bikebikebike

A lot of variables here I know, but since I started Metoprolol and lowered my resting HR to ˜60, I can't use Max HR for anything.
even with 48 hr "washout"for stress testing, they have had to use Adenosine 8-( for stress testing. and my max hr is about 135 on meds and off.
The meds are used in lots of configurations for lots of problems on lots of folks, and I am looking for ancecdotal as well as supported observations.
Personally I can pull 135 watts all day and burst, but they seem to have lowered the ceiling.
I have a solid middle performance, but no punch.
RPE, cadence and power output are OK for me to use to train, but haven't seen much of this discussed.
Compared to Holters and event monitors, I have found the commercial sub $100 HRM almost worthless, maybe 80% accurate, and quite inconsistent,
but I guess that is what the ˜$1500 extra you pay for gets you with the pro stuff.
Very little out there on older aggressive but non-competitive fitness style riding.

bruce19

I was on a beta blocker...Coreg...and it was horrible. It's like having a governor on your heart. There are other meds to control BP and there are some natural remedies. I'd look into them before I took a beta blocker. I take that back....I will NEVER again take a beta blocker.

shelbyfv

I have friends who have had to use them. None of them were able climb hills, they just couldn't get enough heart rate. A couple were able to move to different meds, don't know what. A couple of others had to go to ebikes, at least one stopped riding altogether. Bummer.

roadsnakes

I`ve been on Metoprolol for about a year and a half. I don`t like it, but both of my heart doctors told me it`s what I need to be on.
I gained weight since I started it. The doctors told me I might gain 5-10 lbs. I gained almost 20.
I too have a hard time getting my heart up on rides.
Doctors told me if I know I`m going on a long ride to cut the Metoprolol in half.
I wear a FitBit when riding. It gives me a pretty accurate idea as to what my heart is doing on my ride.

Carbonfiberboy 

All the Polar HRMs and all the Garmin Edge units I've ever used have been extremely reliable and accurate. All these units use chest strap transmitters. While the snap-on Polar and Garmin transmitters are all reliable, some chest straps are better than others. I recommend Polar Pro or Garmin chest straps, the kind with 4 electrodes. I'm sure there are many garbage units out there.

I live in a hilly area. All the cyclists I know who took or take beta-blockers found their sport basically not worth doing except on the flat. Some of them opted to keep the sport and try to get their BP down another way. There are other things.

Hermes

Moved to Pills and Ills.

canklecat

Yup. I take metoprolol as needed for migraines. Wipes me out for a couple of days. Can't get my heart rate up but I doubt it would matter. The effect is stronger than muscle relaxers and hydrocodone or Tramadol. I can still exercise on prescription pain relievers (and had to a couple of years ago after being hit by a car). But with beta blockers, forget it. I can barely walk, slowly.

Supposedly the effect is easier to deal with after taking beta blockers for awhile, but I hope I don't need to find out whether that's true.

canklecat

Incidentally, beta blockers and some other meds for blood pressure and heart regulation are considered PEDs in some sports, including Olympic and international style target shooting, archery, pool/billiards, even in golf. So there may be certain advantages. Just not for our preferred activities.

sch

Resting HR ~62-65 before metoprolol, dropped to ~55 or so on 12.5mg with no noticeable effect on riding. More
recently started noticing skips and rapid rate events, monitor for 2 weeks suggests short bursts of AFib, max
length 4 minutes at rates 170-180. Mostly noted with heavy effort on longer hills. Metoprolol upped to 25 and
now a bit of shortness of breath on heavy hills and oddly where 15 yrs ago nothing I could do on a bike would
get my HR above 150, now it occasionally runs to 160 even on the metoprolol (with maximal effort). So far no
episodes on the bike that I could for sure call AF, but suspect it will come. So for me beta blkr is no big deal.

Richard Cranium

Sorry to hear about the problems.

I wish I could help - I have been on metoprolol for years and I am currently taking 100mg per day. I know the drug really "knocked me down" for the first year I took it. But for me - somehow I got used to it, and now even at 100mg I can go harder than years ago.

But I do caution, that for me it seems inconsistent in how much HR effect it causes. And I do know that when I used to workout hard for over an hour my HR would rise back to pre-beta-blocker--usage levels.

roadsnakes

Anybody taking 12.5 mg Metoprolol just Once a Day?
When I told heart Dr. about my heart rate staying low even on strenuous rides, he said we'll try just 12.5 and see how it goes.
If I experience any problems he said I'd go back to 12.5 Twice a day.
​​​​

pdlamb

Biggest problem I have with that dose is because my pharmacy changed generic suppliers. The old pills I could break cleanly along the line in the middle of the tablet with my fingernail. The new ones I have to cut with a knife, and it's not a clean cut, so my daily dose is probably 9-16 mg per day.

roadsnakes

12.5

I can`t split mine without using a knife.
But a quick whack on a sharp small knife usually makes a clean cut. My tablets do have a pretty big groove dividing them in half.
I cut down to just 12.5 mg once a day, and so far so good.
I`m hoping it stays this way.
When I first had my heart problems I was on 25mg Twice a day.
Things felt "really slow" at that dose.
I feel better at 12.5.

dabac

I’m on beta blockers to control tremors.
I haven’t used my HRM since I started taking them. While it’s nice not to slop coffee all over the kitchen table, it’s added a minute to my kilometer time when running.

PaulH

I was on Atenolol for 12 years. I ride purely for commuting, so the performance loss was, in theory, irrelevant. However, I live on a hilltop and the climb left me gasping like a fish out of water and coughing for around 15 minutes afterward. I got used to it and figured, "that's life," In any case, all that mattered to me was passing my flight physicals. Last month, my BP control improved and my doctor took me off them. Wow! It's like I have an electric assist.