The most decorated female Olympian of all time, Katie Ledecky, who also won two golds in the Paris Olympics and took her Olympic gold tally to nine, recently revealed that she is suffering from Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).
According to a distinguished cardiologist, Dr Blair Grubb, a person suffering from POTS suffers from a disturbance in the autonomic nervous system, which leads to dysfunctional body systems.
Grubb added that a POTS patient will have 20% to 30% of their blood displaced by gravity when they stand, which gives an immediate signal to the heart to beat faster than the normal speed, leading to increased heartbeats.
When this happens, the cardiologist continued, blood vessels in the lower section of the body contract, increasing the blood volume in the lower body parts. This means that less blood goes to the brain, depriving it of necessary oxygen.
Ledecky’s new memoir, “Just Add Water: My Swimming Life,” was published in June. She opened up about her medical struggles, but her recent Olympic accomplishments have made it even more inspiring.
Grubb also suggested that some genetic traits like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome make a person more vulnerable to face POTS in their lifetime, adding that viral infections such as coronavirus can also trigger this medical condition.
Some of the symptoms of POTS include abnormal heartbeat rate, dizziness while standing, and even extreme numbness when standing up from a sitting position.
Ledecky, who won two golds, one silver, and one bronze this year, helped Team USA maintain its dominance in Olympic swimming pools despite poor outings of male swimmers who only managed to bag one gold in total. Team USA ended up first in swimming competitions with eight golds and 28 overall medals, leaving behind Australia, which managed to win seven golds.
Doctors suggest that an athlete suffering from POTS has to undergo extreme challenges in order to remain competitive in sports that push the human body to its limits.
Physical therapist Valerie Lovine stated that a POTS patient will be stuck in the bed at times, as it can even lead to “severe limitations” and “disabilities.”
Despite facing these challenges, Ledecky kept on dominating her rivals Olympics after Olympics. According to her memoir, she first started feeling weird in 2015 during the World Championships in Russia, noting that some days she felt completely fine, while on others, she had absolutely no energy. These types of strange symptoms urged Ledecky to seek professional medical help, resulting in her diagnosis of POTS.
Some medical experts also believe that a consistent routine of exercising and swimming is helpful against POTS, and even though the initial stages of a workout trigger POTS symptoms, sticking to a healthy routine is the key to success.
Ledecky also wrote in her memoir that “more swimming” is the way to control her disease. The Olympic champion further stated that she needs to drink plenty of water to keep her symptoms under control. POTS patients are usually advised to increase their water intake to nearly 2 to 2.5 liters per day to regulate their blood pressure and blood levels.
