Cycling UK Forum

axel_knutt wrote: ↑15 Feb 2023, 6:27pm

brianleach wrote: ↑14 Feb 2023, 4:24pmAfter 2 cardioversions I had this as well. Its an ablation. The cardioversions lasted no more than a couple of hours. The ablation lasted a couple of years. Now back in af and my cardiologist, who is a keen cyclist, was surprised I had stayed in sinus rhythym for so long. He has not suggested another as it is a fairly expensive and invasive operation.

I was offered a pulmonary vein isolation for my AF nearly ten years ago but I never got it, when I accepted their offer they withdrew it.

PVI was a bit hit and miss back then. In the wrong hands there were some dreadful complications which if I'm honest would probably have made me very cautious about undergoing it. The risk / benefit ratio now would make me seek an ablation if I had AF.

It is still a tricky procedure I understand and as a result the anaesthetic I had was administered at 9am and I knew nothing after that until 2pm!!

It was several weeks before I felt it has completely worn of.

simonineaston wrote: ↑1 Feb 2023, 1:09pm It's so cool to hear of really successful treatments

Absolutely - I've just received the news that I am to be investigated for AF... I've cut down on my caffeinated tea intake, upped the fibre/vegetable percentage, and have swapped out my usual cereal for oats for a slower sugar release. Has anyone got any advice?

yeatesbY wrote: ↑3 Jan 2021, 12:02pm I'm a club/recreational rider with Atrial Fibrillation. (I have been to hospital for a factory reset, but it didnt work.) :(
I have been looking for some time for a chest strap + wrist monitor combination which can reliably distinguish between AF and normal elevated heart rate when i'm on the bike.
I would like to be able to set a maximum training rate with an instantaneous audible alarm when the rate is hit.
A current suggestion is a Polar FT with a chest strap. I don't have any real need of other ride info. I have an Apple watch 4 which can do this, but only after 10 mins of inactivity- not ideal!
Any advice or experiences would be most welcome.

A few years ago I purchased a chest strap monitor (that only paired with a special watch, main use being I was first time trying a gym and wanted data to be able to see in anything was improving.

It was a perfectly good sensor system but in my case it didn't work reliably unless I put some elector-gel stuff under the pads on the strap. The gel stuff was not expensive and not particularly messy and afterwards wiped off but I didn't like it m much.

So if you haven't used a chest strap sensor before recognise that you might also need to use this gel stuff.

This is only my personal experience and I've no idea if others find the same nor if more modern chest sensors have changed and the issue is no longer an issue.

Edit: Just noticed the dates and that this is an ancient re-activated thread! I'll leave my response.

Ian

cycle tramp wrote: ↑27 Nov 2023, 8:04pmAbsolutely - I've just received the news that I am to be investigated for AF... I've cut down on my caffeinated tea intake, upped the fibre/vegetable percentage, and have swapped out my usual cereal for oats for a slower sugar release. Has anyone got any advice?

NHS advice to patients:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/atrial-fibrillation/

NICE guidance for practitioners, which outlines the investigations and treatment, and links to the evidence:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng196

Jonathan

cycle tramp wrote: ↑27 Nov 2023, 8:04pm

simonineaston wrote: ↑1 Feb 2023, 1:09pm It's so cool to hear of really successful treatments

Absolutely - I've just received the news that I am to be investigated for AF... I've cut down on my caffeinated tea intake, upped the fibre/vegetable percentage, and have swapped out my usual cereal for oats for a slower sugar release. Has anyone got any advice?

Yes. Just ignore it and don't worry. Was diagnosed with AF in 2014, prescribed medication to control it, along with blood thinners and have had no problems , other than worry when I was first told about it. Father in Law diagnosed with it when he was in his fifties and still had it when he died over forty years later.

I don't think I would go as far as saying just ignore it.

I would say be aware of it and cycle within your limits.

My cardiologist is very keen that I should continue cycling so when I ride the biggest display on my Wahoo is the heart rate. On the hills if it reaches 145 I either stop for a short break or even get off and walk. I continue to cycle for enjoyment or convenience. I do not set myself targets or training routines. I do however realise that a flattish 50k is about my limit these days.

Other than that I put it to the back of my mind and hope the meds are doing what they should.

Absolutely - I've just received the news that I am to be investigated for AF... I've cut down on my caffeinated tea intake, upped the fibre/vegetable percentage, and have swapped out my usual cereal for oats for a slower sugar release. Has anyone got any advice?

Hi - no advice but a question! I've read someone else here mentioning diet, particularly carbs, but nothing seems to come up on official advice. Wondering where it's from? Thanks.

Slowroad wrote: ↑6 Dec 2023, 8:38pm

Absolutely - I've just received the news that I am to be investigated for AF... I've cut down on my caffeinated tea intake, upped the fibre/vegetable percentage, and have swapped out my usual cereal for oats for a slower sugar release. Has anyone got any advice?

