mom gave her blood pressure to me, so now it was time for me to get on ACE inhibitors. Luckily, I have no side effects and I can go about my training as before.
Last weekend I did a self supported HIM, just for the fun of it and I bonked heavily on the run, even though I thought I did not overcook the bike and was in a very good shape overall.
I usually pace by heart rate (e.g. less than140 bpm on bike with a maxHR on the bike of 165 and less then 153 on the run with a maxHR of 174 for running). I have raced at these heart rates multiple times before and was always able to at least run a sub 1:45 HM… Now, I cramped from km 6 had to walk quite a bit and came in at 1:52…
Nutrition/fluids was very similar to my previous HIMs.
Any experience racing on ACE inhibitors? Did you have to re-assess your heart rate zones? Or did I just have a bad day?
…the self supported HIM, was a lot of fun actually. Racing just against me and my loved/hated watch was a lot of fun. I am up for a re-match later in summer.
I’m currently on Lisinopril. Which is an ACE inhibitor. I have not raced, but I have not noticed any differences in HR at various efforts. I was looking back at my training logs from last year last night, when I was NOT on any BP meds. Same effort levels, same durations, same paces, same HR. All indications are that I’m in exactly the same shape as I was last September.
Further, from what I’ve read about ACE inhibitors is that they don’t have any impact on Athletic Performance. That was one of my criteria with my Cardiologist when discussing BP meds…and the reason we chose it…after the Ca-Blocker didn’t work.
By the nature of their mechanism of action, ACEI should not affect the heart rate as much as a beta blocker (metoprolol, carvedilol) or a calcium channel blocker, particularly one such as diltiazem or verapamil.
Beta blockers inhibit the receptors on the heart that respond to epinephrine’s ability to accelerate the heart rate. Calcium channel blockers slow the rate of electrical conduction within the heart to exert their effects. This is a simplified explanation, and I would check with your prescriber if heart rate issues continue to plague you since this can be related to other cardiac issues.
By the nature of their mechanism of action, ACEI should not affect the heart rate as much as a beta blocker (metoprolol, carvedilol) or a calcium channel blocker, particularly one such as diltiazem or verapamil.
Even low dose (12.5mg per day) metroprolol was depressing my HR by ~20-30 bpm. 25mg was about 5-7bpm more depressed than the 12.5mg.
The Ca-blocker (amlopdipine 10mg) didn’t seem to really have much effect…at least not one that was significant enough to distinguish from normal variation and training effects. If there was an effect, it certainly wasn’t anywhere as near as pronounced as the BB.
Beta blockers inhibit the receptors on the heart that respond to epinephrine’s ability to accelerate the heart rate. Calcium channel blockers slow the rate of electrical conduction within the heart to exert their effects. This is a simplified explanation, and I would check with your prescriber if heart rate issues continue to plague you since this can be related to other cardiac issues.
You may have missed my thread regarding my Open Heart Surgery back in Feb. As such, I’m in rather frequent contact with my Cardiologist.
I wasn’t claiming that HR issues were plaguing me. I was stating the opposite, in fact. My HR is now indistinguishable from pre-surgery @ specific RPE and pace.
Which one are you on? I was thinking that if it was a combo one with a diuretic like hydrochlorothiazide, maybe it threw your electrolytes a little out of whack.
just ACE Inhibitors so far. Looks more like I had a bad day/ did not pace properly, rather than a drug induced thing…Most of the studies I have read regarding ACE inhibition and performance were focused at short efforts but it seems that there is just no effect, which is very good to know.