Cycling After Angioplasty

[Nice_Fit]

Dear All,

I am a 47 year old guy who has always focused on lifting weights so I look fit, but I never got into doing cardio very much. I have had cholesterol problems and to make a long story short, I have had two angioplasties to open up blocked arteries. The most recent was in June 2010.

I've bought a bike to try to work more cardio vascular exercise and I'm wondering if there is anyone out there who has been through this who could give advice. I've not used a bike for more than 30 years so this is all new to me again. I still remember how the ride though!

Anyway, thanks for listening!

 

[BenScoobert]

I am in a similar situation to you, I used to work out a lot at the gym, still strong as an ox, but only for 30 seconds.....

I got a bike recently and I'm slowly building up my stamina.

My advice is just get on and go, as often as you can, I enjoy tracking what I've done like this, all you need is a phone with GPS, the rest is free. It help me look at how I'm improving, then I plan a ride with google map to push me a little more.

Good luck building up your stamina.

 

[Andrew_P]

Can you ask you consultant for advice on your heart rate limits and how to build up? I assume you had a stress test pre and post the stents? If you get a decent reply then get a HRM and work within the limits set by you Consultant?

 

[Nice_Fit]

I am in a similar situation to you, I used to work out a lot at the gym, still strong as an ox, but only for 30 seconds.....

I got a bike recently and I'm slowly building up my stamina.

My advice is just get on and go, as often as you can, I enjoy tracking what I've done like this, all you need is a phone with GPS, the rest is free. It help me look at how I'm improving, then I plan a ride with google map to push me a little more.

Good luck building up your stamina.

Thanks!

 

[Davidc]

Ask your medical people before you do anything extreme.

I had a heart attack and bypass surgery 2 years ago and I'm 10 years older than you, but have ridden bikes since I was 7.

I was told to leave it 9 weeks then get back on the bike and ride it as much as I liked, the more the better. I was also told that heart rate wasn't a consideration, the beta blocker drugs would limit that for me, so I don't even monitor it. (They do, and as a result I can't go flat out for long or go up serious hills without recovery breaks).

I was told that I'd survived as well as I had because I was reasonably fit, and that the more CV exercise I do the lower the chances of a repitition of the problem.

I'm now fitter and stronger than I have been for 10 years.

If the medics agree then go for it!

 

[Fab Foodie]

Welcome Nice-Fit

I'm also 47 and was stented 5 years ago for blocked arteries, high cholesterol, high Old-Holborn habit.
I've cycled most of my life and been reasonabley fit, though I had about a 10 year period when the kids were small where I exercised least. I had been nack to full cycling about 3 years before my stenting, so had attained some level of fitness again.

Post stenting I was given a coarse of cardio-Rehab by the hospital. treadmill type stuff with an HRM and strict instructions not to break 120bpm. Soon I was jogging much to their disgust but was OK.
I resumed cycling and gentle jogging and kept to 130 bpm limit. I slowly built that up and now no longer wear the HRM, I know and feel when I'm overdoing it.

So cycling wise I'm pretty OK now, I'm at least as good as most non-stented regular cyclists of my age, can comfortably ride 100 miles plus, average 20mph over a flat 22 mile club training course (or a sub 30min '10') and can climb some prety big hills.

So... get an HRM, start very gently and build yourself up. Make sure you really warm-up well, go easy for the first 10 to 15 minutes and wind-down slowly for the last 10 mins. Get a straightforward bike with a triple chainset for low gearing and get going!
Could be the best thing you've ever done, just take it easy at first!

 

[Crankarm]

Welcome Nice-Fit

I'm also 47 and was stented 5 years ago for blocked arteries, high cholesterol, high Old-Holborn habit.
I've cycled most of my life and been reasonabley fit, though I had about a 10 year period when the kids were small where I exercised least. I had been nack to full cycling about 3 years before my stenting, so had attained some level of fitness again.

Post stenting I was given a coarse of cardio-Rehab by the hospital. treadmill type stuff with an HRM and strict instructions not to break 120bpm. Soon I was jogging much to their disgust but was OK.
I resumed cycling and gentle jogging and kept to 130 bpm limit. I slowly built that up and now no longer wear the HRM, I know and feel when I'm overdoing it.

So cycling wise I'm pretty OK now, I'm at least as good as most non-stented regular cyclists of my age, can comfortably ride 100 miles plus, average 20mph over a flat 22 mile club training course (or a sub 30min '10') and can climb some prety big hills.

So... get an HRM, start very gently and build yourself up. Make sure you really warm-up well, go easy for the first 10 to 15 minutes and wind-down slowly for the last 10 mins. Get a straightforward bike with a triple chainset for low gearing and get going!
Could be the best thing you've ever done, just take it easy at first!

Sounds like very sensible advice FF.

