I am a 67-year-old man and I regularly suffer from atrial fibrillation, especially during exercise (fitness, touring bicycles). I suddenly have much less energy. Is atrial fibrillation while cycling harmful?
Anonymously
The greatest risk of atrial fibrillation is that itself blood clots can form. These can be taken along with the blood circulation and then cause an infarction in, among other things, the brain. That is why you should use anticoagulants for prolonged atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation in itself is not acutely harmful, but you do notice that your heart pumps much less effectively during an episode of atrial fibrillation.
Certainly if this occurs during great effort, it does not seem good to me in the long run. During great effort, a lot of blood pumped around. As a result, a lot of blood flows back to the heart, which first enters the atrium. If it cannot pump it out properly, the atrium will be stretched, causing it to function even worse. I would discuss the matter with a cardiologist. If you’re still in good shape, I’d be careful with that.
