). After six minutes of rest, I was back down to 80.

Douglas Wells78 said:Losing extra weight is always a good idea. However, what I would emphasize is that you can keep your heart, lungs, and gallbladder healthy simply through hiking, long walks, and things like that. There's no need for heavy exertion unless you're training as a professional athlete. To maintain fitness, staying under 150 beats per minute should be enough.

I practice martial arts (Aikido). Lately, I find myself working for 10–15 minutes and then needing a five-minute break because my heart starts pounding so hard it feels like it might jump out of my chest. My father passed away at the beginning of the year, and I've put on a few pounds since then... 😢

Douglas Wells78 said:That 220 bpm... hmm, well, that's near the absolute upper limit, isn't it? Did they tell you what it was? Perhaps ventricular tachycardia? Those kinds of arrhythmias can be fatal.

Supraventricular tachycardia. It happened late one night, around midnight. In the ambulance, the monitor showed 220 bpm. At the hospital, they gave me some rhythm medication intravenously—just a tiny amount, barely a nudge from the nurse—and within two seconds, my pulse dropped from 200 to 120. I stayed overnight and was discharged in the morning with a normal rate of 70–80 bpm...

Douglas Wells78 said:Stress always seems to trigger something unexpected. Look, if you have the budget for it, I’d highly recommend trying Super Mario from Pfizer. It runs about $33 and you just need one capsule a day after a meal. If I recall correctly, the bottle comes with 30 capsules. Coenzyme 10 primarily boosts energy for the heart first, then the rest of the body follows. If you're dealing with any cardiac issues, you'll definitely see the benefit from Q10. You can always dig deeper on Google—just search for "coenzyme 10" and read up on it.

I'll give it a shot...

I'm not sure if anyone has shared any practical tips for managing tachycardia attacks with you yet?

Personally, I've found that exposing yourself to the cold helps—like jumping into some ice-cold water. I won't go into all the specifics here, but... the cold really helps slow the heart rate down. Another thing people suggest during an episode is placing a finger at the back of the throat, similar to how you'd trigger a gag reflex. Apparently, that impulse can also help steady the heart
Best,

I hope you won't mind if I change the title? This isn't strictly about manic episodes

In times like these, yoga really saved my soul.

Sam Hall15 said:I hope nobody minds if I change the title. This isn't strictly about arrhythmia.

It isn't? Then what is it? 🤔

We're talking about a physiological disorder affecting your heart

Peter Myers29 said:What else could it be? 🤔

It’s usually psychological... just don't let it get to you and walk away if it’s really bothering you. If it’s messing with your daily life, maybe see a therapist or try helping yourself with some relaxation techniques like autogenic training. Or, if you’re feeling particularly lazy like I sometimes am, you can always just take beta-blockers... they work fine for me.😁
..I had the same issue up to 180 (recorded)... but 220😲 I don't think so

Peter Myers29 said:Should I try to get back in shape through things like running, hiking, or cycling, or is it better to just skip physical activity altogether?

Actually, people have told me the same thing—that I really should work on my fitness. It's true that athletes tend to have lower resting heart rates, but honestly, you should probably check with your cardiologist first before jumping into anything too intense.

In that case, I think I'll start dropping some weight and slowly get into hiking...