Recovery Heart Rate Question

It's been almost 3 full months since my first Natale ablation.

First off, I'm fairly out of shape and need to start getting more exercise. That said.... today I was doing some pretty strenuous yard work for like 45 minutes in the sun, around 10am or so. When I came in I immediately used my Kardia to take an ECG. Here were some readings....

143 bpm - Unclassified (no afib)
127 bpm - Tachycardia (7 minutes later)
115 bpm - Tachycardia (14 minutes after initial reading)
108 bpm - Tachycardia (35 minutes after initial reading)
98 bpm - Normal (1 hr 7 min after initial reading)

I know anything over 100 is marked automatically as "Tachycardia".

My question is: Are these readings "acceptable", with regards to the recovery heart rate?

Also, since my ablation I seem to notice a "fullness" in my chest more than before. Not sure where it originates. It's not horrible, but I just wanted to make sure it wasn't due to the ablation.

I was very happy that I didn't have any afib readings. I showed the Natale's nurse educator the first ECG (143 bpm) and he said the rhythm looked fine.

Thanks in advance for your insights!

Unless you're very out of shape, 143 isn't normal for strenuous yard work. That's a rate you would expect for vigorous exercise such as running at a fast pace, cycling up steep hills, etc. And over an hour to recover back to <100 isn't normal either.

Since the rhythm was normal, I'm going to bet you were very dehydrated. Most people seriously underestimate how much fluid they lose working or exercising, especially in hot weather. Strenuous yard work for 45 minutes in the sun probably demands at least a liter of water, and preferably some salt and potassium to go with it. A liter of water plus a small bag of chips or salted nuts would do the job. And you've got to consume the water before you're thirsty. By the time you're thirsty, it's too late; you're already dehydrated and catching up is very hard to do. Just start taking periodic drinks while you work and don't wait for your body to tell you.

As a cyclist, the one thing that AF taught me is that dehydration and the electrolyte imbalances that come with it are the mortal enemy of AF. It's one of the few things I think are triggers for virtually everyone. I used to think I hydrated sufficiently until I finally wised up and literally doubled my water consumption on long rides. Doing that drastically reduced the AF episodes I experienced following long rides.

Great point. I was sweating so much and never drank anything. So I bet I was just dehydrated.