Cardiac Anomalies - is something going on or is this normal?

[danielovichdk2]

I think lots of riders are going through Tizanidine withdrawl right now. Matthews sick. Simon yates way off the pace. https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/volta-a-catalunya/2022/stage-3 Lots of DNFs. They all got spooked by Colbrelli. Yes it's the first mountain stage so more DNFs expected but these DNFs are some big names. "Italian bronchitis" is rife at the moment. This also suggests to me that these guys might not be doing this on doctors orders. Surely a doctor would wean these guys off the stuff slowly. Interesting times. Could even be a bad batch of tizanidine they all got a hold of.

Who are you referring to, that got hold of a bad batch of tizanidine? Do you think they have a private telegram group where they order drugs together ? Because I don't.

 

[Bolder]

Didn't post this at the time as was busy writing something but Tim Decercq's comment is worth bearing in mind:Among the riders who have broken the taboo on this subject are Sarah Gigante who was out over the winter with myopericarditis, and Chloe Hosking who had a time out earlier in the year with pericarditis.

I know it may feel like the link between Covid and potential heart problems for athletes was overstated earlier, but it shouldn't be ignored. As stated in Sporza by the Belgian fed's doctor, Kris Van der Mieren , the risk of myocarditis or pericarditis is real:

NB: Just because there may be a link between Covid and myocarditis or pericarditis, it doesn't follow that all cases of these are caused by Covid. They were happening before the lurgi too.

I have had "real" heart problems, and while myo/pericarditis are certainly serious conditions, in the vast majority of cases they are relatively inconsequential. One interesting thing is that once you contract them you apparently are more likely to get them again.

 

[danielovichdk2]

Heart issues is a challenge in pretty much every elite sport existing. Some evidence exists.

Eg. https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/42/28/2737/6179516?login=false

Don't buy the drug story one bit. I believe the strain on the ticker over time is a more valid point.

 

[fmk_RoI]

Lizzy Banks (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) revealed on her Instagram page that she has been struggling with pericarditis as a side-effect of a COVID-19 infection this spring. The 31-year-old has not raced since Dwars door Vlaanderen and expects to be out for another two to four weeks.

"Lots of you have been asking when I'll be racing which is an excellent question which I'd also like the answer to," Banks wrote. "Been on total standstill since after Dwars Door Vlaanderen when difficulty breathing and worsening chest pain led to a diagnosis of pericarditis."

Pericarditis, an inflammation of the heart lining, is a rare side-effect of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and, more rarely, of the mRNA vaccination against it.

link

Updated list

 

[Miran]

Extreme exercise and Stress .

 

[fmk_RoI]

Chris Froome on the after-effects of Covid on the heart:

Froome highlighted what he saw as a cardiovascular hit from COVID-19, which he felt also extended to other "strange" heart problems. Pericarditis has been identified as a potential post-COVID heart issue, with Tim Declercq, Lizzy Banks and Maghalie Rochette among those having to take time away from racing.

"There's definitely a heavy impact on the heart, having COVID. It's not just like having the flu, like a lot of people think, especially for pro riders," Froome said.

"From those I've spoken to within the peloton, a lot of guys are really struggling with after-effects two or three months down the line - feeling fatigue, feeling as if they don't have the same energy levels, strange heart rate readings as well."

He's not actually saying that he himself was diagnosed with Pericarditis. Nor has Maghalie Rochette identified heart issues as the cause of her fatigue.

In terms of riders we know have suffered diagnosed heart complaints related to Covid in the last three years. we still only know of fewer than a dozen cases at WT level and no more than five cases in the women's peloton.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Chris Froome on the after-effects of Covid on the heart:He's not actually saying that he himself was diagnosed with Pericarditis.

but if he was riding with it, pericarditis hurts a lot and I wouldn’t want to start feeling it while I’m exercising.

 

[fmk_RoI]

Interesting Twitter thread debunking claims that more athletes are dying of cardiac-related issues today than pre-Covid.

Not interesting just for the debunking of yet another Covid nutjob which is a bit like shooting fish in a barrel...

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1611017974072098818

View: https://twitter.com/Doctor_Eric_B/status/1611017974072098818

 

[fmk_RoI]

Forbes have also joined the debunking, after Fox News ran with the claim

So, let’s get this straight. Carlson made claims based on a Letter to the Editor that made claims based on an anonymous blog that made claims based on a list that hasn’t even been really tracking what it has claimed that it’s been tracking. That doesn’t exactly seem like the Sounds of Science. And none of it seems like “Good Sciencing” at all.

Specifically within cycling, there does seem to be a small but noticeable increase in the number of cardiac-related illnesses since Covid started - less than some predicted was likely to be the case, and less severe too, with riders generally side-lined only briefly. That, of course, comes with the caveat that both Declercq and Froome seem to be suggesting that the actual number of cases has been underreported.

In terms of deaths, I'm only aware of three cardiac-related cycling deaths in the three years 2020-2022, none of which were road pros.