Erging After A Heart Attack...

[[old] MartinM]

Am very interested in peoples' opinions, but rest assured I am taking full medical advice on this as well...<br /><br />Brief background: Got our Model D in Sept 04 with my objective to increase my cardio capability for our annual skiing trips in Feb and April 05. I'm 47, 200lbs, non-smoker, eat well etc etc. In Jan 05 I could do 7:50 for 2000 and 44:30 for 10000 - not great, but I was pleased and to me, they were very strenuous, but with no side effects at all. Went skiing in Feb 05, and my cardio ability was a lot better than (ever?) before. Well pleased.<br /><br />Didn't go on the erg for a month after and said to the wife on the evening Mar 14 that I would start again the next day. Went to bed at midnight and woke up at 2am having a heart attack <br /><br />Was treated the next day by angioplasty plus one stent in my LAD. Am currently halfway through an 8 week Thursday afternoons rehab course (lectures, circuit training, relaxataion etc)<br /><br />I had an exercise stress test (walking machine with constant ECG and BP and pulse checks every 2 mins) in hospital 3 weeks ago where I did 12 minutes (it's a standard test, but I can't remember the name - Nicholl's???) which is the max they let people do and I had no problems whatsoever.<br /><br />Two views from the physio are that:<br />- I shouldn't erg at all until at least the end of the rehab course - which will be 12 weeks after my 'event'<br />- there's no reason why I shouldn't get back, in time, to those previous levels.<br /><br />Anyone had the same (unfortunate) scenario, any thoughts, recommendations for a 'getting back into it' regime, etc ??<br /><br />TIA, Martin<br />PS never made the April 05 ski trip

[[old] John Rupp]

Personally I would do the following:<br /><br />#1: Implement various different kinds of daily internal cleanses;<br /><br />#2: Nurture the body at least every morning with plenty of fresh green veggie juices, celery, bok choy, fennel, purslane, etc, with carrots for flavoring;<br /><br />#3: Make sure you have zero trans fats (lard or hydrogenated vegetable oils) in your diet;<br /><br />#4: Eliminate all caffeine;<br /><br />#5: Reduce the total * percentage of calories * from fat in your diet to 10% or less;<br /><br />#6: Eliminate all added salt, sugar, and white flour from your diet;<br /><br />#7: Have fresh fruit but not exceeding 25% of total calories;<br /><br />#8: Eliminate all commercial juices, and home made fruit juices;<br /><br />#9: Have all metal fillings and all root canal teeth removed from your mouth;<br /><br />#10: Bring total cholesterol to 150 or less.<br /><br />These are things I would do. Hope that helps.

[[old] neilb]

I would be interested to know if the consultant considered that doing the rowing contributed to what happened. I cannot imagine that it did and I suspect it would have happened with or without the rowing. Overall I take a general view that good steady exercise is of overall benefit and I would not want to see people discouraged from this by your rather unfortunate experience.<br /><br />I would not worry about whether you will or will not get back to the previous times; there is much more to life that 2k or 10k times. I would view the rowing as an excellent way to take good quality steady exercise, in conjunction with advice from the consultant, and so start to repair and rebuild any damage to the heart.<br /><br />I would suspect though that the medical advice will be to avoid the strenuous workouts at least until the heart muscle is fully recovered; the real long term benefits of rowing are all about general health.<br /><br />Best wishes in your recovery.<br /><br />Neil B.<br /><br /><br /><br />

[[old] ancho]

In the University/Club standings you'll find the "Row Hearty" composed by people who have had some kind of heart problems. Perhaps you could get in touch with them...<br />Good recovery!

[[old] MartinM]

Thanks for your thoughts and best wishes...<br /><br />Martin

[[old] John Rupp]

Cheers, Martin.<br /><br />Two more things:<br /><br />Aspartame and MSG are implicated with sudden cardiac deaths, so I would stay away from those.<br /><br />Freshly ground flax seed is high in the beneficial omega3's. I usually grind a couple tablespoons of it each day and sprinkle on my food.

[[old] maf]

<!--QuoteBegin-John Rupp+May 19 2005, 11:00 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(John Rupp @ May 19 2005, 11:00 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Cheers, Martin.<br /><br />Two more things:<br /><br />Aspartame and MSG are implicated with sudden cardiac deaths, so I would stay away from those.<br /><br />Freshly ground flax seed is high in the beneficial omega3's.  I usually grind a couple tablespoons of it each day and sprinkle on my food. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Aspartame is in a LOT of fizzy drinks, especially the 'diet' versions.<br /><br />Anyone read "Eating Your Way to Better Health", Dr Charles Myers?<br /><br />"Recent studies indicate that Flax seed oil is not suitable for men over forty years of age, as it can cause inflammation of the prostate."<br /><br />From: <a href='http://www.nutech2000.com/webtext/health/fats.html' target='_blank'>http://www.nutech2000.com/webtext/healt ... tml</a><br /><br />Michael<br />

[[old] John Rupp]

Michael,<br /><br />Read my message again.<br /><br />I did not say "flax oil". As indicated in your article, oils, including their touted high saturated fat coconut oil (a prescription for a heart attack), very quickly become rancid and unuseable. Surely you can't believe their recommendations at the bottom of that page would result in anything other than sickness. Those countries who have switched to coconut oil are among the highest in cardiac deaths.<br /><br />In any case, I don't use flax oil, and never any coconut oil. <br /><br />However freshly ground flax seeds are highly beneficial.

