A 35-year-old bodybuilder has been hospitalized over 20 times and discovered the culprit was drinking cold water post-workout. Recently, Franklin Aribeana opened up on his harrowing experiences with heart-related problems after rehydrating with water.
Franklin Aribeana competes within the IFBB Pro League as a thriving Men’s Physique competitor. In 2022, the standout took seventh place at the Legion Sports Fest Pro and turned in a 12th-place performance at the San Francisco Championship.
As it stands, Aribeana suffers from an irregular heartbeat and has an enlarged heart. Each time he chooses to drink water following a training session, Aribeana deals with a powerful thud in his chest that can lead to him going unconscious. Doctors revealed that they had treated his condition by severing the connection between his vagus nerve and his heart.
Bodybuilder Suffers Heart Failure from Drinking Cold Water Post-Workout
According to Aribeana, any time he would gulp a cold glass of water the thump in his chest would lead to a rapid pulse and fainting.
“I’d take a gulp of cold water. As I’m settling back down, I feel the double thud,” bodybuilder Franklin Aribeana, 35, told ABC News of his heart-related hydrophobia.
“It’s a day I’ll never forget,” recalled Aribeana, who shared that he felt a “noticeable thud” while drinking water.
He admits the condition has gotten out of control, and has grappled with intense heart palpitations.
“I took a sip of cold water, and the next thing you know, literally palpitations out of my chest,” he recalled. “They took off my shirt, and you could see my heart literally pounding out of my chest, and then I passed out.”
This phenomenon is described as the ‘diving reflex,’ which slows down your heart rate to save oxygen, making blood vessels in your hands and feet tighten up to send more blood to important organs. Usually, these changes don’t last long, and subside once you’re out of the cold water.
However, for people with underlying medical conditions, this reflex can make their blood pressure suddenly drop, causing them to faint. It might also make their heart beat erratically. Aribeana revealed that he first suffered from this ailment in 2007 at 18 years old but has dealt with several close calls over time.
The uncommon condition affecting fewer than one in 2,500 people in the US has caught doctors’ attention. However, since the medical intervention, fortunately, Aribeana has been able to train and drink cold water after the gym.
“Franklin is a phenomenal individual!” stated Dr. Hematpour. “He’s got a lot of drive! He was very much on top of his treatment.”
Having made a full recovery, Aribeana won’t forget the ordeal. However, he is tasked with taking medication daily for his genetic heart issues. The doctor added that normally Aribeana’s symptoms would be minor but due to his heart-related predisposition, his body had intense reactions to cold water.
While extremely uncommon, it appears Franklin Aribean’s health has improved steadily. Fans hope to see him make a splash in the Men’s Physique category moving forward without the fear of cold water causing issues.
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