Running on Beta Blockers: 5 Questions Every Runner Over 50 Asks

Coaxch Herb shares what he learned after starting a beta blocker, emphasizing he is not a doctor and runners should follow their cardiologist’s guidance. He answers five common questions for runners over 50: you can generally keep running once medically cleared; heart rate will be lower at rest and during exercise (often 20–30%), so old training zones won’t apply; runs may feel harder at the same pace at first because perceived exertion rises, though adaptation often occurs after a couple weeks; performance can slow due to a 5–15% VO2 max reduction, but most easy aerobic training is less affected and longevity matters; and never skip or stop doses to run better because rebound spikes in heart rate/blood pressure can be dangerous—discuss medication adjustments only with a cardiologist.

00:00 Beta Blocker Worries
00:25 Coach Disclaimer
00:50 Runner Backstory
01:20 Can You Still Run
02:19 Heart Rate Drops
03:45 Runs Feel Harder
05:08 Slower and Less Fit
06:35 Never Skip a Dose
07:39 Wrap Up and Next Steps

P.S. If you are passionate about running, and you don't want to lose that passion, then getting your copy of my new Forever Runner Method book is the right move. Click this link to get yours: https://foreverrunner.com/

Runners over 50: Pain free running without injury with slow running!

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey runners, how's it going? Hey, if your doctor just put you on a beta blocker and you're lying awake wondering whether it's going to wreck your running, this video is for you. I'm going to walk through five questions every runner over 50 asks about running on beta blockers because I just started one myself and I had every single one of these questions. So a quick word before we go further: I'm a running coach, not a doctor. Nothing here replaces what your own cardiologist tells you. Take this as one runner talking to another about what I learned, and then go check it against your own doctor. So, a little backstory so you know where I'm coming from. I'm a 73-year-old ultra runner. I've run more than 80 ultra marathons and I've survived two heart attacks. After the last round with my heart, my doctor put me on a beta blocker. And I'll be honest with you, my first thought wasn't about my heart. It was, well, there goes my running. But I was wrong about that. And I want to save you the same week of worry that I put myself through. So the first question is, can I even run on this? And I know what you're thinking, the pills slow your heart rate down on purpose. So running feels like the last thing your body wants. But the answer is yes. You can run on a beta blocker, and for most heart patients, movement is encouraged, not discourage. Beta blockers lower your heart rate and blood pressure by blocking the effective adrenaline. That's the whole point of the drug. It protects your heart by keeping it from racing. What that means for you as a runner is your engine still works, it just runs at a lower RPM. You're not fragile, you're just medicated, and those are two different things. The one rule I'll repeat a few times today: be sure you clear your running plan with your own doctor first, especially in the first few weeks. Once they give you the green light, you can lace up just like always. So the second question, and this is where a lot of us get freaked out, is why is my heart rate so low now? Well, beta blockers lower both your resting heart rate and your max heart rate. And depending on the dose, that drop can be significant. Some clinical doses pull heart rate down by 20 to 30 percent. So the old numbers that you train by they just won't apply anymore. My training heart rate went from 125 beats per minute down to 115 beats per minute. Now, seeing that happen out on your run is is is kind of surprising, but that's normal. But but here's the part that matters a lower number on your watch doesn't mean you're less fit, it just means your heart has a governor on it. You're the same runner, just a new speedometer. The doctor puts you on this medicine for a reason, and the the medicine does its job, but you can still run. So the third question that I had was well, why does every run feel so much harder? And this one kind of surprised me more than the low numbers, because even at an easy pace, those first couple of weeks felt like I was pushing. But there's a there's a reason for that. When when you run on a beta blocker, your rate of perceived exertion goes up. A given pace feels harder than it used to because your heart just can't respond the way that it normally would have. And the research backs this up. Exercise on a beta blocker comes with a higher perceived effort. And the good news is that effect eases somewhat the longer you're on the medicine. So those first two weeks might be kind of brutal, but it'll it'll get better. Your body will adapt, and and mine did. What I'll tell you is give it time and back off the pace without guilt. This this is the forever runner mindset. Run smarter, not harder. Your job in month one is not to hit old paces, it's just let your body settle into the new normal. So the fourth question is will I be slower and will I lose fitness? Well, the honest answer is yeah, beta blockers can lower your VO2 max, which is the top end of your Aerobic capacity, and it'll lower it by you know 5 to 15 percent. Uh in studies of train runners, race times over to 10k came out slower on a beta blocker. So, yeah, your ceiling comes down a bit. I'm not gonna tell you that it doesn't. But here's what I made peace with, and I think you can too. I'm not chasing a personal best at the age of 73. I'm chasing my next decade of running. For a forever runner, the goal is never the next race, it's the next 10 years on the trail. A few percent off your top gear is a small price for a heart that keeps you running into your 80s. And that's my North Star, not the finish line clock. And here's the practical piece. Most of your running, especially your easy aerobic base, happens well below your VO2 max ceiling anyway. So, day to day, most runners feel less of a hit than that number suggests. You're just training at a slower rate than you're used to. So the fifth question, and probably the most important one, is should I ever skip a dose to run better? And I know the temptation, you got a race or a group run, and you think, well, what if I just skip today's pill so I can feel like my old self? Well, please don't. Stopping a beta blocker suddenly can cause a dangerous rebound. Your heart rate and blood pressure can spike, and in some cases it can trigger a cardiac event. This is the one place where I'll be blunt with you. Never stop or skip a beta blocker on your own just to chase some workout. If the medication is genuinely holding your running back, that's a real conversation to have with your cardiologist who can take a look at your dose or your specific drug. It's not a decision you make with your running watch. So if you're if you're on a beta blocker or you're looking at getting on one, let me know in the comments below. I'd really like to hear your feedback on your experience. So that's the whole list. You can run on a beta blocker, your numbers will look different, your effort will feel higher at first, but both of these will settle down. You can adjust your training to your new normal, and you never ever skip a dose to run faster. If you got value from this, please hit that like button before you go. And if you want to hang with people who actually get what it's like to run through this stuff, come join us in the Forever Runner Club. I have a free trial. I'll put a link in the description below. Love to have you there. Keep moving, and I'll see you in the next one.