Fortunately not had a heart attack myself, yet, although I have noticed that when I get dehydrated I sometimes get an erratic heart beat. I'm early forties although look 21 . Always drinking 12-15 gulps of water prior to a ride or run greatly reduces the risk of dehydration. Try and keep well hydrated as I guess when one is dehydrated
one's blood thickens making it much harder for one's heart to pump blood around one's body. Before I do any cycling or running now I always have a moderate drink of water, not too much mind, but sufficient to mean I am not gasping for water at the end of a one hour ride or run so just need a top up. Throughout the day I regularly drink small amounts of water anyway and definitely have a glass of water before I go to bed. Most heart attacks occur between the hours of 3 and 5am when people are asleep.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Another one here who has had angioplasty and stenting, 2008, very fit lifelong cyclist, and a club cyclist for 25 years. I can't add much more than has already been said, Fab Foodies advice is sensible, just take it easy at first, build up steadily, stop and rest if you have any signs of discomfort. Me I was back at work a week after the op, and cycle commuting, I did my first club run a couple of weeks after the op, with the clubs family run. Now I'm very close to where I was before the angina set in.

 

[pubrunner]

So cycling wise I'm pretty OK now, I'm at least as good as most non-stented regular cyclists of my age, can comfortably ride 100 miles plus, average 20mph over a flat 22 mile club training course (or a sub 30min '10') and can climb some prety big hills.

FF, in my book, that's better than 'pretty OK'.

I'm can't remember how fast I was at 47, but I'm sure that I'd have struggled to average 20mph over a flat 22 mile course. I've only done a 100 miler once (Cheshire Cat 200) and it certainly wasn't 'comfortable' - I was glad just to finish .

'Pretty OK' indeed !

 

[Deleted member 1258]

FF, in my book, that's better than 'pretty OK'.

I'm can't remember how fast I was at 47, but I'm sure that I'd have struggled to average 20mph over a flat 22 mile course. I've only done a 100 miler once (Cheshire Cat 200) and it certainly wasn't 'comfortable' - I was glad just to finish .

'Pretty OK' indeed !

I would agree with that, before my angina my average would be in the 16-17mph range, hanging on in a fast group I could push that to 18-19mph but only for a short time. Now my average is in the 15-16mph range, I haven't pushed that above 16-17mph, again hanging on in a group, I'm not very interested in pushing my average these days.

 

[woohoo]

I had a couple of stents fitted 5 years ago after I noticed a slight reduction in my results on the cross trainer in the gym (I tend to do 3x1 hour per week on these). A week after the stenting (and the artery wound had healed up – but that's another story), the consultant told me it was fine to go back to the gym (and cycling) and to go as hard/fast as I wanted. As always, it's wise to follow what the medics tell you and IME they take into account your general fitness and attitude when telling you how to proceed.

 

[stavros]

I agree that you should begin cautiously and don't exceed the rate/pressure product. This entails measuring your heart rate immediately post-ride and measuring your systolic blood pressure (the top figure). You then divide this by 0.1 and you have your RPP figure. If this exceeds 150 you are in the 'red zone' and need to reduce your effort.

The above is a well-recognised and easy way of telling whether you are in excess of your limit. Just buy a cheap automatic blood pressure monitor from the chemist - usually about ten quid. it's well worth the expense to feel reassured. As a general rule you should only be on 130/140 maximum heart rate during excercise following coronary stents.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I agree that you should begin cautiously and don't exceed the rate/pressure product. This entails measuring your heart rate immediately post-ride and measuring your systolic blood pressure (the top figure). You then divide this by 0.1 and you have your RPP figure. If this exceeds 150 you are in the 'red zone' and need to reduce your effort.

The above is a well-recognised and easy way of telling whether you are in excess of your limit. Just buy a cheap automatic blood pressure monitor from the chemist - usually about ten quid. it's well worth the expense to feel reassured. As a general rule you should only be on 130/140 maximum heart rate during excercise following coronary stents.

Bloody ell! the winter after I had the stenting, stenting done July 9th 2008, I did a full winter training schedule. Interval training 50 minutes twice a week for 9 weeks, 10 minutes warm up at 100-105bpm, 30minutes at 130-135bpm, during that 30 minutes I would do 1 minute bursts at 150-155bpm at 5 minute intervals, then warm down at 100-105bpm. I'm sure that since then there have been times when I have been well above 130/140bpm

 

[Bill Gates]

Bloody ell! the winter after I had the stenting, stenting done July 9th 2008, I did a full winter training schedule. Interval training 50 minutes twice a week for 9 weeks, 10 minutes warm up at 100-105bpm, 30minutes at 130-135bpm, during that 30 minutes I would do 1 minute bursts at 150-155bpm at 5 minute intervals, then warm down at 100-105bpm. I'm sure that since then there have been times when I have been well above 130/140bpm

+1

Heart attacks in April 2004 and June 2006 and 5 stents fitted. Been at MHR since and regularly hit 95% in interval training with no ill effects. Need to be sensible on building up the fitness steadily first though. Irony is that I can't ride at all at the moment and been off the bike for 3 months with shot knees. Been promised a full knee replacement and awaiting date for surgery.

 

[Dan Grindey]

Hi guys,

I've just found this thread and it is very interesting. I note that the last update was over 2 years ago so I'm hoping that you will still see my post.

I was given a coronary stent around 3 years ago and have been cycling regularly before and after the procedure.

The one thing that nobody mentions here is whether they were prescribed beta blockers post-stenting. I have been using a relatively low dose Bisoprolol since the stent until around 2 months ago and have seen an immediate improvement in my performance.

Do you guys use beta blockers and if so, what effect has that had on your cycling performance? The thing that has always worried me is whether there are inherently more risks going 100% MHR.

Dan