Advocacy & Safety - Is cycling bad for your heart?

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090608/NEWS01/90608045

An Asheville man apparently suffered a fatal heart attack Saturday, causing him to crash his bicycle in Biltmore Forest, according to police. The article does not go into much detail.

My guess is he worked too hard and his heart could not keep up. Could this have led to the heart attack?

probably some underlying cause for that.

Have a heart attack like that while driving and see how much damage results...

Maybe he had a heart defect or heart disease or ???

He could have been running, swimming or um, doing the horizontal mambo and keeled over, I suppose.

If it helps, I checked my BP today and it was 111/59, exercise is good for your ticker, not bad for it (unless your ticker is on the fritz already...)

Cardio exercise bad for the heart???? It's like saying smoking may cause your lungs to function at their full capacity.

____________________________________
Surgeon Generals Warning:

"Cycling may cause heartbrake if you
stop cycling due to unforeseen circumstances"
____________________________________

FAIL

He could have been overdoing it. Many of us 50+ guys think of ourselves as younger, and it's easy to overlook signs such as chest pain, unusual shortness of breath, etc. Maybe he let himself get dehydrated. Cycling is generally healthy, I think, but an older rider has to use common sense.

High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease, but just the fact that blood pressure is normal or lower doesn't say a thing about the potential for heart attack, cardiac decompensation, heart failure and that sort of thing. It can still happen.

And then of course, no matter what age the person is, things do happen without warning, and these include heart attacks. A person who has an unexpected, unannounced heart attack while cycling would probably have had it doing anything else, including sitting a couch with a beer and a bag of chips watching NFL gladiators play football.

Cardio exercise bad for the heart???? It's like saying smoking may cause your lungs to function at their full capacity.

____________________________________
Surgeon Generals Warning:

"Cycling may cause heartbrake if you
stop cycling due to unforeseen circumstances"
____________________________________

FAIL

That's not a valid comparison. It's already a well known fact that smoking is bad for your health.

Most people would agree peanut butter is also good for you, but I'm sure there are people who have died from eating too much.

Cycling is highly beneficial in many aspects, but I wonder if in this situation the individual had "too much of a good thing".

Although death by over-exertion on a bicycle is rare, I think it's probably what happened in this case.

My dad died from a heart attack in bed.

People who never smoke also get lung cancer.

Does that mean it's alright to smoke?

That's not a valid comparison. It's already a well known fact that smoking is bad for your health.

Most people would agree peanut butter is also good for you, but I'm sure there are people who have died from eating too much.

Cycling is highly beneficial in many aspects, but I wonder if in this situation the individual had "too much of a good thing".

Although death by over-exertion on a bicycle is rare, I think it's probably what happened in this case.

Yea I understand that, but the title of the thread is a wee bit misleading, don't you think?
No cycling is not bad for your heart, but being irresponsible is.

No cycling is not bad for your heart, but being irresponsible is.

I would agree with you but we don't know if being irresponsible is what led to this individual's death.

I don't think the title of the thread is misleading because I think the answer is "it depends". Had the man chose not to ride his bike that day, would he have still died?

I would agree with you but we don't know if being irresponsible is what led to this individual's death.

I don't think the title of the thread is misleading because I think the answer is "it depends". Had the man chose not to ride his bike that day, would he have still died?

Yes he would have. (sorry, couldn't resist)

Like you sead, no one knows exactly what is the real reason behind his heart attack. It could have been anything. Pacing your self and being more conscious about your body helps in that aspect. Cycling is just one of the things people do that involves cardio. Heart attacks always happen for a very good reason.

The vast majority of medical research indicates routine exercise, such as cycling, is very good for your heart. The article says nothing about this person's health history. He may have had existing heart disease.

Was he wearing a helmet?
That might have saved him...

When your number is up, that's all she wrote! We are all gonna take the same nap one of these days, he just beat us to it.

RIP fella!

It's not save driving a car, riding a bike, sleeping, having sex, walking, jogging, running, or ... you name it. Only safe place is being a couch potato (unless ...).

I'm sure if you hop from a couch to competing in the Ironman Hawaii and trying to win that your heart would probably explode out of your body.

