Ironman Tim O'Donnell Survived A HEART ATTACK Mid-Race | Rich Roll Podcast

[@richroll]

Thanks for watching. If you get anything from this conversation, get your heart checked! For more on Tim, this episode + show notes, visit: bit.ly/timodonnell759

[@marleri]

Kind of amazing he kept going in his ironman race while experiencing a heart attack!

[@splovelace]

Hey Rich, I’d love to share my story with you of my surviving a near death accident and paralysis to becoming a pioneer of triathlon. I may only be 5’7” and 140lbs, but I’m one of the toughest guys you’ll ever meet. Truth!

[@nextlevelwellness4638]

Thanks for having Tim on! Great guest!

[@peggyon1]

Rich Roll is a great interviewer, mostly stays out of the way and asks insightful questions.

[@Rosh_UK]

Tim's persona has got to be one of my biggest takeaways from this podcast. Seems like such a good all round guy. Crazy humble

[@MFJoneser]

Met Tim and Mirinda a few times. They’re extremely kind, caring, intelligent strong people. Class acts of the sport!

[@triapromagtri68]

Extraordinary athlete , humble and intelligent man

[@CAIrondad]

Tim is such a class act! Thanks, Rich for having him on! Great interview.

[@nextlevelwellness4638]

TO is the best! Such a great athlete, gentleman, father & husband, citizen and human being!! It is so fun to watch him compete. I'm always rooting for him. The young Norwegians would do well follow his lead on how to carry themselves and represent the sport. His journey back from heart attack is nothing short of remarkable. Best of luck to him and Rinny. Go get them TO!!

[@ColinWatts]

Ever since you mentioned T.O. in a previous podcast with Peter Attia, I've been really stoked to hear your chat. I learned a lot about T.O. that really elevates someone I already really respected. Except for that pull-up story... :)

[@dic2504]

Can't wait to listen to this one! I have followed Tim on KZbin and was always surprised at his high meat consumption diet, and from meals that were shown very low in vegetables, fruits and whole grains. I'm curious to hear if he has changed his diet.

[@danafoltin8114]

I was waiting for that part too - but no word !

[@Ja_ist_gut]

If you listened you know that there was only plaque at one area, what's typically for athletes and has nothing to do with diet. Vegan diet has no advantage over balanced iso caloric other diets.

[@purpleblueunicorn]

@@Ja_ist_gut Yeah but it was talking about his LAD artery only saying it had some calcified plaque. And the he did the Clearly soft plaque analysis. Didn't tell us his scores or his LDL pre heart attack. Would have like to know his numbers. Didn't know what his diet was, but high meat explains all especially with good heart echo and no LVH. WFPB diet has a huge advantage for most diseases (heart, diabetes, brain...). Balanced iso caloric diet will just get you balanced results and balanced leading causes of death, you should aim for none of that.

[@Lolipop59]

You are all doctors here . Gosh.

[@katis999]

Thanks so much, Rich for this great interview. I have been watching Tim and Rinny for quite some time on youtube and am glad one of the two found his way to your show . Hope Rinny will be on the show soon too :)

[@user-lv9ru4jj1l]

Rich - thanks for the content and continuing to be an inspiration. Be well.

[@RBNTT]

One of the worlds true gentlemen and a champion in life.

[@kmc7473]

Time for Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn

[@marinamartens1334]

Absolutely

[@AgrippaMaxentius]

35, no job, coronary artery disease diagnosis. It feels somewhat comforting to see that I am not alone. While I wouldnt wish this diagnosis on my worst enemy, its good to see that even with premature CAD its possible to be an athlete and that I am not alone. I hope not anyway. Ive been doing everything I can to reduce my risk factors. Weight down from 111 kilos to 96 kilos. LDL down from 166 to 53. Trigs down from 120 to 77. This diagnosis has destroyed my life, its all that I think about. Any words of support are appreciated, especially from people my age.

[@manuellopes3690]

Wow! This is an example of an individual of extraordinary abilities!

[@pausebreathereflect]

important episode Rich. TY. TIm thanks for sharing your story.

[@MaPrajna1]

As usual, a fantastic and inspiring conversation. Thanks RR

[@catherinekasmer9905]

Dr. Dean Ornish and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn. Dr. Kim Williams. Your typical cardiologist is not going to give you the lifesaving information. Esselstyn has an amazing track record with patients who eat his program. WFPB!

