Cardiac arrhythmia after sports
Certain cardiac arrhythmias occur particularly after sport. A common example is the so-called paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. This cardiac arrhythmia is triggered by high blood pressure or intensive endurance sports.
After sport, the irregular heartbeat is perceived, the affected person feels a stumbling heart, racing heart or inner restlessness. In addition, the cardiac dysrhythmia after sport can also cause symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness, sweating and chest pain. In most cases, the cardiac dysrhythmia ends of its own accord after a certain period of rest and the symptoms also disappear.
For this reason, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation often cannot be diagnosed by an electrocardiogram (ECG) at the doctor’s office because it is not always there. One possible diagnostic option is a long-term ECG, in which the heart rhythm is recorded over several days, for example. In this way, an attack of cardiac arrhythmia can often be recorded. Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation is not necessarily life-threatening, but it can develop into persistent atrial fibrillation, which in the long term can lead to cardiac insufficiency. Early diagnosis and therapy of cardiac arrhythmias that occur after exercise is therefore of great importance.
Cardiac arrhythmia during sports
During physical exertion the heart rate increases from the normal 60-100 beats per minute to up to 200 beats per minute. In healthy people, the pulse remains regular and the beats occur at equal intervals one after the other. Under normal circumstances, the heart rate rises gradually and not abruptly during exercise.
After exercise it drops slowly and not suddenly. This fast heartbeat during sports is completely normal, as the body has to supply more blood and more oxygen when under stress. If instead a sudden heartbeat occurs, the heart rate suddenly increases during sport, which may be caused by a rapid (tachycardic) arrhythmia.
A cardiac dysrhythmia with a slowed heartbeat (bradycardia) manifests itself during sport by an insufficient increase in heart rate. Normally, the heart rate increases to more than 100 beats per minute during sports. If there is little or no increase, the affected person’s performance is significantly impaired and he or she must stop exercising early due to exhaustion or shortness of breath. Cardiac arrhythmia that occurs during sport should always be clarified by a doctor before returning to sport.
