Originally Posted by
jmess
Sort of what I have come to believe. It seems strange though that there appears to be zero info on the interweb about managing it for endurance athletes. My symptoms are mainly feeling light headed when I stand up after sitting/relaxing for 5 or so minutes. The more my fitness improves the more frequent the incidents of this. It seems that when you reach the point of slow causing problems you are a candidate for a pace maker. I could try a major reduction in training along with eating lots of junk food so I gain weight and lose aerobic fitness. This should increase my resting heart rate.
Ummm . . . No.
Again, it is never a bad idea to get a checkup when you have changes in your health. Most clinics can do a 12-lead EKG and orthostatic vital signs (pulse and blood pressure taken lying down and then again standing up) right there in the office to help rule out heart issues. Call your physician's office for advice and an appointment. Postural hypotension (a transient drop in blood pressure when you stand up quickly) can happen for several reasons. A heart rate in the 30s or low 40s is quite slow, even for an endurance athlete, but only a physician is qualified to determine how much of a problem it is.
Try taking a couple of days off training and stay well hydrated.
If the light-headedness doesn't pass quickly, you feel like you are actually going to pass out, you do pass out, develop chest pain or strange feeling in your chest, shortness of breath or nausea, or just plain have a bad feeling about it, get immediate medical attention.
Please don't try to substitute a consult from Dr. Google for seeing an actual licensed physician.