Heart condition affecting athletes

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Austinites love to workout.

But many may not realize there's a common heart condition that can develop specifically in endurance athletes.

"I probably do 20 to 30 miles per week," said April Watkins.

Austin runner April Watkins is always training for the next running event. A few years ago she completed the Austin and White Rock Marathon along with the Iron Man all in one year.

"The last thing I ever expected was someone telling me I had a heart rhythm disorder," said Watkins.

But that's exactly what she discovered after a run.

"I decided to train with a heart rate monitor and when I went out to run I looked down and my heart rate said it was 230 and I thought that's impossible there is no way my heart rate could be that high," said Watkins.

But it was, so she saw the cardiac specialists at St. David's who told her she had atrial fibrillation.

"It is the most common heart rhythm disturbance in adults," said Dr. Rodney Horton, Cardiac Electrophysiologist, Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David's . "I think the most common thing is people pass it off as getting older."

The irregular heartbeat happens when the veins that drain the blood stop functioning properly. April knew something was wrong because she felt their heart race however there are other symptoms.

"The most common symptom is actually generalized weakness and shortness of breath, so it's sometimes vague," said Dr. Horton.

If left untreated it can cause a stroke. But there are medicines to treat it or a procedure called an ablation.

"We can go into the left atrium and burn the muscle tissue that is causing the atrial fibrillation," said Dr. Horton. "And if done properly, the source of the Afib will stop."

For April that did the trick - and she never missed a beat on her runs.

"Running is a big part of my life, I can't imagine not being able to do that," said Watkins.

Since Afib can easily go undetected - if you suspect something might be a little off with your heart rate, it's best to contact your doctor.