Cycling UK Forum

A close friend aged 69 recently died of a heart attack whilst out cycling. I have several other friends of a similar age who suffer with Atrial Fibrillation, mostly in their mid-late 60's, though one friend is the same age as me (55) and has it. They are all lifelong regular cyclists.

Are cyclists more prone to heart problems than the general population or other sports people? Is there any research/evidence around the causes?

Ex pro- cyclist have a a high mortality rate, but this could be down to the widespread drug use of the 60,70,80 and 90. But your average recreational club cyclists we are expected to extend our lives by 10 years on average.
Arerial fibrulation may be caused by extreme Cycling
http://road.cc/content/news/60074-heart ... e-cyclists

There is resourch that say enderance excersise is bad for you. This includes ironman, marithons and enderance cycling.
Short and intense seem to have big positives. I recommend HIIT and Tabata. They work greate for those short of time.

enderance

Anyway, I don't know but I'd caution anyone looking at the numbers to remember that there some people with pre-existing heart-related problems who take up cycling because it's a low-impact exercise where they can control/vary the intensity fairly easily.

I believe HIT etc fits into the same category as 5 2 diets etc. Just a fad, and, a pretty dangerous one at that. People sometimes die or have strokes caused by nutty things like this. They may be fine for really fit people but dangerous for others. Whats wrong with going for a nice ride in the countryside and climbing a few hills at your own pace. Deep fitness is gained by exercising increasingly over months to build strength and endurance. As Marr found out to his enduring personal cost going madly at exercise can bring on serious problems. Stress any machine to the limit and you will find its weak spots. A cyclist who has built a healthy heart and cardiac system through long hours in the saddle will have a healthier heart than someone who never takes sustained exercise and relys on gimmick fitness fads.

Al

al_yrpal wrote: Stress any machine to the limit and you will find its weak spots. A cyclist who has built a healthy heart and cardiac system through long hours in the saddle will have a healthier heart than someone who never takes sustained exercise and relys on gimmick fitness fads.
Al

Probably right. A long term cyclist has to be healthier then any weak-end gym goer and gimmick dieter. Endurance exercises do improve the cardiac system and heart and improve weight loss but endurance exercises adds a little to premature aging and other issues the other guy mentioned above. It seem logical that while the body is undertaking an endurance exercise, it diverting the bodies own natural healing processes . We know as athletes, that resting is very important. The hearts ability to rest and heal is probably not clearly understood by many sports scientists.

There is indeed evidence that being super fit. That is fit enough for Olympic level in many sports is bad for you. The body can't cope with that long term.

But as ever there's a big space inbetween and the heart requires regular stress to stay healthy.

TrevA wrote:A close friend aged 69 recently died of a heart attack whilst out cycling. I have several other friends of a similar age who suffer with Atrial Fibrillation, mostly in their mid-late 60's, though one friend is the same age as me (55) and has it. They are all lifelong regular cyclists.

Are cyclists more prone to heart problems than the general population or other sports people? Is there any research/evidence around the causes?

I guess there is some bias in your question here about what you mean by cyclists.
Already the responses are falling in line with it to some extent. I think for those of us who are still able to hold a conversation while riding there is no danger of overdoing it.

Apart from that two of my non-sporting but high mileage riding friends have also died from irregular heart beat type problems. Apparently some can be cured by fitting a pacemaker but they had the type that couldnt. Nor was it the sort of heart attack caused by being overweight or inactive, which cycling will generally prevent and is still the biggest problem, isnt it??

To offer a distinction;

A heart attack is caused by blocked plumbing
A cardiac arrest is caused by dodgy electrics in the heart

A heart attack may go on to cause a cardiac arrest and this can happen quickly.

Most of you willowy thin lifelong cyclists will not suffer from bad plumbing but, and as linked to above can suffer dodgy electrics mostly in the form of AF (Atrial Fibrillation).

I'm a bit younger at 44 and suffer from dodgy electrics and have suffered a fair few sudden cardiac arrests (SCA) and have been very lucky to have survived the first one. These days I have a device in my chest with cables going into my heart called an ICD (Implanted Cardioverter Defibrillator) which is a rather clever pacemaker which as its name suggests will shock you (defibrillate) you back to life. My ICD has saved my life three times so far in the 15 months I have had it. My dodgy electrics are as a result of a viral infection that went a bit too far but I am an extremely rare case.

I'm actually getting back into cycling in an effort to increase the strength of my heart although the myocardial scarring caused by the virus will always be there. As I've said, I am extremely lucky to have survided the first SCA as only 5% do but now have this ICD looking after me.

Anyway.

My best advice for any older leather skinned willowy [1] lifelong cyclists is to get checked out at the first sign of anything untoward. You will know if you are suffering palpitations and there is no point ever trying to deny otherwise, get to the quacks and get checked out. Dodgy electrics kill and do so very quickly with little or warning unlike a heart attack with which there are often lots of warning signs. Sorry to be morose.

[1] You may or may not have leathery skin, depends if you moisturised and you may not look like a willow either, but stereotypes are stereotypes

A recent study found that a group that consisted of french pro-cyclists who had finnished a TDF lived on average 6 years longer than the average frenchman.

http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/to ... ive-longer

Colin_P wrote:Most of you willowy thin lifelong cyclists will not suffer from bad plumbing but, and as linked to above can suffer dodgy electrics mostly in the form of AF (Atrial Fibrillation).

Most won't (Coronary heart disease is the UK's single biggest killer but still only 73,000 out of about 580,000 deaths/year), but being thin does not mean you have good plumbing. Keep an eye on yourselves and consult medics before anything becomes an acute problem.

Quite right, if you are genetically pre-disposed you can suffer from coronary artery disease.

I think that lifelong cyclists overall are far less likely to suffer from heart issues but are more susceptible to some, namely Atrial Fibrillation (AF).

The long lived people I seem to come across or read about all seem to be thin and have no particular history of deliberate regular excercise such as cycling, running etc. They do however seem to have had busy lives. Up and doing. One lady I knew worked in a shop at the top of a steep hill in Lancashire. She walked up that hill in all weathers every day. Even well into her 90s. My Auntie, a Nun was still in her late 90s getting up early to go down and cook, feed and care for the homeless. My gran was still running the Post Office in Ireland in her 90s.
I don't think regular focused excercise is the secret. Just don't sit down too much.

Having been visiting my parents in their care home (excellent tho' it is...) and seeing my father trying to cope with his wife's continuing deterioration 'cos of her dementia, I'm by no means attracted by the prospect of long life...

simonineaston wrote:Having been visiting my parents in their care home (excellent tho' it is...) and seeing my father trying to cope with his wife's continuing deterioration 'cos of her dementia, I'm by no means attracted by the prospect of long life...

You have a point. Quality of life is a big one.
Early in the year I was out with the club. As we left the lunch stop I got chatting to a couple of lady cyclists from another club. They were both in their 80s. They were joined by a chap who told them to stop yakking and mount up. He was 92! we passed them 10minutes later. They were happily going at their own pace and seemed very happy with their lot. Slow and steady though. Unlike some of the maniacs I was with.