[@joesph9748]

Tim is awesome! Great human being

[@AntJB12345]

This was a Treat. Tim is a great guy! Lionel Sanders next?

[@bretstevens262]

Great stuff RRP! Let's get RRP to 1 Million subscribers! Thank you Timothy for military service!

[@skiziskin]

I'm a mountain endurance athlete, not competitive but highly trained, now 66. When I was 60 I collapsed on an after dinner walk in front of the South Boulder Rec Center. Paramedics peeled me off the parking lot and told me I was dying in the ambulance. They said they could not detect any pulse or blood pressure but my wife on my left hand said she could feel a thready pulse so they didn't shock me. I don't know how conscious or not I was but when we arrived at Boulder Health I was awakened to sudden pandemonium. Everybody said I had a heart attack and since I was unable to speak, I couldn't tell them anything at all. After shivering for a long time, the symptoms suddenly resolved and they admitted me to the cardiac ward. In the morning, a cardiologist who had tested me extensively during an episode of tachycardia--that turned out to be due to a rare zinc sensitivity--seventeen years earlier came to see me. He told everybody he did not think I'd had a heart attack and did an angiogram that came back totally clear. His diagnosis, knowing my lifelong history of tree nut allergies, was anaphylactic shock. It was only then that I was able to connect the dots and tell him that just before I collapsed, I felt itchy all around my head and neck. Then I had a sudden urge to move my bowels and my wife ran ahead to see if the rec center was still open because it was just eight o'clock. I tried to follow her and then my throat closed. There was no pain at all. It was just like I was suddenly in the vacuum of space. I tried to breathe but no air came in. That sealed the diagnosis and my cardiologist explained the mechanism where histamine in the body is a vasodilator but inside the heart it is a vasoconstrictor. He talked about the vaso-vagal response and how that explained the urge to have a BM. The question then became, what had triggered this anaphylaxis? I usually carry an epipen but I had cooked dinner that night, paella like I had made every Friday night for yeas so I didn't have it on my walk. There were no nuts in anything I made and that was my known allergy that had sent me to the ER many times before though my throat had never closed so completely like it had just done. I began a year of testing at a prominent Denver hospital and the results kept coming back wildly different with every test. Finally, I had tested allergic to saffron once in skin and once in blood and not allergic in skin one time. Another allergist said she didn't think I was allergic to anything and have idiopathic anaphylaxis, meaning I can drop dead at any moment for no apparent reason. My cardiologist agreed with me that if that is the diagnosis we saw no reason to change anything in my lifestyle. I eat a lot of vegetables and moderate amounts of meat. I do have a sweet tooth problem that I am trying to solve but I don't eat anything to excess. I can't train as much as I want to because of knee injuries--that likely protect me from overtraining--but I can still ski and climb and run at a very high level for my age. Now retired, I live in Sapporo, Japan where health care is outstanding. I have not changed a thing and can still perform in the mountains well enough to hang with much younger athletes. In fact, six weeks following this incident, I climbed and skied off the summit of Torreys Peak, a prominent Colorado fourteener. I was still weak and a bit slower than I am accustomed to be but I did it with no problems. I have no heart disease in my family history on either side but high cholesterol runs in my maternal side and mine is not low, though the HDL:Triglyceride ratio is less than 2, a good proxy for large, fluffy LDL particles that don't contribute to plaque. The angiogram showed a small amount of plaque in that same location that is common in athletes but if I had accumulated that small amount in 60 years it was not likely to cause a true heart attack any time soon. I am eternally grateful to Dr. Jamie Doucet in Boulder for being real with me and encouraging me to get back out in the mountains. Every stress test he has administered to me told him I have an abnormal physiology that he cannot explain. He didn't have any equipment that could stress my heart and I repeated the same performance after the incident. Just like Tim, my one of my brothers said if this could happen to me, they were all doomed. Sadly, he passed away from COVID in February, 2021. I get vaccinated here in Japan every time I'm eligible. I wish I had met Tim in the decades I lived in Boulder. I'm sure we have mutual friends there.

[@3581tossit]

Endurance athletes have a greater likelihood of heart attack than people who regularly exercise at moderate intensity. Coronary artery calcification, atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter are more likely in endurance athletes. HIIT should consist of no more that 20% of your exercise regimen.

[@c-c7792]

Awesome interview. Thanks!

