Do you guys ever check your O2 saturation levels?

[slo town]

Hola:

I'm an old guy at age 73 with an extensive history of ultra endurance bicycling. During the peak cycling season in my heyday I used to train - and train hard - for 300 to 350 miles per week. I regularly competed in mass start, timed, 200+ mile single day racing events that saw me on the saddle for 12 to 14 hours. At my peak I participated (twice) in a ride across the continent that saw us ride over 1,000 miles per week for three straight weeks - along with over 30,000 feet of climbing per week. This was some serious cycling!

Long story short, about 10 years ago I found out I had permanently damaged my heart from this stuff, me being diagnosed with an enlarged heart with stiffened heart walls - an "athlete's heart" as it's commonly referred to. I have an "ejection fraction" in the 40s. Ejection fraction is the amount of blood pumped out of the heart chambers per heartbeat. Normal is 70% plus, even for the elderly. Also too, I have an unusually low heart rate, my resting heart rate sometimes dropping into the high 40s or low 50s. I take a low dose of Atenolol for mild cardiac arrhythmia. I have a lifetime history of low blood pressure, typically 110-ish over 70-ish.

Even so, I remain physically active with even the most challenging landscaping chores, etc. And I still have good speed on the bike, which is probably because of my competitive attitude and leg strength more than anything else.

Do any of you old guys check your O2 saturation levels? My "normal" in a resting state is 94 to 95. I just checked mine two minutes ago while sitting at my desk composing this message; 94 with a heart rate of 56.

Do you gentlemen ever test yourselves? If so, what do you old guys see?

Scott

PS A jersey from "the day". It would be an understatement to say this was a long and challenging day on the saddle. Plus I saw a fellow competitor have one of the worst high speed cycling crashes imaginable. 50+ mph. Broken bones and blood everywhere. I'll never be able to un-see that.

 

[JayhawkRoy]

If you mean oximeter readings, then yes. I do 96-97% consistently. Pulse between 65-71. Known enlarged heart consistent with high blood pressure since age 30 and possible physical training, etc while I was in the Army. Father was a college level athlete and had one, too.

 

[Lubener]

It's a handy gadget. I have been checking my pulse- ox for about seven years now. It's been pretty consistant at 97-98% and a pulse of 72-76. I recall using it six years ago when my father as he stated , he was " a little short of breath". His at the time was in the 80's. I thought he had covid. It prompted me to get medical attention for him as he was indeed having a heart attack.

 

[Snagglefoot]

I checked Amazon. They have clip-on style “ medical grade” oximeters for $20 to $40. Would they be sufficient for the task?

 

[97prizm]

Hola:

I'm an old guy at age 73 with an extensive history of ultra endurance bicycling. During the peak cycling season in my heyday I used to train - and train hard - for 300 to 350 miles per week. I regularly competed in mass start, timed, 200+ mile single day racing events that saw me on the saddle for 12 to 14 hours. At my peak I participated (twice) in a ride across the continent that saw us ride over 1,000 miles per week for three straight weeks - along with over 30,000 feet of climbing per week. This was some serious cycling!

Long story short, about 10 years ago I found out I had permanently damaged my heart from this stuff, me being diagnosed with an enlarged heart with stiffened heart walls - an "athlete's heart" as it's commonly referred to. I have an "ejection fraction" in the 40s. Ejection fraction is the amount of blood pumped out of the heart chambers per heartbeat. Normal is 70% plus, even for the elderly. Also too, I have an unusually low heart rate, my resting heart rate sometimes dropping into the high 40s or low 50s. I take a low dose of Atenolol for mild cardiac arrhythmia. I have a lifetime history of low blood pressure, typically 110-ish over 70-ish.

Even so, I remain physically active with even the most challenging landscaping chores, etc. And I still have good speed on the bike, which is probably because of my competitive attitude and leg strength more than anything else.

Do any of you old guys check your O2 saturation levels? My "normal" in a resting state is 94 to 95. I just checked mine two minutes ago while sitting at my desk composing this message; 94 with a heart rate of 56.

Do you gentlemen ever test yourselves? If so, what do you old guys see?

Scott

PS A jersey from "the day". It would be an understatement to say this was a long and challenging day on the saddle. Plus I saw a fellow competitor have one of the worst high speed cycling crashes imaginable. 50+ mph. Broken bones and blood everywhere. I'll never be able to un-see that.