But we all have to die so why not go out in style. I'd like to die at 100 by being shot by a jealous 25year old husband. Or upside down and on fire at 200mph (any age is cool there).

Two words (one name):

Jim Fixx (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Fixx).

Cardio can definitely be dangerous, if you aren't aware of your limits.

I'm much more interested in how I live, and I choose to have cycling a part of my life. I don't know the man, and it's a shame he died at such a young age, but it appears he was able to live the way he wanted to live.

Two words (one name):

Jim Fixx (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Fixx).

Cardio can definitely be dangerous, if you aren't aware of your limits.

According to your link, I see nothing that tells me that cardio hurt Fixx. He wasn't running.

according to your link, i see nothing that tells me that cardio hurt fixx. He wasn't running.

ok...


fixx died at the age of 52 of a massive heart attack, after his daily run

How about another two words Tour of Italy rider - Steve Larson

How about another two words Tour of Italy rider, pro cyclist - Steve Larson

Two words (one name):

Jim Fixx (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Fixx).

Cardio can definitely be dangerous, if you aren't aware of your limits.

As Bill Hicks would say, "Nick Jagger outlived Jim Fixx, I'm getting mixed signals here"

Who is "Nick"Jagger?

Brother of Rick Jagger.

ok...

Or you could post the complete quote from the section on his death:

Fixx died at the age of 52 of a massive heart attack, after his daily run, on Route 15 in Hardwick, Vermont. The autopsy revealed that atherosclerosis had blocked one coronary artery 95%, a second 85%, and a third 50%. Some who opposed his beliefs said this was proof running was harmful. However, Fixx came from a family where the men had poor health histories. His father suffered a heart attack at the age of 35 and died of one at 42. Given Fixx's unhealthy lifestyle until he took up running, many argued that running added many years to his life.

With those kinds of blockages anyone is on borrowed time. Unfortunately in 1984, there was no where near the availability of testing and bypass surgery that we have today. It was more likely that somebody with arterial blockages wouldn't know they were there. So, yeah, if you knew that you had a heart problem and you pushed yourself to the limit, that would be asking for trouble, but there is no evidence of that in the Fixx case or the OP case.

My doctor credits the regular exercise that I get from cycling with my low blood pressure, and excecllent blood work numbers. When I was lying in the emergency room after being hit by a car in March, one of the ER doctors, after checking my blood pressure and heart rate, told me to get back on my bike as soon as possible, given my age it was obviously doing some good.

Speedo

Who is "Nick"Jagger?


Mick, it's freakin' Mick....I stand corrected .... and imberrased.:)

It was actually Keith Richards that I should have mentioned instead. Sorry I had a realy confusing day yesterday.

How about another two words Tour of Italy rider, pro cyclist - Steve Larson

Except that Steve Larson didn't die of a heart attack.

http://www.veloreview.com/obra3/2009/05/in-memoriam-steve-larsen.html/

"Mike Larsen said the autopsy ruled out a heart attack and a blood clot. The cause of death may have been viral or related to allergies, he said."

There is no question that if you have a hidden heart condition and push yourself you could do some damage. The standard check with your doctor before beginning a program of vigorous exercise warning applies. But the health benefits of cycling outweigh the risks.

Speedo

If a cyclist is too Gun ho. I suspect the answer is yes.. Going beyond one's means is asking for trouble... Wear a heart rate monitor and stay within your means.
.This past week we did a mostly partial climb of one of the famous peaks of the TDF.. I saw cyclists wizzing by me who sounded like they were on their last breath.
When the grade exceeded 12% and my heart rate exceeded 90% of it's capacity, I knew it was time to cool it.. Otherwise, good cardiac training will likely extend one's life.

One of life's little curve balls...the things that can keep you healthy can also kill you. ;)

If it helps, I checked my BP today and it was 111/59, exercise is good for your ticker, not bad for it (unless your ticker is on the fritz already...)

There is a history of high blood pressure in my family. Before I started biking full time I worked at a really stressful job, which caused my blood pressure to peak at 190/160, and I was only 28 years old and didn't smoke. My doctor told me flat out if I didn't do something about my blood pressure I WOULD have a stroke in the near future.