[@markreihl7742]

TO is first class! Great interview Rich... Thanks

[@judithgolledge1960]

Such great viewing guys, very insightful interviews, love it❣️

[@csgarrett1]

Rich, You are doign a great job because you've made me care about you , about Julie, and probably at least 50+ great athletes! 🤗

[@KJSvitko]

You are what you eat. Your diet impacts your health. Lower stress, reduce obesity and more exercise are key to a healthy life. Obesity in children and adults is rising across the world. Fast food and sugary drinks are contributing to the problem of poor health and obesity. Eat a healthy plant based diet and exercise regularly. Reduce or ELIMINATE cows milk, eggs, cheese and meat. Eat more salad greens, beans, fruit and vegetables. Eliminate fast food, snacks like cookies, cakes, chips, and sugary drinks and juices. Every adult and child should own a bicycle and ride it regularly. Regular exercise will help you sleep better. Yoga is a great stress reducer. Obesity is all too common today. Get off the couch. Get off the phone, ipad or video game. A variety of stretching and other exercises help with increased mobility. Ride to work, ride to school, ride for fun. Every city should be a bicycle city. Speak up for bicycles in your community

[@MDZac2024]

Eliminating eggs and meat are a massive misguided thing to say. Explain the Hadza and Maasai who have diets that are 60-80% animal based fat and protein, yet no heart disease, cancer, diabetes. You plant based folks fail to acknowledge the reality of what human diets have been composed of. Ever consider Tim’s diet was HEAVY in carbs which requires dirty metabolism aka glycolysis, aka increased ROS production and oxidative stress. On the flip side, beta hydroxybutyrate activates genes to increase endogenous antioxidant production, meaning in a state of ketosis our bodies are optimizing and eliminating oxidative stress. When we look at likely behaviors of our ancestors and current hunter gatherers we see populations who spend a considerable amount of time in ketosis since the availability of carbs in nature isn’t nearly as available as is in modern lifestyles. The notion humans are supposed to eat lots of plants, low fat, high carb is about as misinformed as can be. It makes absolutely no sense from an anatomical or physiological angle. But plant based dogmatists could never be that intellectually honest.

[@aprilracine]

I agree with everything you’ve said.

[@Lolipop59]

But for whom are you saying all that ? Or preaching? People who should read what you wrote are not here to read it. Waste of time.

[@favoritefrontrangehomes7235]

I was out for a fun ride two weeks ago… Suffered, cardiac arrest, Ironman medical personnel jumped in to help save my life!

[@Lolipop59]

What happened to you ? How did they help you ? I mean the medical team. Thank you.

[@adventuringwithmiles9315]

Looks like he didnt make it@@Lolipop59

[@CoolInOlympia]

Been waiting for this one!!!!❤❤❤❤❤

[@rogerc23]

Tim is really a great guy and ambassador for the sport along with his wife. Great listen 🏆

[@drtimoneill]

FYI a standard angiogram with an iodine dye is as good as a Cleerly from what I've heard. It images the flow through the arteries and you can easily see any blockages due to 'soft' plaque.

[@wgg6188]

What was his diet? Inflammation and plaque build up is generally from animal protein. Athletes should avoid large amounts of animal protein.

[@vondy6563]

Talks about diet 55:25

[@eplenishing]

Great perspectives about complexity

[@RosyVilla]

Great podcast. Thank you!

[@LVQ-so5th]

Similar thing happened to me (I'm not an elite athlete but did competitive cycling at the collegiate and regional level). The take-home lesson is that fitness does not equal health. I did many years of in-depth research on this topic and highly recommend the book "The Clot Thickens" by Malcolm Kendrick. It explains a unifying theory of heart disease. Unlike what was said in this interview, the problem is not red meat and, in fact, a keto diet is the approach that has worked for me for 12 years now. It's the high-carb diet of endurance athletes that leads to high triglyceride, low HDL, and small dense LDL that is typical of young people who have serious heart attacks.

[@Jasperinvests]

Couldn’t agree more. Healthy keto (with GOOD QUALITY meat) + intermittent fasting is a healthier choice than high carb diets full of ultra-processed foods from supermarkets, including any processed fake meats that are made in a lab.

[@scottblack8735]

Great interview Rich. You just left out one question. “You up for one more Kona TO?”

