When cyclists find out that I am a heart doctor, they most frequently ask about cholesterol numbers. “…My cholesterol is this…What do you think?†“…My doctor wants me to take a statin…But I read that these drugs might lower my functional threshold power 2.014 watts/40km.” All this focus on numbers saddens me. Remember, I am […]
Category: Cycling Wed
Wednesday musings on all things cycling-related
Good morning all. Cycling Wednesday fell prey to the Springtime weather in Kentucky. Right before post time last evening, our power (which means internet) went down when a large thunderstorm rolled through. Here’s what I have for you this week: It is hardly news to say that we need better means to predict who will […]
Those interested in the treatment of heart disease reveled in some very important news this week. News which further strengthens the position that heart disease may be assailable without implanting titanium into our bodies. A group of researchers from the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) reported–without much fanfare–that patients enrolled in an old-fashioned cardiac rehab program […]
Your knee hurts. Your back aches. Your muscles are soooo sore the day after trying that new exercise. I get this; I race bikes. Yet I urge you to avoid seeking relief in the form of the pain-relievers called Non-Steroidal-Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, or NSAIDs. You have heard the names before: ibuprofen (Advil), naprosyn (Aleve), diclofenac (Voltaren), […]
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Cycling Wednesday postponed this week
Good evening, no I mean good morning, from HRS 2011, San Francisco. Due to a series of flight delays, and lack of Internet access, I can’t quite eek out a CW post. I am going to bed. Stand by for Heart Rhythm news in the upcoming days. JMM
The number of emails that come from fellow cyclists (and endurance athletes) with heart rhythm issues amazes me. I am more convinced than ever that our “hobby” predisposes us to electrical issues like atrial fibrillation (AF)—that the science is right. Obviously, my pedaling “habit” creates an exposure bias. I hear from many of you because […]
I had planned to write this week’s cycling post on the futility of even considering the existence of any one “best” exercise. Gretchen Reynold’s NY Times Magazine essay entitled, “What’s the best exercise,” got me thinking about this highly bloggable topic. Initially, such fodder seemed a perfect topic. There are few exercises I have not […]
Oops. I screwed up. This week’s Cycling Wednesday entry didn’t get posted last night. As we used to say in fellowship training, it was a “rookie mistake.” An example of an electrophysiologist getting too fancy with WordPress–a failure to use the KISS method. Sorry. Here’s the entry: After spending an entire vacation reading stories, I […]
For competitive cyclists, Sunday morning usually signifies a time for combining spirituality with calorie-burning. Whether we are immersed in the total focus of a hotly-contested bike race or meditating our way through a seemingly endless training ride, it’s a given that most cyclists use Sundays to churn out the kilo-joules. This kind of Sunday-behavior differs […]
My neighbor Ed was a thin man all his life. He maintained an ideal body weight by combining regular physical activity with a modest intake of calories. He was a “young” seventy year-old who looked the picture of heart health. Ed regularly read the newspaper while walking on his treadmill, he hit a golf ball […]
In Washington, even exercise gets political. This morning, the WSJ reported that a small group of Congressmen, primarily Republicans, have embraced the adrenaline-infused exercise regimen that is P90X. They jump, stretch and flex to the tune of Tony Horton, a man who clearly checked the right box on career day. The 90-day results-intensive program celebrates […]