pulse doesnt drop after workout

[Ihatepalps2]

My 21 year old son is in excellent physical condition. Is 6ft 4", 205 lbs. Has a very physically demanding job-and in the past 3 years has become almost "addicted" to exercise. He works out every other day faithfully--will NOT miss a day. When he works out, it is a solid 2 hours. He lifts weights for most of it, but also uses a punching bag, and spends the last 40 minutes on the treadmill. What I DONT like about it--is he takes these...supplements bought at GNC--before he works out. I dont know what he takes for sure, but one of them is called "Amplified Creatine"...has 1250 mg of creatine in every glass. You know the stuff...this age takes to build muscles--this "pre-workout" junk. He also takes mega doses of protein before and after the workout. I have always gotten on him about taking this stuff-what is it doing to his body on the inside...but not much I can do, hes old enough to decide for himself.
I question this--for the past couple years--he casually will mention that after working out---HOURS after...his heart will be pounding...and when he takes his pulse..its still high--80+ a minute.
Last night he called me, and was scared--said about 2 hrs after working out AND running 4.5 miles..he was eating..and his heart "took off"...raced. He said he had to gasp-felt like he couldnt breathe for just a moment. Then it settled back into normal rhythm. This happend again about an hour later. He also vomited at this time.
When he called me it was after he had gotten into bed for the night--it happend again. Just short bursts of rapid heartbeat, it sounds like. And when its happening, he feels short of breath, tightness in chest. Now, I know some of the tightness last night was that he was scared-he told me he dumped his "supplements" down the drain...wont take them anymore, or so he says.
I tried to get him to go to the ER, just to try to get this on a monitor. I had him take his pulse, it was 96. Not outrageously high, but much higher than it should be.
He wouldnt go--said "if it happens again I will go"....
he didnt call me, so he did sleep fine.
Im wondering if anyone else thinks that the "junk" that he is drinking pre-workout could be damaging his heart?
I am trying to get him to see a cardiologist about the high heartrate hours after exercise...but he doesnt seem to want to go. I am worried yet helpless to do anything.
Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Ihatepalps2]

thank you SO much for your information!!! Very helpful!!!

[stutterheart1]

Also, a pulse of 80 or 90 after working out 2 hours prior is not bad. There are a number of factors that could be causing this including fatigue, dehydration, low electrolytes, etc. The sudden onset of a runaway heart is the only troubling symptom. There's a low prbability that it's anything to be worried about but you'll want to get a thorough workup and expect the worst (which just means adjusting lifestyle).

[stutterheart1]

These suppliments will not have a direct affect on the heart. Criatine and excessive protein will impair renal function if anything. I'm not an advocate of these suppliments but am trying to provide an understanding that these suppliments will not cause primary heart trouble (but if you have renal failure or an endocrine issue/tumor, it could boost blood pressure which tirtiarilly effects the heart). If he is doing any of the energy drinks that contain caffein, then there is definitely a probable cause there.
If he has had a racing heart, he should get to the doc and get an ECG at minimum. I'd suggest he have a full cardiac workup including an echocardiogram, a stress test, a 24-hour monitor, blood work, urine work (and you may want to increase the scope of the blood and urine workup to look for other conditions, just to have a periodic checkup/baseline). There's a reason that the Europeans require all athletes to undergo cardiac screening: while the chances are slight, the consequences are dire and it's especially tragic given the fact that screening can pick up almost all genetic defects.

[pookie970]

any rate over 100 is out of the norm exspecially if he is not doing anything to make it take off like that he nedds to lay off those supplememts i heard they are no good i suffer from bad anxiety so my heart is up down all the time i hate it ,,96 bpm are normal for me