[[old] PaulS]

maf,<br /><br />And we all know that flax seeds are flax oil free.... <br /><br />I'm just wondering, with the prolific use of aspartame (30% of population I think I heard mention) why there are not more sudden deaths that there are. I'll bet that everyone who dies suddenly had consumed dihydrogenmonoxide sometime during the day they died, but alas, so did everyone else on the planet. <br /><br />Perhaps a "Ruppism" thread should be started. I think the "Have your root canalled teeth removed." would make the top of the list.

[[old] Porkchop]

<!--QuoteBegin-PaulS+May 19 2005, 11:39 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(PaulS @ May 19 2005, 11:39 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->maf,<br /><br />I'll bet that everyone who dies suddenly had consumed dihydrogen monoxide sometime during the day they died, but alas, so did everyone else on the planet.  [right] <br /> </td></tr></table><br />Never touch the stuff, Paul -- don't you know what ichthyofauna do in dihydrogen monoxide?

[[old] PaulS]

PC,<br /><br />That, along with the notion that it is the ultimate in "recycled resource", are things I try not to think too much about. <br /><br />How do you remain hydrated?

[[old] Porkchop]

<!--QuoteBegin-PaulS+May 19 2005, 03:08 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(PaulS @ May 19 2005, 03:08 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->How do you remain hydrated?  <br /> </td></tr></table><br />I consume dihydrogen monoxide in a solution purified with 5-8% yeast byproducts (by volume), flavored with natural plant products -- hops and malt. This solution is available commercially in many locations, and is the preferred training beverage of manly men of all sporting preferences, including rowers, ruggers, martial artists, hashers (and other runners), and weightlifters, not to mention men who go down to the sea in ships, as I did at an earlier time in my life. <br /><br />Porkchop

[[old] michael]

<!--QuoteBegin-PaulS+May 19 2005, 11:39 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(PaulS @ May 19 2005, 11:39 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->And we all know that flax seeds are flax oil free<br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Paul,<br /><br />Taking 1-2 tablespoons of freshly ground flax seeds each day (as I do) is nothing like taking the equivalent amount of flax oil, which I never do for the reason John mentioned. The potential oxidation of the product via light and air is very much underappreciated. That's why nature developed a hard seed coat. It's far more expensive to purchase the oil and besides, in using the oil alone, you're missing out on highly beneficial lignan fiber and a host of other phytonutrients. <br /><br /><a href='http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/flax.html' target='_blank'>http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/flax.html</a>

[[old] maf]

<!--QuoteBegin-John Rupp+May 20 2005, 12:25 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(John Rupp @ May 20 2005, 12:25 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Michael,<br /><br />Read my message again.<br /><br />I did not say "flax oil".  As indicated in your article, oils, including their touted high saturated fat coconut oil (a prescription for a heart attack), very quickly become rancid and unuseable.  Surely you can't believe their recommendations at the bottom of that page would result in anything other than sickness.  Those countries who have switched to coconut oil are among the highest in cardiac deaths.<br /><br />In any case, I don't use flax oil, and never any coconut oil.  <br /><br />However freshly ground flax seeds are highly beneficial. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />John,<br /><br />It may come as a surprise to you, but the reason I responded to your post was because I read it! And, I didn't say or suggest anything about coconut oil.<br /><br />I asked a clarifying question because I had heard that there was a question about flax seed oil, and some suggestion that consuming it resulted in inflamed prostate in men. I was referring to a book mentioned on that site, not recomending that site or any coconut oil as you seem to have tangentially decided. <br /><br />I've no doubt that consuming rancid oil of any type is bad for you, but my question was about the prostate connection, not rancid coconut oils and how bad they might be.<br /><br />If you don't know about the flax seed oil/prostate connection (if there is one) then either say so, or don't respond. Maybe someone else does.<br /><br />I'm sure your freshly ground seeds are a great source of fresh flax seed oil and fibre. What I'm not sure about is what preservatives, herbicides and pesticides etc have been used in/on the seeds that you are consuming. Do you grow your own, or trust your supplier to source only the best quality, fresh seed? Is he buying the cheapest, feed-grade seed? Is high quality seed even available retail?<br /><br />It's more complicated than oil vs freshly ground seeds. Farming and storage practices effect both, and the thing about the seeds is they are sold in bulk with little or no regulation on quality like there is with processed oil. Maybe you are onto a good thing, and maybe you are not. How would you know?<br /><br />Michael