What's your blood pressure at now?

What medication is your dr wanting to prescribe? There's many different classes of BP meds and certain ones are better for athletes than others.

Do you have any family history of CV disease?

I use >1g of sodium 30min prior to exercising, helps a little to bring BP up. I have low sodium due to a ketogenic diet (health related). Bouillon cubes are a great way to add lots of salts to your diet. Maybe an option?

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Vinnie Santana, Multisport Coach
http://www.ironguides.net
* * * Your best is our business. * * *

Resting HR 36? Why wonder you black out.. You need to see a Cardiologist.

CV,

I'm in my early 60s and have experienced Orthostatic hypotension for most of my life when fit, dehydrated and especially intentionally eating a low sodium diet. The fitter I am, the more pronounced it will be. I use to intentionally eat a low sodium diet thinking that it would be healthy but have learned that if I'm training hard, salt is my friend. My morning BP runs about 106/68 while my rest pulse is in the low 50s. Doctors have never seemed concerned and the athletic ones mention they have the same symptoms.

How bad are your symptoms? Are you nearly hitting the floor upon rising or just getting a solid head rush?

Hugh

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Genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.

Orthostatic hypotension is fairly common. One theory is that the steepness of the stroke volume to filling pressure curve is greater for fit athletes. This adaptation helps with exercise performance, but hurts orthostatic tolerance. The increased steepness of that curve means that you get greater stroke volume increases with increases in filling pressure, but you also get greater drops in stroke volume with decreases in pressure. I am not sure that this is a pathological condition that needs medication. I would seek a second opinion from a Doc who works with athletes.

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Simplify, Train, Live

my co-workers find me amusing in this regard

there's jeff, sloughed over his cubical wall again...

Thanks, not hitting the floor probably because I am holding on to something, but feeling like I am fighting the blacking-out.

I am hesitant to use BP meds as I think my situation is similar to yours, low sodium, dehydration and low resting HR. Doctors just love to prescribe drugs. These drugs were prescribed by my asthma doctor, and my GP confirmed, but my GP is very conservative.

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Cervelo R3 and Cannondale Synapse, Argon18 Electron Track Bike

It's reassuring to read that I'm not the only one with this problem. I went down like a ton of bricks a couple weeks ago and frequently have to grab the nearest object to stay upright. My wife is pretty concerned. I always chalked it up to being low on fluids/electrolytes, (and I still think it may be part of the problem), but it's interesting to see a potential physiologic cause.

So if it is really the result of cardiac adaptation in athletes and not so much an issue of inadequate hydration, does anyone have any good coping strategies? Salt seems to be one. Maybe also consciously get the heart pumping a little before getting up? Or should I just plan to never stop moving ;).

When my symptoms are especially bad, I will actually stop half way up and place my hands on my quads for a second or two and then come the rest of the way up. Post workout hydration and increased salt consumption do help a good bit as mentioned earlier.

YMMV,

Hugh

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Genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.

Happened (s) to me all the time. I have largely solved this by going from a laying position, to a seated position, to standing, slower than 'normal', and almost robotic. That doesn't mean do it in slow motion. It's more like.. sit up, 2, 3, 4, stand 2, 3, 4, up. So maybe take 4 to 5 seconds to go from a laying to standing position vs 1 to 2 seconds. Every now and then I will forget, stand too quickly, and have to fight that feeling that I am about to pass out. I've seen a cardiologist. No discernible issues. I've also found this issue is more pronounced when dehydrated, though hydrating didn't fix it.

You are not alone. I have the same issues when I do not hydrate enough. I am an older athlete (64) with low BP. I once passed out getting up off the couch, fell and bruised my tail bone on the edge of a table - hurt like hell for 6 months! I now force myself to stay hydrated at all times. When I don't I get dizzy spells when I get up quickly.

Hey,

Medication for low blood pressure is surely gonna help but foods are the most natural remedy which can come to rescue for a quick fix. I myself being a low B.P. patient take to some foods occasionally which actually increase your blood pressure. Most of these foods are rich in sodium & it goes without saying that even though these are helpful, moderation is the key.

Please check these food items.

Cardiac adaptations do not result in decompensations of consciousness. Believe your doctor.

Hello cervelo-van and All,

As I aged I developed an occasional heart rate skip from right branch block and PVC.

Resting heart rate at 40 to 42 .... blood pressure 110 or so over 58 to 62 ... sometimes lower.

At low heart rates .... a skip ... or two .... can cause unconsciousness ...

The cure was a pacemaker that established a floor of 50 HR .... when exercising at higher heart rates ..... heart rate works as normal up and down without restriction.

I have had the pacemaker now for several months and except for the bump under the skin on my chest .... I am unaware of it being there.

The pacemaker .... Biotronik .... saves each beat to a file and transmits at 2 am or so via blue tooth to a device like a cell phone next to my bed. The file goes via cell phone to the Biotronik facility (in another state) and is scanned for anomalies .... alerting my cardiologist here in Escondido ... who can call me in if needed.

Good luck ......

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Cheers, Neal

+1 mph Faster