BAV, Exercise, and being a 17 year old athlete

Guest · Jan 14, 2018

I'm 17 and I've been an extremely active athlete whilst having BAV with Aortic Stenosis and Moderate Regurgitation.

I have been playing soccer competitively for the past 7 years along with field hockey, weightlifting for exactly a year now, and just started Kick Boxing.
So far I haven't ever had any symptoms of my heart condition getting in the way of anything. It's been over 2 years since I've been to a cardiologist for a checkup,
which I know is terrible but I live in an area which is 3 hours away from my doctor. I am hoping to go see a doctor very soon.

Although I've been advised to stay away from strenuous exercise doctors are very sparse on details as to what that really means.
I've always done exercise trying to push my limits and I have never really felt any symptoms.

TL;DR With people with similar circumstances as myself what are your experiences being athletes with BAV? Has it ever forced you to reduce your performance
so that your heart is safe? Is weightlifting terrible for my heart? Or has any exercise never really caused you any issues at all? When did you have to undergo surgery if you did?
Is my exercise really bad for the progression?

DJM 18 · Jan 14, 2018

This is a good blog from an experienced doctor and much related to your question...

http://www.athletesheart.org/2013/09/more-on-athletes-and-bicuspid-aortic/

Ryan CA · Jan 14, 2018

Not a doctor, but very similar story to yours. Aortic Stenosis, monocuspid valve, regurgitation....the whole shot.

I played baseball, basket ball and rode a ton of bikes while growing up. Only time I really noticed any symptoms was weight lifting. That's a lot of pressure on your heart and vascular system. Doctors told me to cut that out early on with the exception of very light weight.

I played competitive baseball through college and then continued riding mountain bikes after that. I rode A LOT for many years and then finally began having symptoms at 38 years old.

Once the symptoms began, it wasn't long until it was time for surgery. I Had an artificial valve and ascending aorta put in 3 years ago. Now, I am back to mountain biking full time, 20-30 mile rides at elevation included and better than ever.

Everyone is different, but for me, the risk was worth the reward.

The problem I see with your question is the lack of followup. There are some issues that go along with bi-cuspid disorder that can be asymptomatic, but very dangerous. Aortic aneurysm stands out in my mind. It WILL kill you and is a common companion to valve disorders. Regular annual or bi-annual echo cardiograms will catch it...Don't let a 3 hour drive be an excuse to not get those check ups. That's ONE soccer practice.

epstns · Jan 15, 2018

Ryan is right - follow-up is critical for us BAV patients. I did all kinds of stuff with my BAV. . . because I didn't know I had the condition until I was in my early 50's. I did all the stuff young guys do in their teen and early 20's years. Then, when I was 23, I went through Army Basic Training. . . with the 101st Airborne at Ft. Campbell, KY. Now THAT was strenuous, but I never felt anything and did quite well. From there I came home and continued with all of the exercise routines I learned in training, and at around age 30, I added running, then weights. I didn't lift "heavy" but I was bench pressing my own weight in multiple sets of 10 reps daily. I kept up most of that through my 50's, into my 60's, until time for surgery. The key, though, was that when I found out about my condition in my early 50's, I started annual, then semi-annual checks with my cardio. We kept a close watch on my condition, and I was able to continue "doing it all" until time for surgery at age 63. I am now 70, and still doing "most" of it. I have cut back to low weights at high reps (you'd be surprised what 15-lb. hand weights can do when you do sets of 25 or 30 curls, etc.), and have moved from running to the elliptical because my knees don't like the impact.

Back to the key point - constant follow-up with a good cardio. Your condition may remain stable for decades. . . or it may not. The one thing we do know is "the worse these things get, the faster they get worse."

WillieR · Feb 5, 2018

I was close to the same age as you when I discovered my BAV, I'm 32 now and have severe regurgitation (no stenosis), surgery will be soon. However, I never let it slow me down, I played varsity hockey all through high school and then continued playing adult league in my college year. I also got into cheerleading in college and did regular weight lifting and tossing girls in the air on a daily basis. I didn't experience any issues whatsoever and still don't have symptoms. I still play hockey once a week and go about my life with no symptoms. Having moved around a bit, I have seen many different cardiologists and most say as long as you feel okay you're fine, if you get out of breath or you feel any fatigue take a break for a little bit. I would say you may want to stay away from "maxing" out in the weight room. The more you can keep your blood pressure down the better. I think you can live a normal life for many more years considering you are only mild/moderate. I'll also add my brother (28) has BAV as well and is mild/moderate and he has no issues playing sports or doing physical work.

I am due for surgery soon and have been going through the process of making my decision (trying for repair or going for replacement).