Vegan Bodybuilding with Heart Disease

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Vegan Bodybuilding with Heart Disease

Postby ThunderDreamin » Mon Nov 19, 2012 10:20 pm

Hi Lani, I want to do Bodybuilding Figure Competitions, but have heart disease. I am 44 year old female, with diabetes who had a heart attack at 42, and a year later one of the stents had to be re-opened had 80% blockage with unstable angina. I am on Plavix, Lipitor, Ranexa (to help me not feel the angina pains, it works like nitro all day), 325mg encoated asprin, Klonopin and Zoloft for anxiety that went thru the roof after my heart attack. I do have some scar tissue from it so I don't have all of my heart muscle and I still have alot of 50% to 70% blockages. As a heart patient can I do bodybuilding if I build up slowly? My cardiologist was vague and said I could do whatever I wanted, but some say bodybuilding is too hard on the heart that I should more focus on cardio such as walking, cycling, ect. Also question on a diet for bodybuilding, so many Vegan Bodybuilders have got hurt, Like Robert Cheeke who has Vegan Bodybuilding.com he had to switch to running from injuries from lifting too heavy... Another lady was Raw Vegan and had to stop doing Bikini division bodybuilding. So I was thinking would it be ok to do Dean Ornish since he reveresed heart disease using egg whites and non fat dairy to get in more protein, or do Caldwell Esselstyn low fat Vegan? I just don't want another heart attack, but don't want to hurt myself bodybuilding without enough protein. Also do ya'll have any names of successful bodybuilding vegans, I have seen a video of a 72 year old man, but do ya'll have some more names I could research? Thanks.
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Re: Vegan Bodybuilding with Heart Disease

Postby Lani Muelrath » Tue Nov 20, 2012 10:34 am

Hi ThunderDreamin,

I wouldn't try to begin to advise you without collaboration with doc. The good news is the cardiologist says you can do 'whatever you want' but the 'vague' part is disconcerting!

I am aware of great success among vegan athletes. Here is a link to several names and stories that might interest you for inspiration:

Great vegan athletes

Keep us posted on your plans and progress! It sounds like you have a great and pro-active attitude!

Lani
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Re: Vegan Bodybuilding with Heart Disease

Postby olindaspider » Tue Nov 20, 2012 11:38 am

ThunderDreamin,

Since you mentioned body building and protein, I thought you might find the following video helpful.

Jon Hinds - Plant-Based Personal Trainer at the Monkey Bar Gym
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Re: Vegan Bodybuilding with Heart Disease

Postby ThunderDreamin » Tue Nov 20, 2012 6:38 pm

Hi Lani after looking over your vegan athletes link I realized that I actually like mountain Biking and indoor cycling as a life style better than the bodybuilding lifestyle. So I am changing over to cycling I feel like it is a better choice for me and my heart. Plus with cycling I get to eat a lot more carbs !!! Thanks
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Re: Vegan Bodybuilding with Heart Disease

Postby Lani Muelrath » Tue Nov 20, 2012 6:46 pm

ThunderDreamin wrote:Hi Lani after looking over your vegan athletes link I realized that I actually like mountain Biking and indoor cycling as a life style better than the bodybuilding lifestyle. So I am changing over to cycling I feel like it is a better choice for me and my heart. Plus with cycling I get to eat a lot more carbs !!! Thanks


ThunderDreamin,

I like it! Sounds like a lot more fun to me. Can't wait to hear more about your journey!

Lani
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Re: Vegan Bodybuilding with Heart Disease

Postby ThunderDreamin » Sun Dec 09, 2012 11:19 am

Hi Lani, I tried test riding some mountain bikes in the parking lots of the stores, but got Angina just testing them in the parking lots. So after I got the Angina to stop from the mountian bikes, I went to the gym and did the treadmill and lifted some light weights and did not have Angina with that. I have tried several different places in their parking lots trying to find a bike to purchase that would be light weight, but it all ended up the same having Angina? But when I lift light weights and do treadmill I don't get Angina? Have you heard of other heart patients having trouble with cylcling?
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Re: Vegan Bodybuilding with Heart Disease

Postby Lani Muelrath » Sun Dec 09, 2012 12:24 pm

Thunder,

What does doc say? I don't have another specific example to point to with which to collaborate your experience. I'd run it by doc.