View attachment 319664

I thought all of the extreme exercise was supposedly good for you?

 

[Snagglefoot]

I thought all of the extreme exercise was supposedly good for you?

Cheap shot.

 

[Kira]

In the past 6 years, I've had some repairs done....much like an old car one plans to keep.
I pop into the several practices routinely so they can assess their work. These are extremely brief visits.
They clip the oximeter to my index finger and tell me I'm at 99%. My dentist takes this 'vital' too.

 

[doitmyself]

Cheap shot.

Maybe not?? I took it more as a somewhat tongue-in-cheek reminder that excess in most things, even exercise, can potentially have negative impacts. I know a lot of retired co-workers that are having serious physical health issues because they did things to the extreme: weight lifting/training, excessive lifting at work, etc.. I know people that are addicted to running - I wonder if that catches up to them with knee problems.

Addressing the OP's question. I use a pulse oximeter. My saturation level is consistent at 94 to 96. My pulse is less consistent. I can get down to 60 in a relaxation state, but usually it's between 70 to 80, higher during exercise. Approaching age 70, I am noticing a mild decline in strength and aerobic fitness in spite of an active lifestyle.

Thanks for sharing an important reminder Slo Town. I bicycled seriously up through college on a Gitane with "sew up" tires.

 

[Astro14]

I carry a pulse oximeter with me after a 2015 pulmonary embolism that cost me part of my left lung. My lung volume, by the way is “normal”, which has me wondering what it was before the infarction. My numbers, resting pulse, and O2 saturation, are still good. My resting pulse in the AM is typically around 48-50. High 50s during the day (resting). Saturation is typically 96-98. I used to do a lot of strength training, but I am more focused now on cardio, because, like most my age, my BP has climbed slightly, to “normal” of 120/80, and I would like it back down where it was.

 

[billt460]

I thought all of the extreme exercise was supposedly good for you?

The problem with heavy exercise is it exposes the weaknesses in your body. A bit like heavy towing with a vehicle will wear it out faster, along with the greater chances of a major breakdown. Everything is meant to be done in moderation.

A glass of wine at dinner once or twice a week cannot be compared to a half dozen martini's every day at happy hour. I remember a video of some woman pushing herself to finish a triathlon. She collapsed 100 yards or so from the finish line, lost control of her bowels, and started defecating all over herself.

That type of nonsense isn't "exercise". It is torture to your body. Jim Fixx wrote, "The Complete Book Of Running"...... He dropped dead at 52.

 

[slo town]

I thought all of the extreme exercise was supposedly good for you?

At the time it was, the more the better. That’s not the thinking today because they’re finding that Boomers burned themselves up doing this stuff.

Scott

 

[slo town]

Cheap shot.

I didn’t take it that way, but thanks for your concern.

Scott

 

[slo town]

I checked Amazon. They have clip-on style “ medical grade” oximeters for $20 to $40. Would they be sufficient for the task?

I think so. I got mine from Amazon and it looks pretty much like what my doctor uses.

Scott

 

[slo town]

The problem with heavy exercise is it exposes the weaknesses in your body. A bit like heavy towing with a vehicle will wear it out faster, along with the greater chances of a major breakdown. Everything is meant to be done in moderation.

A glass of wine at dinner once or twice a week cannot be compared to a half dozen martini's every day at happy hour. I remember a video of some woman pushing herself to finish a triathlon. She collapsed 100 yards or so from the finish line, lost control of her bowels, and started defecating all over herself.

That type of nonsense isn't "exercise". It is torture to your body. Jim Fixx wrote, "The Complete Book Of Running"...... He dropped dead at 52.

There’s no doubt that moderation is good in nearly everything in life.

Jim Fixx died because of a heart defect that finally manifested itself.

Scott

 

[slo town]

I bicycled seriously up through college on a Gitane with "sew up" tires.

My first two serious road bikes were Gitanes, my favorite being the purple one. Toe clips and al!

Scott

 

[jetman]

@slo town
WOW, you da man

No, I don't but my doctor does the O2 check at my annual visit.

I'm 68 and have been a hobby endurance athlete, cycling, running, swimming, walking, most of my adult life. I did the Leadville MTB100 2012 https://connect.garmin.com/app/activity/209771346 , but it was only about 12 hrs in the saddle and 12k ft of climbing. I don't have a heart problem. My blood pressure in the am is usually 110/70 and a HR of 55. These days I walk at least 2 hrs/day and/or cycle 1-3+ hr/day. BMI = 21

For curiosity's sake I got a CAC scan and score (33) last April. What caused that calcium? was it long distance training and/or the 20+ yrs of chewing tobacco and alcohol abuse I did in my youth? Or 30 yrs of being a pilot (stress)?