Hi - no advice but a question! I've read someone else here mentioning diet, particularly carbs, but nothing seems to come up on official advice. Wondering where it's from? Thanks.

That's a very perceptive observation about the advice.

Any good advice will include dietary factors that reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. That isn't specific to AF.

Then there's the advice to be aware of what might trigger episodes of AF in you, and that will often include caffeine and alcohol.

Beyond that I'm not up to date on evidence about specific effects of diet on AF. I'll have a look.

Jonathan

Slowroad wrote: ↑6 Dec 2023, 8:38pm

Absolutely - I've just received the news that I am to be investigated for AF... I've cut down on my caffeinated tea intake, upped the fibre/vegetable percentage, and have swapped out my usual cereal for oats for a slower sugar release. Has anyone got any advice?

Hi - no advice but a question! I've read someone else here mentioning diet, particularly carbs, but nothing seems to come up on official advice. Wondering where it's from? Thanks.

The advice about caffinated drinks and eating more banannas (apparently our bodies use potassium to regulate our heart beats and bananas are full of the stuff) came from private health websites (but I can't remember which one)
Oats along with oily fish have been implicated in the reduction of cholesterol..
The whole fibre thing is me hedging my bets that everything in our bodies is linked - if I can give my digestive system an easier time and step away from processed foods, then by doing so, I might reduce the stress on my heart as well...

..more recently I've given up listening to heavt/industrial metal, punk, and goth music.... and have started to listen to classical... in order to reduce adrenaline release.... listening to some of my previous music I would find my heart echoing the fast bass beats of the music.

To control my heartbeat I eat bananas, nuts, oats, limit coffees to 2 per day, no excessive alcohol, ensure I'm always well-hydrated, and try never to let my blood sugar fall.

It's like living with nanny and I'm playing her

Jdsk wrote: ↑6 Dec 2023, 8:57pm

Slowroad wrote: ↑6 Dec 2023, 8:38pm

Absolutely - I've just received the news that I am to be investigated for AF... I've cut down on my caffeinated tea intake, upped the fibre/vegetable percentage, and have swapped out my usual cereal for oats for a slower sugar release. Has anyone got any advice?

Hi - no advice but a question! I've read someone else here mentioning diet, particularly carbs, but nothing seems to come up on official advice. Wondering where it's from? Thanks.

That's a very perceptive observation about the advice.

Any good advice will include dietary factors that reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. That isn't specific to AF.

Then there's the advice to be aware of what might trigger episodes of AF in you, and that will often include caffeine and alcohol.

Beyond that I'm not up to date on evidence about specific effects of diet on AF. I'll have a look.

Done.

In addition to those, for patients with known AF:

There's a fair bit of recent evidence that weight loss in obese patients is beneficial.

I didn't find anything on specific dietary changes.

And there's some evidence that exercise is beneficial.

Jonathan

I didn't find anything on specific dietary changes.

And there's some evidence that exercise is beneficial

I seem to recall that MrsHJ has had some success with an altered diet which she either mentioned up the thread or on another AF thread but my diet has for many years been in line with what is being mentioned here without any apparent effect on my AF.

Neither my cardiologist nor an alternative medical practitioner which I see regularly has suggested any changes.

The cardiologist is a very keen cyclist but leaving that to one side both he and the other chap are convinced that continuing to cycle is a good thing.for my general health as long as I am careful even though it may have no effect on the AF.

Sort of- I think I wasn’t getting enough carbs (maybe enough calories although I was on at least 1800 a day) on the diet I was on. That triggered low blood sugar > palpitations > AFib. By bumping the carbs (and calories to a certain extent) back up but keeping the clean diet the arrhythmia seems to have stopped. I presume I’m susceptible though - I guess there is a risk it returns at some point.

I got a clean bill of health from cardiology in September when they tested me but at that stage I’d changed my diet some months before. I have seen some papers pointing fingers at low carb diets and although mine wasn’t super low maybe it was too low for me.

Sort of- I think I wasn’t getting enough carbs (maybe enough calories although I was on at least 1800 a day) on the diet I was on. That triggered low blood sugar > palpitations > AFib. By bumping the carbs (and calories to a certain extent) back up but keeping the clean diet the arrhythmia seems to have stopped. I presume I’m susceptible though - I guess there is a risk it returns at some point.

I got a clean bill of health from cardiology in September when they tested me but at that stage I’d changed my diet some months before. I have seen some papers pointing fingers at low carb diets and although mine wasn’t super low maybe it was too low for me

That's good news! I've been a little confused about the information about afib. I've got (or have had?) paroxysmal afib diagnosed when I had palpitations a couple of years ago in a stressful family time. Nothing like this since, just the occasional bumpity-bump feeling. But then I read that many people have afib with no symptoms... Been trying to find info online but it is either very basic or very scientific!
My diet is pretty good but definitely not low-carb! I've got OK cholesterol but I'm going to try to get it down further and carry on cycling as much as possible...