Lani
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Re: Vegan Bodybuilding with Heart Disease

Postby ThunderDreamin » Sun Dec 09, 2012 1:28 pm

When I told my cardiologist I was feeling very fatiqued for days after my stress test, he said it was normal since I had not worked out that hard before. When I went to Cardiac Rehab my cardiac rehab trainer noticed I not going as fast on the bike as everyone else, and told me to go faster to were I ended up in a panic attack couldn't hardly breath, thought I was going to pass out had to sit down, they put wet towels on me to cool me down and gave me juice, and did not act like anything was wrong with that reaction to the intense exercise? This was at Cardiac Rehab were I thought they were suppose to be easier on heart patients. So I don't know what my body has against cycling, but it sure don't like it. So I guess I better stick with the treadmill and weight lifting, my body responds better to weight training and that is what I always wanted to do anyways. So this is actually good news. Thanks.
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Re: Vegan Bodybuilding with Heart Disease

Postby rickcox » Sun Dec 15, 2013 1:36 pm

ThunderDreamin wrote:When I told my cardiologist I was feeling very fatiqued for days after my stress test, he said it was normal since I had not worked out that hard before. When I went to Cardiac Rehab my cardiac rehab trainer noticed I not going as fast on the bike as everyone else, and told me to go faster to were I ended up in a panic attack couldn't hardly breath, thought I was going to pass out had to sit down, they put wet towels on me to cool me down and gave me juice, and did not act like anything was wrong with that reaction to the intense exercise? This was at Cardiac Rehab were I thought they were suppose to be easier on heart patients. So I don't know what my body has against cycling, but it sure don't like it. So I guess I better stick with the treadmill and weight lifting, my body responds better to weight training and that is what I always wanted to do anyways. So this is actually good news. Thanks.


I was watching a special on the Science channel on aging. It was saying the body has precautions against the cells overheating. When your internal clock reaches certain temperature the system begins to shutdown. The doctor was saying that this was lower for the older clients. If you are diseased and/or out of shape it occurs earlier. I was told to begin exercising ie walking and experienced angina at about .46 of first mile. I have not given up walking, but lowered the pace and my expectations until I build some indurance. Good luck with your workouts.

PS they put cooling glove on right hand in the ageing film and continued the workout. The subject was running on a treadmill in 106 degree area. The runner said it was refreshing enough to continue workout.

I am not on any meds for pain, I went back and read some earlier posts.

Take care,
Rick Cox
200 lbs 01/02/2013
200 lbs 01/02/2011
220 lbs 02/01/2009
240 lbs 11/14/2008
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Re: Vegan Bodybuilding with Heart Disease

Postby KensCircus » Tue Dec 17, 2013 7:26 am

ThunderDreamin wrote:... Also question on a diet for bodybuilding, so many Vegan Bodybuilders have got hurt, Like Robert Cheeke who has Vegan Bodybuilding.com he had to switch to running from injuries from lifting too heavy... Another lady was Raw Vegan and had to stop doing Bikini division bodybuilding. ..., but don't want to hurt myself bodybuilding without enough protein...
Hi ThunderDreamin, Congratulations on wanting to get fit! However, I feel compelled to respond to the assumption that being low fat vegan leaves you open to injury. That would imply that non vegans are unlikely to be injured. Between 1990 to 2007, almost a million Americans went to emergency rooms with weight-training injuries, as in this report; http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/15/health/15stat.html?_r=0. Rest assured, they are not all vegan.

Sammy Ray Foxworth trains and competes in CrossFit; an extremely intense, high injury rate sport. See what he says about how being low fat starch based vegan has improved his performance. http://www.theplanteater.com/2013/06/19/a-crossfitter-breaking-the-paleo-mold-sammy-ray-foxworth/.

Yes, Robert Cheeke was injured, but it had nothing to do with being vegan. And just my personal opinion, I'm not so sure he "had" to switch to running. I suspect that was just a choice. Even with his injury, he still pumped some impressive iron - http://bigbaldmike.com/blog/training-with-vegan-bodybuilder-robert-cheeke/

Ken
Nothing in life is more inhibiting or debilitating than the belief; “I Can’t.”
Nothing in life is more freeing, enabling or successful than the belief; “I Can.”
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