running under the BigSky
I have to get one (EKG) annually for work and it comes up as "abnormal"- specifically it mentions left ventricular hypertrophy- basically an enlarging of the left ventricle. Reading on the subject it appears to be very normal with endurance athletes and sometimes called AHS- Athletic Heart Syndrome
the gal that did the EKG asked if I was a runner, she said (along with the low RPR- was 50) it's when she normally sees it
anyone ever experience this?
2023 goal 2023 miles √
2022 goal- 2022 miles √
2021 goal- 2021 miles √
My EKG shows the LVH as well as a sinus dysrhythmia. I'm not really concerned about it because it's a sign of a highly trained heart. Of course it can also be a sign of a diseased heart as well. Back in 2003 my Dr found a heart murmur. I tried to tell him it was from all my bike riding. He wouldn't listen and insisted that I get a Echocardiogram done. Of course that found that my heart was OK with a ejection fraction of 60-65%. The heart wall was at the upper limits or just over the limit for thickness. Not surprising considering the heart is a muscle and the more you work it the bigger it gets.
Now it is important to point out that most cases of LVH are due to a diseased heart. That is simply because there are few people that work out hard enough to get the larger heart, and those that do rarely get a EKG. LVH is often found in people who have uncontrolled high blood pressure for quite a few years. The heart gets larger to compensate for the greater pressures. In those people the heart will always stay large and stretched out but it's a different kind of enlargement. For them it's kind of loose and floppy. This doesn't allow it to work correctly and there is no cure for it as their heart will always be enlarged.. In the case of AHS, when you stop exercising your heart returns to it's normal size.
Is this the first year that your EKG has shown this?
If you're not having any chest pain, lightheadedness, abnormal shortness of breath or fluttering in your chest I wouldn't worry about it.
Thanks for reminding me. I wanted to post something along this line but I keep forgetting. I'll make it a post in the future when I have more time to compose things. It's kind of along the same line as this, but slightly different.
Are we there, yet?
I've had several that show various abnormalities, the most notable being inverted t-waves(?). Been through TM stress tests because of that including ones with dye and echo cardiograms. So far the cardiologists see nothing to be concerned about. I don't remember if that particular abnormality was seen.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
Tim
Dd1 says it all.
Rule of thumb.
LHV with High blood pressure = Need to control the BP.
LHV without High Blood Pressure = "Oh you're an athlete".
“Paralysis-to-50k” training plan is underway!
Dd1 says it all. Rule of thumb. LHV with High blood pressure = Need to control the BP. LHV without High Blood Pressure = "Oh you're an athlete".
I've had a couple of them, but never looked at them- they did ask are you a runner- never thought to ask why they asked
^ that's kind of what I gathered from my reading, glad to get some reinforcement my blood pressure is on the low side, so should be good to go
I've had them before. Sometimes the medical assistant instructor has them do one on me and some "normal people" to see some of the differences. My blood pressure is low, and my HR is usually around 45. It was 42 the other day in the middle of the day. It seems like I should be able to run faster than I do... Of course, I can run for a very long time. So, I guess it all works out.
LB2
Faster Than Your Couch!
My Last EKG came up with some delayed spike, so I had it checked put by a cardiologist, all together with a stress test (dreadmill running with increasing incline and speed) and an ultrasound, and everything was alright, just the typical features of a well-trained athlete's heart. The cardiologist also said it explains my low resting heart rate, which can, on occasion, go down to 19 bpm (as was recorded in the doc's office just then, and a few times before that). He also said as long as the heart responds to exercise the way it's supposed to, he considers it healthy.
That said, I have had a low resting heart rate of under 60 bpm all my life, even as a kid, and the very low resting heart rate and the spike delay for at least 30 years now without any other symptoms or discomfort. For me, I guess it's just the way I am made.
Run for fun.
I had an EKG as part of my Korean physical last summer (since I, actually my company, pay Korean taxes I get a 'free' physical each year - wonder what the Obamacare haters would think of that if it was offered in the US...).
Anyway, when they checked my heart they said I had 'Bradycardia' (a low heart rate) I tried to tell them I run a lot, but I think it got 'lost in translation'. When I got to the guy doing a scan of my heart I tried to ask him if everything 'looked normal', again probably a lot may have been 'lost in translation' but I got the impression that things were 'normal'.
mt, glad all is well there.
2/17/24 - Forgotten Florida 100 Mile, Christmas, FL
I thought you were in South Korea. You must be in Commie North Korea with that free physical!!!!
^^^ That is what some would think.
I thought you were in South Korea. You must be in Commie North Korea with that free physical!!!! ^^^ That is what some would think.
Hey Burke, damn !!!! , you made coffee come out my nose.... glad someone took the bait. :-)
Here're the facts, but probably more to do with stress, diet or political craziness, than 'healthcare' (or if you can get a free physical) ......
Life expectancy:
S. Korea: 81 y
USA: 79 y
N.Korea: 70 y
Good Bad & The Monkey
Lots of fairly dangerous causes of this as well...get it checked out by a good cardiologist. May be AHS, but it may well be something worse.
left ventricular hypertrophy
I'm running somewhere tomorrow. It's going to be beautiful. I can't wait.
Poor baby