I think so, mostly because I have them (or something similar) every time I exercise. If my heart rate gets above about 160bpm (max hr is 188), when it goes back down I’ll have 2-3 secs of really irregular heart beats - either skipping beats or irregular patterns. I had it checked out by a cardiologist years ago and he said it was nothing to be concerned about. Hasn’t effected me much, but it makes for some weird heart rate graphs as HRMs struggle to get a read during those periods!
For some, it definitely can be “felt” in your pulse rate. It can feel like a flutter in your chest. Some people can simply cough and have it correct itself. Others can be in A-Fib and not even know it. Depending on the algorithm, some HR monitors will “show” A-Fib (or detect it).
But A-Fib can only be diagnosed by a doctor with ECG readings.
The following can be deleted by the mods if they feel it is inappropriate,…
Our company makes blood pressure monitors that can detect the presence of A-Fib. In the UK, they are available at Boots as a co-branded unit and it has been recommended by NICE.
It is also available in most other countries except for the US. We have been struggling for years to get FDA clearance for the technology. Very frustrating as it is literally life-saving technology that we can’t get out to consumers.
I don’t want to make this a plug for our products, so if you are interested, feel free to DM me. And again, @mcneese.chad can delete this section if wanted.
Good point, which raises another question: can a heart susceptible to a-fib be detected with a resting ECG? Or does it have to be during a stress test? As in, are there any abnormal resting readings in an a-fib heart?
Thanks.
if it’s persistent Afib then yes
As Fenton notes, it has to be persistent A-Fib OR you have to be in A-Fib at the time of the reading.
This is one of the challenges in diagnosing A-Fib…if you aren’t in A-Fib when being screened, it can be missed. That is why devices that continually screen for A-Fib (like the Apple Watch) or are designed to be used regularly (like our BP unit) can be effective at detecting the presence of A-Fib. The more you are screened, the better the chance of finding it.
just want to add that Afib can also be asymptomatic, so you wouldn’t even notice it (silent Afib), but you’d still be at risk of having a stroke at some point
This is interesting to hear. I was noticing a super quick flutter in my chest and in that split second I saw my HR spike 10 beats and then slight drop and back to normal. This all happened so fast I convinced myself it was my Viiiiva 4iiii HR monitor going bad. After it happening about three times all seemingly random in a few months time I went back to my Garmin monitor and it hasn’t picked up anything out of the ordinary. Yet I still feel a ever so slight hitch in my breath once in a while but it literally happens so fast I feel like it’s in my head. Now I’m wondering if the Garmin just isn’t sensitive enough to pick it up and the 4iiii is.
I’m not a doctor, but I would suggest that you should see your doc and have that evaluated. it can be symptomatic of A-Fib. Emphasis on “can be”. Could be nothing…some times endurabce athletes’ hearts do weird things.
Also note that some forms of A-Fib are pretty mild and don’t necessarily require serious medical intervention.
Worth getting checked out.
Again, not a doctor so rely on the advice of your medical professional, not just some jamoke on the interwebs.
That isn’t 100% true in my view and experience. Many devices inc the Kardia and the Apple Watch can detect A Fib, but I guess you are right reading this back, a Dr needs to confirm/diagnose.
Yes, if you are permanently in A Fib it can be detected at rest. Mine started under stress, then a few years later became permanent and my consultant could feel it by taking my pulse at rest.
Correct…I am purposely using very specific terms here to avoid the impression that some of these consumer devices will diagnose A-Fib. Basically they can detect an irregular heartbeat consistent with A-Fib, but that is absolutely NOT a diagnosis. That needs to be done by your doctor.
Again, this is specific verbiage mandated by the FDA.
I’ll throw my experience in just to muddy the waters. I’ve had a couple of minor heart issues most of my life, at least as long as good health care has been tracking me (grew up dirt poor) one is a murmur that is very amusing to me, every time someone new checks my heart they say “how long have you had that murmur” - verbatim. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
Anyway, I’ve also had a few bouts of AFIB, diagnosed via ECG/EKG after a “feel” diagnosis from me. The first I remember clearly was August 2005 ( I was 32 then), I was cycling a lot, 12K miles that year, and I was riding up a moderate rise here in Austin, maybe a 3% grade (360 for those of you local wanting perspective, headed up to Spicewood from the south) and my heart rate just pushed steadily up from 150 to 220. I using a Polar watch unit with a chest strap, and I thought the unit was at fault, but I did have what I would describe as a “fluttering feeling” in my chest with it. I pulled into parking lot and got off the bike and walked around a bit and I was definitely not right, I felt very light headed, to the point of fully expecting to black out, though I didn’t. I sat on the curb for a while and decided I was dehydrated, which I probably was, I had only water in my bottles, and as I said, it was August in Texas. I had some gummy bears, and just sat, then laid on the ground for a bit, I didn’t feel particularly tired, I wasn’t wiped out feeling, I just felt really faint, really light headed, and the world was kind of “swirling”. After 45 minutes, my heart was still at 190-200 BPM, and I couldn’t raise the wife to pick me up, so I contemplated calling 911, but I felt ok, and the light headedness had faded, so I rode very slowly and calmly to the house, about 5 more miles. The heart rate stayed over 190 the whole time. I went to the doctor that afternoon, he ECGd me and said yeah this is called AFIB etc, but we both chalked it up to dehydration, as in not enough electrolyte. I modified my training habits to include a bottle of electrolyte no matter what the weather or duration. We did a few more ECGs and I wore a monitor for 21 days.