I quit my job and started biking more, that was twelve years ago. Currently my blood pressure is 120/90 and I don't take med's to control it, biking does that for me.

So no I don't think biking is bad for you.

Well, none of us the information on this guy and what actually contributed to his heart attack. Like Jim Fixx he could have chosen the wrong parents or maybe he had a past of poor eating habits.

It is well documented that aerobic exercise is good for one's heart. But exercise can not overcome other risk facters by itself.

Also, for people with unhealthy hearts, aerobic exercise can be dangerous. That is why people over a certain age are advised to have the physician give them a check up to see if they are healthy enough to exercise.

In my personal experience, I have ridden with many other riders. It seems that for many people, cycling is all about "winning" the "race". These are just club rides, but lots of these people treat them as races. I have even seen riders push themselves so hard that they go unconcious and crash. I do not think pushing "too hard" is all that likely to cause a heart attack. I am not saying that it is a good idea. I am just saying that if it was the case, I would have witnessed dozens of heart attacks.

Man - some seriously twisted logic. Calling up Jim Fixx to make an argument for or against anything is as lame as it can get.

Some one needs to remind the original poster that people write "news" to sell papers - not to provide accurate medical information.

There are no guarantees in life. It's all about doing everything you can to enhance your own probability of living a long, happy, and productive life. For me, aerobic exercise, weight training, stress reduction, and sensible eating are a few of the indispensable components of that strategy. Dying of a heart attack does not even register on my list of fears and concerns.

Riding at a pro level is most definitely not good for the heart.

Other than that, its greaaaat!

I've always wanted to be one of those sporty types with slow heartbeats. Just did a minute with the clock and got 61. I don't think I've ever had it this low. Cycling (and meditation) is awesome. :O)

...and I did the same and got 43. Let the pissing contest begin.

Genetics is as important as fitness when it comes to resting HR. I'm surely nowhere near as fit as most people with resting HRs in the 40s. I'm probably more fit than my brother, who has a similarly low resting HR.

Resting HR, like VO2 max, is trainable, but mostly based on genetics. It only gets so low with training.
A lot of heart problems, and other causes of death (cancer, stroke), are inextricably linked to genetics, as well. With my natural cholesterol levels (high HDL, low LDL) I will most likely not have to worry about heart disease. I also work with someone who is 30 and has had 3 heart attacks, and whose father died of one at 35.

Has exercise ever killed anyone? Depends on the semantic argument you make. I don't think it's fair to pin the death of someone with 95% blockage on exercise. that's atherosclerosis. throw a clot, or a piece of plaque, and you're done. dehydration, heat stroke? again, other circumstances involved.

Claiming that cardio exercise is bad for the heart (below trying to sustain 99% of VO2 max; congratulations on being very motivated, though) is a very strange idea, at best. As you get older, you have to be aware of potential health issues that may arise during exercise.

...and I did the same and got 43. Let the pissing contest begin.

Genetics is as important as fitness when it comes to resting HR. I'm surely nowhere near as fit as most people with resting HRs in the 40s. I'm probably more fit than my brother, who has a similarly low resting HR.

OK, your resting pulse is almost identical to mine. :)

Want to know a trick for a lower heart beat?

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090608/NEWS01/90608045

An Asheville man apparently suffered a fatal heart attack Saturday, causing him to crash his bicycle in Biltmore Forest, according to police. The article does not go into much detail.

My guess is he worked too hard and his heart could not keep up. Could this have led to the heart attack?

Cycling is excellent for the cardiovascular system.

Cycling could have contributed IF, he had never been told, not to do strenuous exercise and, he was pushing himself too hard.

...and I did the same and got 43. Let the pissing contest begin.

Genetics is as important as fitness when it comes to resting HR. I'm surely nowhere near as fit as most people with resting HRs in the 40s. I'm probably more fit than my brother, who has a similarly low resting HR.

I'm so fit, I don't even measure in BPM, I have to measure in MPB. I'm regularly pronounced dead because I'm in such good shape.