I've been clean of tobacco and alcohol for the last 30 yrs and retired from flying at 51.

 

[shortyb]

CAD due to stress induced high blood pressure since I was early twenties. Tanked 5 of my major coronary arteries, but none of my other vessels had any sign of plaque/calcification/distension (hardening). Have coronary collateral vessels that probably kept me going and no infarc (heart attack), so 5 vessel CABG (bypass) at 52 turned things around. Daily dose of Metoprolol keeps rate at low 50s and EF was 81% at last cardiologist visit. Wall thickness response is normal and very pliable (so far). Slight LVH, but doc doesn't get excited about it. Daily monitoring of BP is usually around 120/70 on low dose meds and resting O2 sat. is 97-99%. I did 18 minutes of Bruce protocol on my last stress test too. Cardiologist believes I will die of something other that anything dealing with my heart. Now, we won't talk about my stage 3 CKD .

 

[slo town]

I'm 68 and have been a hobby endurance athlete, cycling, running, swimming, walking, most of my adult life. I did the Leadville MTB100 2012 https://connect.garmin.com/app/activity/209771346 , but it was only about 12 hrs in the saddle and 12k ft of climbing. I don't have a heart problem. My blood pressure in the am is usually 110/70 and a HR of 55. These days I walk at least 2 hrs/day and/or cycle 1-3+ hr/day. BMI = 21

Riding Leadville definitely puts you in the "animal" category. With that 10h49m time of yours you cranked out an exceptional time!!!! And hitting 41.1 mph on a mountain bike? Whoa! Congrats!

I envy your BMI. At my peak my BMI was never lower than 25. It's 30 now because I've fattened up and have gotten an inch shorter, but my "clydesdale" physique will always keep my BMI on the higher side. For a clydesdale I was known to be an exceptional climber. I used to be able to "climb out of the saddle" for several minutes at a time before having to sit back down. One time I over rev'd myself on a brutal 18% climb by hitting a heart rate of 205. I actually started to gray out and almost lost control of my bladder. Stupid.

Scott

 

[IndyIan]

I thought all of the extreme exercise was supposedly good for you?

I don't think going to the "extreme" too often is good for you. But regular moderate training with some high intensity intervals can get you pretty fit with those health benefits, and still able to do some impressive efforts, without overtraining and damaging your body.
Even if you exercise a lot, you still have to take care of the basics, of sleep and nutrition, and managing stress.

I bike with an older fellow that used to compete nationally and internationally in the Firefighter games, and his training was very extreme, so in his late 30's early 40's he was regularly holding 220+ bpm for 2+ minutes in training, wearing gear and respirator running on a tread mill or stair climber until he nearly passed out, as that was basically what the competitions were like.

There's no way to prove that he wouldn't have had heart problems anyways, but he ended up with having severe heart arrythmia after training one day as his HR monitor just stayed high and then quit reading... So he walked into emergency, and they couldn't believe he was still alive, let alone conscious and walking, as his heart was twitching away at some crazy high rate still. I guess the average heart patient with that kind of rate for any amount of time would've have their heart just stop, but his was used to that....
He now has a pacemaker, and still rides pretty quick for a 60yr old, but the odd time he needs to stop as the pacemaker doesn't always ramp up the rate match his aerobic load.

 

[slo town]

CAD due to stress induced high blood pressure since I was early twenties. Tanked 5 of my major coronary arteries, but none of my other vessels had any sign of plaque/calcification/distension (hardening). Have coronary collateral vessels that probably kept me going and no infarc (heart attack), so 5 vessel CABG (bypass) at 52 turned things around. Daily dose of Metoprolol keeps rate at low 50s and EF was 81% at last cardiologist visit. Wall thickness response is normal and very pliable (so far). Slight LVH, but doc doesn't get excited about it. Daily monitoring of BP is usually around 120/70 on low dose meds and resting O2 sat. is 97-99%. I did 18 minutes of Bruce protocol on my last stress test too. Cardiologist believes I will die of something other that anything dealing with my heart. Now, we won't talk about my stage 3 CKD .

Between that and your career you're lucky to be alive!

Scott