{"id":14454,"date":"2025-06-13T20:58:55","date_gmt":"2025-06-13T13:58:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=14454"},"modified":"2025-06-13T20:58:55","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T13:58:55","slug":"the-effect-of-metoprolol-on-exercise-bionicoldguy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=14454","title":{"rendered":"The Effect of Metoprolol on Exercise \u2013 BionicOldGuy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Ever since my aortic valve replacement in 2017, I have been on the beta-blocker metoprolol. This is mostly to prevent possible heart arrhythmia but also helps control my blood pressure. It seems to be working fine and I have no noticeable side effects, other than my heart rate doesn\u2019t seem to go up quite as high during exercise. Wednesday showed its effects more dramatically. I had finished my prescription bottle and Wednesday morning I could not find the replacement bottle. I usually take it first thing in the morning before any activity. I decided to go on my ride anyway and look for it later. Wednesday was scheduled to be a harder ride, a long brisk tempo ride followed by an interval session and on-bike strength training. I wore my chest strap for heart-rate monitoring, which I know is accurate.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"12691\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/bionicoldguy.home.blog\/2025\/06\/13\/the-effect-of-metoprolol-on-exercise\/image-417\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/bionicoldguy.home.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-4.png\" data-orig-size=\"1139,375\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/bionicoldguy.home.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-4.png?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/bionicoldguy.home.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-4.png?w=1024\" width=\"1024\" height=\"337\" src=\"https:\/\/bionicoldguy.home.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-4.png?w=1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12691\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Wednesday\u2019s route, out and back on the Coyote trail to Bernal road, then south to Gilroy and back, for about 3 1\/2 hours. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.strava.com\/activities\/14768704634\">https:\/\/www.strava.com\/activities\/14768704634<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>During the tempo portion of the ride I noticed my heart rate was more then 10 beats higher than I expected, approaching an average of 120, despite the fact that my perceived level of exertion was similar to recent such rides, and I passed the \u201ctalk test\u201d so my breathing wasn\u2019t too labored. (so people don\u2019t get concerned that I\u2019m talking to myself going down the road, I use the alternative of reciting the alphabet). Then during the interval session I noticed I reached heart rates into the 150s, which I haven\u2019t seen in a while. I found the replacement bottle after I finished the ride and belatedly took my dose. But this incident planted a seed of curiosity. I noticed the bottle says to take it \u201cin the morning\u201d, not necessarily first thing in the morning. Researching on the web, I could not find any reason why it is not OK to exercise early in the morning and then take metoprolol. It just seems to be a good idea to take it the same time each day. So I will start taking it consistently later in the morning after my workout.<\/p>\n<p>I was also curious about what is known about it\u2019s effect on athletic performance. It is mentioned <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/olg90Dq9ay8?si=i1xdVdfg9b1ou598\">in this video<\/a> by a renowned cardiologist in the UK that beta-blockers like metoprolol impair performance by keeping heart rate lower during exercise. This seems logical. If I\u2019m doing an interval and my legs are screaming for oxygen, it seems I might not be able to go quite as hard if my heart rate remains in the 130s instead of the 150s.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"12693\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/bionicoldguy.home.blog\/2025\/06\/13\/the-effect-of-metoprolol-on-exercise\/image-418\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/bionicoldguy.home.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-5.png\" data-orig-size=\"941,486\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/bionicoldguy.home.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-5.png?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/bionicoldguy.home.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-5.png?w=941\" width=\"941\" height=\"486\" src=\"https:\/\/bionicoldguy.home.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image-5.png?w=941\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12693\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">There is even some evidence that n some precision sports like archery, Beta-blockers can improve performance, for example by reducing \u201cstage fright\u201d. <a href=\"https:\/\/fherehab.com\/learning\/beta-blockers-performance\">https:\/\/fherehab.com\/learning\/beta-blockers-performance<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Lately I\u2019ve been researching topics like this on Google\u2019s Gemini. If you click on \u201cdeep research\u201d in the \u201cask Gemini\u201d box, instead of just answering your question, it will search a bunch of relevant sites on the internet, then go through the results and make a report. This is a fun use of AI. So I did this, and typed in \u201cMetoprolol\u2019s Impact on Athletic Performance\u201d. It came up with <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1hGj_grD6gq3mjdfL__rIOv6N7JLwd-u3Yg72wBirHTY\/edit?usp=drive_link\">this detailed report<\/a>, from which I learned a lot. It does appear that metoprolol affects endurance performance, such as a slight lowering in maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max). My taking metoprolol is necessary for the prevention of possible arrhythmia. But for anyone who is taking this or another beta-blocker solely for preventing high blood pressure, there are alternative blood pressure medicines, discussed in the report, that have much lower effect on performance. <\/p>\n<p>There is also a good discussion about beta-blockers and exercise on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodrx.com\/classes\/beta-blockers\/exercise-safety\">this website<\/a>. The bottom line is it is perfectly safe to exercise vigorously while taking metoprolol, and it doesn\u2019t seem to matter whether you take it before or after, as long as you take it the same time each day.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not really worried about some slight impairment in performance. And since I\u2019ve been on the drug since 2017, and mostly interested in competing \u201cagainst myself\u201d, all my recent performances I\u2019d be comparing against were equally affected.<\/p>\n<div id=\"jp-post-flair\" class=\"sharedaddy sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled\">\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\">\n<div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-official sd-sharing\">\n<h3 class=\"sd-title\">Share this:<\/h3>\n<div class=\"sd-content\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"share-linkedin\"\/>\n<li class=\"share-facebook\"\/>\n<li class=\"share-pinterest\">\n<div class=\"pinterest_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbionicoldguy.home.blog%2F2025%2F06%2F13%2Fthe-effect-of-metoprolol-on-exercise%2F&amp;media=https%3A%2F%2Fbionicoldguy.home.blog%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F06%2Fimage-4.png&amp;description=The%20Effect%20of%20Metoprolol%20on%20Exercise\" data-pin-do=\"buttonPin\" data-pin-config=\"beside\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/images\/pidgets\/pinit_fg_en_rect_gray_20.png\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"share-end\"\/><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"jp-relatedposts-headline\"><em>Related<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"entry-author author-avatar-show\">\n<div class=\"author-avatar\">\n\t\t\t\t<img referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer\" alt=\"Unknown's avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/2.gravatar.com\/avatar\/25e2835f41aad499102b7dccdf750ee9842e9a75fa2931cd1ba6fa84c47eafd5?s=80&amp;d=&amp;r=G\" srcset=\"https:\/\/2.gravatar.com\/avatar\/25e2835f41aad499102b7dccdf750ee9842e9a75fa2931cd1ba6fa84c47eafd5?s=80&amp;d=&amp;r=G 1x, https:\/\/2.gravatar.com\/avatar\/25e2835f41aad499102b7dccdf750ee9842e9a75fa2931cd1ba6fa84c47eafd5?s=120&amp;d=&amp;r=G 1.5x, https:\/\/2.gravatar.com\/avatar\/25e2835f41aad499102b7dccdf750ee9842e9a75fa2931cd1ba6fa84c47eafd5?s=160&amp;d=&amp;r=G 2x, https:\/\/2.gravatar.com\/avatar\/25e2835f41aad499102b7dccdf750ee9842e9a75fa2931cd1ba6fa84c47eafd5?s=240&amp;d=&amp;r=G 3x, https:\/\/2.gravatar.com\/avatar\/25e2835f41aad499102b7dccdf750ee9842e9a75fa2931cd1ba6fa84c47eafd5?s=320&amp;d=&amp;r=G 4x\" class=\"avatar avatar-80\" height=\"80\" width=\"80\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><!-- .author-avatar --><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"author-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\tPublished by <span class=\"author-name\">BionicOldGuy<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><!-- .author-heading --><\/p>\n<p class=\"author-bio\">\n\t\t\t\tI am a Mechanical Engineer born in 1953, Ph. D, Stanford, 1980. I have been active in the mechanical CAE field for decades. I also have a lifelong interest in outdoor activities and fitness. I have had both hips replaced and a heart valve replacement due to a genetic condition. This blog chronicles my adventures in staying active despite these bumps in the road.\t\t\t\t<a class=\"author-link\" href=\"https:\/\/bionicoldguy.home.blog\/author\/richardking2213\/\" rel=\"author\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tView all posts by BionicOldGuy\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><!-- .author-bio -->\n\t\t<\/div>\n<p><!-- .entry-auhtor --><\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t<strong>Published<\/strong><br \/>\n\t\t\t<time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-06-13T06:34:00-07:00\">June 13, 2025<\/time><time class=\"updated\" datetime=\"2025-06-12T19:47:58-07:00\">June 12, 2025<\/time>\t\t<\/p>\n<p><!-- .site-posted-on -->\n\t<\/div>\n<p><script>(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;appId=249643311490&version=v2.3\"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/bionicoldguy.home.blog\/2025\/06\/13\/the-effect-of-metoprolol-on-exercise\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ever since my aortic valve replacement in 2017, I have been on the beta-blocker metoprolol. This is mostly to prevent possible heart arrhythmia but also helps control my blood pressure. It seems to be working fine and I have no noticeable side effects, other than my heart rate doesn\u2019t seem to go up quite as &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fitness"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14454","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14454"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14454\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}