Race Recovery Workouts - shortness of breath

ds97a

So, I've experienced this phenonmenom before but, was curious if anyone had an explanation (that a non-medical person could follow)

I just completed the first 70.3 of the season, with another in 3 weeks.  It was not a stellar race due to heat, etc. but, while completing a recovery 10k last night, and recovery ride the night before, I noticed that I had a shortness of breath for most of each of the hour'ish long excercise bouts.  Today (and for the past few days) I have noticed that my heart rate is slightly elevated.

I have a Dr. friend who suggested that it may be a case of needing to replenish my ATP stores, and she forwarded a great article about that:  http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Articl...tions.html

I suspect that the need equalize my hydration levels to pre-race levels would explain the increased heart rate, but, I'm not sure that I understand the shortness of breath.  In my racing experience, it usually goes away after a few workouts, or a week or so.

I was just curious if others had experienced this, and/or had other theories.

Thanks!

Dan

Wiseman

Dan, not sure of the cause/effect, but I did IMCDA last weekend and had a shortness of breath feeling until this morning. Better today, and I've done nothing.

TerryO

After my ironmans, I experienced varying degrees of what I consider to be congestive heart failure of which shortness of breath is a symptom. I have read somewhere before where this can happen because of such a long period of constant high heart rate and cardiac output. Whether or not an endurance event can push you into true congestive heart failure is unclear, but it makes sense that the heart is a muscle like any other muscle in the body and can be temporarily damaged by excessive use. Without any pre-existing heart disease, the heart will heal thyself. There is not much you can do to help facilitate the process other than preventing further damage.