I had no further issues til a few years ago, 2015 (I was 42 then) when I had been for a very easy ride on a spring day and while waiting for a light to change, my HR just went up to 215. At that time I was using a Wahoo HRM with the ELEMNT and my apple watch, both showed the same HR. My normal max HR is around 180, and I hadn’t been doing anything hard at all, just riding on flat ground at about 12mph. So I cycled a little further, then started to get the light headed feeling, along with the fluttering and I stopped and called the wife. We went straight to the doctor and it was indeed AFIB again, however this time the symptoms and issues lasted a few months off and on. I had the fluttering feeling in my chest a lot, when I was just in the office or something, and my HR would cruise up to 175 or higher without any stimulus. I wore the monitor again and I set changing a good many habits, stress reduction, salt reduction, more careful monitoring, etc. I think my last bout was in September of 2015, and I’ve had a few good ECGs since.
I have had a few events of high HR, like 130-140 with no associated stimulus, but an ECG showed no AFIB associated, just an unexplained high HR. No history of heart attack or heart disease in the family. I’m in the military and I’ve done some form of endurance training 5 plus days a week for over 20 years. I don’t take any medication to treat it directly, but I don’t take NSAIDs at all if I can help it (other than aspirin) as during that time frame I was fighting a nagging hip injury and taking big doses of NSAIDs daily. I’ve definitely changed the stress level I’m willing to accept on a daily basis.
I do yoga daily for both the mental and physical therapy side, and I wear my Apple watch religiously to monitor my HR. I don’t know what has been the most important part of it not coming back, but I figure it all helps.
I was diagnosed with A-Fib in 2017. Found it after a training ride with my HR monitor. Long story, but ended up in emergency room and spent the night. Saw my electro cardiologist the next day and was given the clearance to resume training. Not really what I expected. I get about 6 to 8 episodes a year (around 3000 miles annually), but for the most part training has not been affected. I did have a heart study done in 2018 and the cause was found but it was not treated as the time due to possible complications. Not on my meds for it and always looking at the HR on rides. Almost don’t need the monitor. I can feel an episode coming easily now. Feeling fortunate that it’s not more serious of an issue. I’m on yearly check ups now and continue to be cleared for training.
FYI…Johnson & Johnson are partnering with Apple on a major research project into A-Fib and wearables. I just opened the App store and there was a notification looking for participants.
If you have an Apple Watch and want to partcipate, check out the App Store and see what is required to volunteer.
Disclaimer - I have no business relationship with either J&J or Apple re: A-Fib. Just figured since we were talking about this today, it might appeal to some here.
@Captain_Doughnutman - yep! perfect scenario from my experience ( refer early post ) - my recommendation ( and my cardio specialist) is to confirm your ( what could a be a dodgy or real read ) assumption by taking your pulse manually or use a sport watch at the same time . And yes straps have a lifespan of 1 to 4 years depending on how you look after them. Or if the strap looses contact with your chest due to a loose band. I’m currently looking into the ECG capability of a smart watch to give me more insight. But the interesting metric you might want to look at is HRV (Heart Rate Variation) metric that is captured with your HR monitor and the software that you use. Not much use in this scenarion but a good picture of heart rate first thing in the morning.
I did that last summer for 4 months in conjunction with MAF/low HR training. My first readings were truly frightening and eye-opening. But, during those months of “healthy” exercise my general HRV increased from 60 to 75. Back on the bandwagon now with initial readings of ~70.
Not sure if there’s any kind of usable correlation between HRV and actual heart conditions but what do I know.
I had a Garmin 935/945 that didn’t really pick up high HR when I was having A Fib episodes. I switched to Apple Watch, which did pick up some episodes overnight after my second operation as well as high HR. The ECG on the Apple Watch has also been good and has correlated what the Kardia device I had also showed.
I was using HRV4Training app regularly and it actually alerted me that something was a bit more persistent as it couldn’t take readings on some mornings due to artifacts.
I knew I’d have company sooner or later! 
Probably not chess:
There’s always Qi Gong!
But seriously, go see your doc.
I’ve been on this A Fib journey for 2 years, my cardiologist is adamant that I need to carry on exercising. I’d go see a cardiologist and get checked over.
Well said, “it’s a massive bummer”. I’ve been training my ass off and to be completely honest I can’t picture myself noodling around on a beautiful Sunday morning for the sake of healthy exercise. It just doesn’t excite me. A bunch of medical tests could not come at a worse time. So as of now I’m shutting down. I’ve been in denial until today. I might consider MAF running for health reasons. I just don’t know if that will keep me motivated.