In most cases, you can exercise at full capacity if you only sometimes experience PVCs. You may need to reduce the intensity if you often experience PVCs or have an underlying heart condition.

Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are a type of abnormal heartbeat that originates in the ventricles. They disrupt the regular rhythm and cause the sensation of either a skipped beat or palpitations.

They are common and usually harmless, and many people who experience them experience no symptoms.

Exercise is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your heart health, but some research suggests that people who frequently exercise at a high intensity may have a greater risk of experiencing PVCs.

Although this isn’t a reason to avoid exercising, you want to make sure your heart is healthy before starting an exercise program.

Keep reading to learn more about the safety and impacts of exercising with PVCs, and how you can maximize the rewards of regular exercise.

PVCs are usually considered benign because they occur infrequently and as a single, isolated contraction.

It can be difficult to decipher what classifies PVCs as “frequent,” and limited guidelines have determined what may constitute a PVC “episode.”

Healthcare professionals may use different methods to measure the frequency of PVCs and assess the risk for more severe heart conditions, such as cardiomyopathy:

  • Daily: Frequent PVCs have been described as experiencing more than 500, 1,000, or 20,000 PVCs daily. Research from 2017 suggests getting medical advice if PVCs occur more than 12 times daily, as this may predict a greater chance of long-term heart problems.
  • Total beats: Some experts suggest that experiencing PVCs as more than 10% of total heartbeats in 24 hours, or more than 20,000 PVCs, can lead to PVC cardiomyopathy.
  • Hourly: Doctors usually use a 24 hour or 48 hour Holter monitor to calculate how many PVCs occur in 1 hour. In this case, 30 or more PVCs per hour may be considered frequent.

It’s important to remember that there are no clear cut-offs for defining “frequent PVCs,” or guidelines for defining “PVC duration.” Connect with a doctor if you’re concerned about any heart flutters you may experience.

It could be difficult to know whether you experience PVCs. Some research using Holter monitors found that up to 3 in 4 people who experienced PVCs did not have symptoms.

It depends on how frequently you experience PVCs and whether the irregular contractions decrease or increase after exercise.

In some cases, exercise can decrease the frequency of PVCs. If you don’t have heart disease and only experience occasional PVC contractions that don’t worsen with physical activity, exercising should not present any danger.

Some research also suggests that exercise may be a good treatment for arrhythmia in the long term.

In other cases, exercise can induce PVCs. These are called exercise-induced premature ventricular contractions (EI-PVCs). If your PVCs are exercise-induced, they may still be harmless.

However, it’s important to note when they happen:

  • During exercise: EI-PVCs that occur during exercise are relatively common and don’t significantly increase the risk of long-term complications, such as heart disease.
  • During recovery: EI-PVCs that commonly occur during the recovery phase of your workouts may increase your risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality.

If you experience frequent PVCs — either before, during, or after exercising — speak with a doctor to ensure there are no further cardiac concerns. If your PVCs are suppressed with exercise and don’t increase during the recovery period, it’s likely your PVCs are benign.

The impact of exercise on PVCs may depend on the underlying cause and risk factors of your PVC contractions.

Heart disease

Frequent PVCs may indicate an underlying heart disease and lead to conditions like cardiomyopathy. EI-PVCs happen 7% of the time in healthy people and up to 54% of the time in those with cardiovascular disease.

A 2022 study found that halting intense exercise could help prevent worsening disease in athletes who experienced frequent PVCs, which the research classified as 500 or more PVCs daily.

Low electrolyte balance

PVCs may be caused by low levels of certain electrolytes, such as potassium and magnesium. Intense exercise may deplete electrolytes even more.

Potassium is depleted through sweat, and magnesium levels drop after exercise because magnesium is a necessary metabolic component that helps with muscle recovery and energy utilization.

Supplementation may help decrease the frequency of these irregular contractions if they’re caused by low electrolyte levels, but it’s important to speak with a healthcare professional before beginning a supplement routine.

High catecholamine levels

Catecholamines refer to a group of hormones, such as dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine, that play a role in your body’s response to stress.

High catecholamine levels are associated with PVCs and, in particular, EI-PVCs. Intense exercise may exacerbate catecholamine and stress levels, which can further increase the risk of PVCs, ectopy, and mortality.

A doctor may prescribe beta-blockers to help treat PVCs caused by high catecholamine levels.

No single type of exercise has been found to be best for people with PVCs.

Much of the research on PVCs and exercise uses aerobic exercise as the parameter, as this type of exercise focuses primarily on the cardiovascular system.

With that in mind, low intensity forms of cardiovascular exercise, such as hiking, walking, and biking, are most likely the best because they can strengthen your heart, provided they aren’t worsening your symptoms.

A strength training routine is also a good idea to balance out your program.

If you notice that exercise increases the frequency of your PVCs, consider backing off or choosing other modalities such as yoga, Pilates, or weight training while you consult a healthcare professional.

Exercising is generally safe if you only occasionally experience PVCs and they don’t worsen during or after your workouts. In fact, aerobic exercise may help reduce your symptoms in the long term.

However, you may need to reduce the intensity of your exercise if you’re living with a heart condition.

If you’re concerned about the frequency of your PVCs, check with a healthcare professional for next steps. With stress testing and heart rate monitoring, they could help give you a path forward.

Making an effort to reduce your stress levels, keep your heart healthy, and manage electrolyte levels can go a long way toward reducing the frequency of PVCs in the future.