Reaching your target heart rate is an important goal when you're working out. It's a sign of how hard your body is working physically, allowing you to gauge your fitness level. Certain medications, however, can affect the way your heart beats, making reaching your target heart rate difficult or even impossible. In particular, prescription drugs called beta blockers for cardiovascular conditions can affect how your heart responds during physical activity.
How Beta Blockers Work
Beta blockers are used to treat a number of heart-related conditions, such as hypertension, angina and arrhythmia. They may also be prescribed if you've had a heart attack or have congestive heart failure. These drugs get their name because they block beta receptors in the body, which reduces the stimulating effects of the hormone epinephrine. Your heart has a decreased workload as a result. Its blood output is reduced, the heart rate is lowered and the organ has a reduced demand for oxygen.
Side Effects
In addition to a slower heart rate, you may experience a number of side effects while taking a beta blocker. Some of the most common effects include weakness, drowsiness, fatigue and dizziness, according to the Texas Heart Institute Information Center. Other common effects include having dry mouth, eyes or skin, as well as cold hands and feet. Some other effects, which are not as common, are abnormal breathing, sleep difficulty, vivid dreams and swelling of the feet or hands. These and any other reaction to taking a beta blocker should be reported to your doctor.
Effects on Exercise
Having a slower heart rate while taking this type of drug can make meeting your exercise goals a challenge. Beta blockers may prevent or limit the increase in heart rate that typically occurs when you're engaging in physical activity. By blocking a faster heart rate, these drugs can also block your target heart rate and your ability to reach your desired intensity level. Common side effects, such as fatigue, dizziness and weakness, can make exercising difficult to endure.
Changing Your Target Heart Rate
Adjusting your fitness goals may be necessary if you are unable to reach your target heart rate. One simple solution is to lower your target heart rate based on your normal heart rate while on the beta blocker, according to the Mayo Clinic. For instance, if your resting heart rate has dropped by 25 beats per minute (bpm) since you started taking the drug, then you can also lower your target heart rate by 25 bpm. You can get a more precise figure for your new target heart rate by taking an exercise stress test at a medical facility.
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