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By Andrew Winner
For anyone who has felt like their heart might explode after a spin class, the truth might not be that far off -- biochemically speaking, that is. New research out of Sweden has shown an hour of spinning triggers the same biochemical reactions as a heart attack.
Research from the University of Gothenburg has shown that spin workouts and other forms of strenuous exercise can secrete the same enzymes into the bloodstream as a heart attack, increasing the possibility of a misdiagnosis. The results will be published in the Scandinavian Cardiovascular Journal.
According to study author Smita DuttaRoy, any manner of taxing physical exertion can cause a similar increase in cardiac biomarkers, including marathon running, triathlons and long-distance bike rides. However, the effect is probably as natural as it is harmless, and enzyme levels generally move back down to baseline levels within 24 hours.
Nevertheless, doctors and emergency personnel should be aware of the link between these cardiac biomarkers, as they are known, when making diagnoses and initiating treatments.
“We haven't studied whether elevated cardiac enzyme levels post-exercise are dangerous, however we don't have any reasons to believe that these levels suggest any actual damage to the heart,” DuttaRoy wrote in an e-mail. “The pattern of cardiac enzyme level elevation post-exercise with a quick normalization (within 24 hours), is different from a heart attack, where the cardiac enzymes often stay elevated for days.”
“The increase in troponin we found after a spinning session most probably demonstrates a physiological response to exercise that we have now been able to show,” she added.
DuttaRoy’s study put ten healthy people, average age of 30, through a one-hour spin workout. Simple blood tests were done before the session, one hour after the session, and again 24 hours later. The tests showed elevated levels of the cardiac biomarker troponin T, with two participants surpassing the threshold routinely used for heart attacks. A key different is that the levels went back to normal one day later, whereas heart attack victims can see their troponin T levels stay raised for several days after the event.
In a healthy heart, troponins are involved in the contraction of the heart muscle.
What’s the best course of action? DuttaRoy advises disclosing any recent physical activity to your care provider when being treated for chest pains. It’s possible that an elevated number of cardiac biomarkers could cause a misdiagnosis.
“People should seek medical advice if they have chest pain, no matter if it is following exercise, rest or other activities,” DuttaRoy cautioned. “However, the attending physicians should be aware of that troponins can be elevated following strenuous exercise and should take that in account when assessing the patient.”
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My daughter keeps asking me to take a spinning class with her but honestly I am nervous so this doesn't help me much. I walk/ run on my treadmill and I use my own stationary bike but I honestly don't know if I could do a whole hour of spinning without dying. I think there is something to be said for exercise in moderation and not over doing it.
When I start to feel light-headed and feel like I'm going to pass out during spin class, I realize that my breathing is out of control. I am huffing and puffing, thinking that I have to breathe just as quickly as my legs are moving. I just remind my self to slow the breathing down. I take deeper, slower breaths in and out and that immediately helps me. It's a little tricky but if you get your breathing under control and remember to do so, the 50 minute class goes by in a flash. Good luck!
You can always wear a heart monitor as well. I swear by mine. Any good instructor can tell you where your heart rate should be, and stay. I love spinning, and I've heard it's a "love" or "hate" situation. Plus, you can ALWAYS sit down and go at your own pace when it gets to be too much. Again, any good instructor will tell you the same. The good think about spin - is that you can always tweak the tension to be easier than instructed if need be. Try it!!
TinLou45. The principal thing to do in a spin class is pace yourself at your level. If starting out find a bike towards the rear (show up early because those rows fill up fast). Then set your tension on light. DO NOT TRY AND KEEP UP WITH THE INSTRUCTOR OR THE DIE HARD FANATICS when the hammer drops....the music goes up and you start dancing in your pedals. This is a critical point and one I fell prey to the first time I went. You want to keep up and I'm a man albeit a senior but there is still this macho thing. Opiates can make you feel like Lance Armstrong in your head.
So start slow. Don't worry. Others will do the same and before you know it the hour is up. Go ahead and try it. Hope your gym has the newer bikes which are easy to set tension and quite comfortable. Enjoy. Stu
Have you tried a Zumba class for an hour? If anything will give you a heart attack it is Zumba!!!!!
As I've aged I have now found the exercise I love. It's called Body Flow and in some other clubs Breathe. A combination of Tai Chi, Yoga and Pilatis. You might think it's a bit sissy but I can tell you it can be HARD. I'm male and only a few guys try it but the class profile mostly consists of VERY FIT females. Some do the Zumba/Body Combat classes before and level out with Body Flow. Very popular class.
This makes me wonder...what are the implications on the numbers that indicate an elevated risk of heart attack in the hours following a workout? If the biomarkers can result in overdiagnosis, how much of the estimated risk increase is an illusion?
Makes me wonder too if it isn't just a marker elevation issue, but a sign the heart has been overworked. I'm not saying don't work out of course, but the marathons and triathlons and long-distance bike rides aren't that easy on your body. I love to run and so forth, but I can see why long distance really intense exercise after lots of training doing that activity so much could cause heart stress.
Since the person is really healthy and often young perhaps the heart can take the stress, but it's interesting to me it's the same biomarker as that for a heart attack. I am wondering if they should be looking at it from that standpoint and not that the markers are fine if they go down.
Reminds me of how I catch my breath much faster if I'm in shape and have to run compared to if I'm way out of shape and have to suddenly take off...lol.
I really think these type of exercises are way to strenuous and the presence of the enzymes in the blood have got to have some meaning to them.
Maybe microscopic damage may be occurring which many of our current scan tests are not able to pickup, but perhaps in another 10 years with the technology improvement we might be able to show the hearts are indeed being damaged by this level of exercise.
It seems a little unnatural to be doing something this strenuous in long bursts like this.
i love spinning. i felt like i was going to die the first class but the instructor begged me to give it two more tries. after that i was hooked! i do advise getting a gel or memory foam seat if you plan on doing it a lot. i think part of my butt is perm. numb. but its a GREAT workout. much harder than zumba.