Interesting Info on Heart Rate, Exercise & Mitral Valves

[MelissaM]

So, when I told my cardiologist I wanted to hike a 14-er, he gave me the okay, but explained some of the physiology I thought the rest of you all might find interesting.

I am not sure if/how this also applies to artificial mitral valves, but here is what he said:

Your heartbeat is composed of two phases. The "beat," where the heart squeezes the blood out of the heart, then the part where the heart relaxes and fills with blood. When heartrate goes up, the amount of time the heart takes to beat doesn't change much, but the time the heart has to refill with blood goes down significantly. With a mitral valve repair (and maybe an artificial mitral valve, depending on the size), the opening is gets reduced a bit. This reduction in opening, combined with a reduction in time the heart has to fill, can lead to shortness of breath while exercising, as less oxygenated blood is circulating through the system.

So, he said, the trick is to keep your heartrate at a low enough point where you can still maintain a good level of oxygenation. Of course, as your heart gets stronger, you will be able to increase your amount of exercise and maintain a lower heartrate, but in the interim, keep it on the lower side.

Much in line with Tommy's lower intensity workouts. The cardio said we valvers tend to do better as "slow and steady" rather than as sprinters.

Melissa

 

[Karlynn]

Thanks for that information Melissa. I was not aware of it. My mech valve is a pretty large one (33). I'll have to pay more attention to what occurs when I work out. I'd be curious to see if any with smaller mech valves have noticed this was the case for them.

 

[BillCobit]

Thanks for that, Melissa.

I suspect the phenom you describe is the reason I have some exercise challenges. I have trimmed & patched leaflets, and a surgically reduced annulus diameter to accommodate the smaller leaflet surface area. I can go all day long, just not very fast (despite a lot of training).

Good luck on the 14K - and be sure to give us a report after you conquer it.

Regards,

 

[tommy]

Thanks, Melissa.

Did your cardio say anything about altitude? My cardio told me that he'd rather see me run a marathon than hike a 14'er (after the 14'er). Of course, my podiatrist disagrees.

I didn't ask my cardio why he said that. I could guess, but decline.

BTW I did fine with altitude at Pikes. Some needed oxygen (supplied by the organizers) close to the top, then finished without incident.

I have a 29mm aortic replacement. I suppose that my left ventricle has developed well and pushes hard. And 29mm is a large orifice. Still, I'm probably not as efficient as a normal heart.

I think if you get yourself sufficiently fit, you'll do fine and have a great time. Of course your practice hikes in the mountains are prettier and better acclimation than in the lowland flatlands of Texas. Enjoy.

If you're interested, the Pikes Peak Challenge website has some guildines for training preparation for Pikes Peak. http://www.pikespeakchallenge.com/training.html

 

[Christina L]

Very interesting Melissa -

Very interesting Melissa -

thanks for the info. I can truly understand this on a first-hand basis - it feels as if my heart really needs to be warmed up now before it is working optimally. Once I get going with exercise, I am fine - it is just those first few minutes.

Wish I had your cardiologist! He sounds great - but Boulder is just too far to drive.

P.S. No more 14ers for me. I am too old for that - never mind my heart. I am like Tom - don't really want to put that extra stress on my heart with the shortage of oxygen at 13-14,000 feet. However, you are young - go for it - but take your doc's advice - easy does it.

Christina L

 

[Sherry]

Hi, Melissa. I would agree with Christina. It seems I wear out early on when playing tennis or swimming, but I seem to gain more endurance as I progress. Interesting info.