Riding a bike/spinning

I had a rate response Medtronic pacemaker implanted in January for bradycardia and is working well for most exercise I do-- but not for spinning classes. I now understand the limits of RR and wish I had known before implantation so that I could have asked for one that has minute ventilation too but I didn't know that at the time.

I can't get my HR up much above 100 in a spinning class. My question is, if I am riding a bike outside and riding hills and my HR doesn't go up but I'm riding pretty hard and able to do it, am I hurting my heart? Or will my stroke volume make up for my low heart rate ?( as it seemed to do before my PM was implanted) Wondering how careful I have to be on a bike.

5 Comments

biking

by Tracey_E - 2014-04-28 06:04:13

If you feel ok, then it's ok to push it. I would pull back any time you feel tired or dizzy. It's not good to push it beyond what your heart is pumping enough oxygen to support.

Upper limit??

by kmom - 2014-04-28 07:04:40

Can they raise the upper limit on the rate response?? Iam finding that once I hit around 130 I can't catch my breath. The pacer clinic told me when I come in next they can raise it up

kmom

by Tracey_E - 2014-04-28 08:04:11

When riding a bike, the problem isn't the upper limit, it's that the pm doesn't sense the movement so it doesn't go up at all. If you're running or anything else with impact, the rate response catches the movement and raises the rate.

@tracey

by kmom - 2014-04-29 01:04:03

Thanks for clearing that up. Iam sorry I didn't understand before. All I knew is I had a problem on treadmill when I hit 130 I couldn't catch my breath. On the bike I just assumed it was kicking in cause I didn't have any problem or symptoms. I don't think I got above 100 though but I thought that was just cause I wasn't pushing it too hard. Good to know thanks.

RR and cycling

by philip.thecyclist - 2014-04-30 06:04:42

My first pacemaker (of 3) had an accelerometer based sensor, and I experienced the drawbacks of such a sensor with cycling. You might find that increasing the sensor's sensitivity permits your HR to exceed 130, but that increase might also lead to inappropriately high rates at other times. You will probably experience a better rate response with "proper" cycling than with spinning, as you will be picking up some road vibrations - keep your tyres hard :-) and there might be extra body movement, especially going up hills..You don't give your age, but a HR of 130 is quite low. I am 70, and have an upper limit of 160, but you'll need advice about this. I had since had 2 PM's with minute ventilation, and they have been superior - keep this in mind for next time round ;-) . A basic heart rate monitor will help you see what is going - I use one from time to time, but don't get addicted to one - enjoy the ride instead.

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