Irregular heartbeats: when to worry

Many athletes have, at some point or another, experienced an irregular heartbeat, that sort of flip-flop feeling of skipping a beat. The sensation, which can usually be attributed to a premature ventricular contraction (PVC), can be disconcerting, but unless it is accompanied by chest pain or lightheadedness, it is probably nothing to worry about.

When your heart beats, the atria pumps blood into the ventricles, which contract, sending blood to the rest of the body. If the ventricles contract before they’ve been filled with blood, a PVC occurs and you get that ‘skipped a beat feeling.’ What you’re feeling is not actually the empty contraction, but rather the stronger heartbeat that comes after it.

PVCs in young adults are usually benign—caused by exposure to a stressful situation, such as caffeine, or exercise. Experiencing palpitations that worsen as exercise continues, is a more worrisome occurance. If you are experiencing drastic changes in heart rate, or sudden changes, you should contact your doctor. A regular heart rate during exercise should roughly follow a curve—increasing as you increase intensity and slowing as you cool down. Any sudden changes that do not fall in line with your level of effort should be checked out.

Experiencing chest pain, dizziness, or difficulty catching your breath can be signs of atrial fibrilliation, a common cause of irregular heartbeats that needs medical attention. This condition is much more likely to occur in people that are over the age of 65, or with other risk factors, such as high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease.

So, if you’ve skipped a few beats and are concerned, your first step should be to experiment with decreasing your caffeine intake and taking measures to reduce your stress level, to see if that makes a difference. If symptoms persist, go talk to your doctor.