Exercise Stress Test

[ChouDoufu]

i've got my new meat valve, and think i'm fully recovered, and have
started training to run a marathon in december. or maybe just the
half, haven't decided yet, depends how training goes.

i'm thinking i might have another echo and ekg done. no real reason,
other than i just want to see what i can see. it's affordable, and the nurses
are cute. but i can also have a stress test done while i'm there.

any reason NOT to do the stress test, other than it'll be pretty much
useless in the absence of symptoms? and good reasons i SHOULD have
one done?

and am i correct this takes about a half hour, involves walking on a
treadmill at slowly increasing speed and slope, with ekg leads connected?
does this also involve some sort of oxygen saturation or lung
capacity testing? or is that something else?

 

[Lynlw]

Justin has to breath in and out of a tube/mask during his stress tests. It might be usefull to have it so you have a "healthy feeling baseline" to compare it to in the future, especially since it is so cheap there. I just remeber how long Justin's take but do know he likes to have his ipod when he does them.

 

[Cameron]

The treadmill stress test I took at around 6 weeks post surgery was based on what they refer to as the Bruce Protocol (just Google that and you will get all the info). It is based on an incresing incline/speed process. I did not wear a mask but was hooked up to an EKG machine. The test goes in 3 minute periods at each increased gradient and speed. You start out at a slow walk but the gradient is 10 degrees and by the time you get to level 4 you are probably running - it is the gradient that gets you more than the speed. I don't run much but managed to stay on the program for around 11 minutes, which my tester said was not bad. They are looking for skipped heart beats and anything abnormal during the test. I was supposed to have one of these when I was first diagnosed but they decided not to do it as they were worried I might pop off during the procedure!!
Good luck,
Cameron

 

[kfay]

I had to wear a plug on my nose and had a tube to breathe on in my mouth that had this head gear that made me feel so clausterphobic. I only lasted about 5 minutes, so it wasn't too bad thankfully.

Kim

 

[offwego]

I've done it a few times and lasted about 9 minutes..could have done a bit more but didn't see the point..

It's not that bad and for you probably won't be any big deal at all. In fact you might be motivated to work out more afterwards!

 

[ctyguy]

If your already running on a regular basis I don't see what you will gain by taking a stress test. If you want a real stress test let me introduce you to my ex-wife.

 

[Nupur]

My cardio likes to do a stress VO2 test, I guess it's what Lyn is describing where you breathe out into a mask and they measure the CO2 and figure out how effectively your heart is able to pump/oxygenate based on that.

 

[olefin]

I had a Cardiolite stress test last year for I though I was having heart tightness while walking. It turned out to be indigestion.

Also had the same Cardiolite stress test back a few years... I think my cardiologist wanted to pay for his new equipment.

I see no reason in having any stress test as long as you feel good.

I've had a regular echo every year since AVR. Also had one for every year for 10 years before AVR.

I've been jogging or walking almost ever day for the last 33 years.

 

[ShezaGirlie]

If your already running on a regular basis I don't see what you will gain by taking a stress test. If you want a real stress test let me introduce you to my ex-wife.

I've never had a stress test either..

Oh yeah, let's introduce your ex-wife to one of my ex-boyfriends....whoa..

Olefin Dayton ~~ love that new avatar of yours.

 

[ChouDoufu]

If your already running on a regular basis I don't see what you will gain by taking a stress test. If you want a real stress test let me introduce you to my ex-wife.

no thank you. i'll find my own reasons to run off to yet another country.
burma's only a few days away by bicycle. she'd never find me there.

i'll check with the cardiologist when i do my next echo whether the
stress test will do any good. just hope his english is good enough to
explain to me.

guess i'll just have to find some other reason to bare my chest for
the nurses.

 

[olefin]

Olefin Dayton ~~ love that new avatar of yours.

Thanks Janie.

 

[JeffM]

VO2 Max versus stress test

VO2 Max versus stress test

Chou,

The "VO2 max" test involves a mask and it measures your ability to utilize oxygen. It's a great test to get a benchmark and then do it again to measure your fitness improvement, but it's not really a medical exam. The exercise stress test is typically as you described. A fairly standard test pattern is "The Bruce Protocol", under which the speed and slope of the treadmill is increased every (3?) minutes. I had that test a couple years before my surgery--I was 49 at the time--my cardio made me stop at 18.5 minutes. I knew I wasn't at my max yet based on how I felt and on my heart rate, which I watch when training anyway. I told him I wanted to keep going but when he yelled, "that's it!", That was IT. ANyway, I don't see any reason why you need to do it, but if you do, let me know how long you go.