[@southwestlegends6912]

Tim captain America himself 🔥

[@KJSvitko]

Even children today have signs of artery disease. Fast foods and sugary drinks have long term consequences. There is an obesity epidemic today where over 60% of the population is overweight or obese. What is common today and "NORMAL" is not healthy. The average person today is not healthy and is taking medications. Heart attacks were once only common in people over 65. Today people in their 40 are having heart attacks. Add more plants and vegetables to your diet and less junk and overly processed foods

[@johngarrity6687]

Good interview BUT... Incorrect info on LAD and left sided jaw pain. See AHA or med site for accurate info and see your doc if questions. There are typical and atypical manesfestations of heart/cardiovascular disease. Don't wait❤

[@ericyoahan]

From the first minute of the podcast, i was questioning "did you vax? ". Strange no talk about it

[@jasonolinger7585]

This guys kids must have super genetics.

[@heidikeller50]

Better than a heart attack mid-cheeseburger while going up stairs

[@BenjaminBriu]

Awesome!!

[@gpgactive]

I rarely comment on things, however to start off a podcast with the Interviewee saying that covid was “more prevalent” in Australia in Feb 2020 vs the US because of “it’s proximity to China” is just factually incorrect and ignorant. It is a 11hrs 40 flight from Sydney to Beijing vs a 12hrs flight from Beijing to LA (20min difference?)…On Feb 14 2020 there were 15 reported cases in the US and 15 in Australia. By May there were over 30,000 in the US and only 6,000 in Australia. And then a year later relate your chest symptoms to how you felt 12 months prior, Please don’t share false facts regarding the cause of your symptoms.

[@southwestlegends6912]

This fuckin guy.

[@bettycarolan6663]

I thought the same to. It took off so fast in the States.

[@swites]

Cov was around mid to late 2019 in China. The biggest annual human migration (Chinese new yr) was on Jan 25th 2020. And goes for 15th days. This is the time of yr for holidays and travel traditionally for them. Popular destination spots Europe States, Australia...So cov would have started circulating in all these places from late Jan /early Feb 2020. Remember the population in Aust is 26mill vs 336mill. 30,000 in the US equates to 2,321 in Australia. So AU by May had nearly 3x's as man cov cases as the States per head of population. So it's indeed possible he picked up cov in Australia in Feb 2020, and more likely he picked up cov there, than in the US. So you can't accuse him of spreading false facts, when he was only stating his opinion.

[@Lolipop59]

Incorrect. Ypu didn't calculate C per capita of population. And he might be right in what he is saying. You guys are always so smart .

[@CMoore8539]

New Subscriber here.❤ I’d really like to know if he took the vaccines or not.?

[@karenpalmer4061]

He got Covid before the vaccine was available. Covid can damage the heart tissue. There is no evidence tho that this is what happened to him. He had a blocked artery, that takes years to happen.

[@vandengrey6912]

That's the same question I was thinking about? As health conscious as many of these people are, many are not that smart and trust the medical establishment; which just dumbfounds me

[@heatherbeth4249]

Yep.

[@MatthewBadgett]

His heart attack occurred in March 2021, before he was eligible for the vaccine. So guessing he didn't get the vaccine before the heart attack...

[@meseekingyah3041]

Yes, same question I have.

[@vondy6563]

Haven’t listened yet… but was he plant-based?

[@swites]

No, and still isn't.

[@Ragnar-Viking]

My story is very similar to Tim's.

[@corneliushfc4370]

Had he had he jabs? Strange he doesn’t mention that.

[@jasonf1797]

Had to be, to be travelling all over the world. Definitely because of the shot 💉

[@GTKJNow]

What is luck?

[@Shevock]

Great interview. He says he's not running in Kona this year because they moved it to France. Next up, they're moving the London Marathon to Muldova. Seriously though, the attitude of the Euro runners who won and don't cars about native Hawaiian culture is what's broke about triathlon.

[@jstekic]

If your inspiration had been Novak Djokovic, you would have not had this heart attack!!!!!!! just be like NOVAK DJOKOVIC!!!!!!! (you understand what I am talking about).

[@evanlouis8853]

sorry folks...but I wonder if this guy has done his homework since having a heart attack? Doesn't sound like it. I would not be surprised to know that he still eats red meat. The only thing I heard him say is that one of his doctors suggested not eating red meat. I'm not getting the impression that this fellow is a good ambassador as to what to do about heart disease. He also mentioned that he thinks he needs to get more fiber. Holy moly...would this guy even know who Dr Esselsytn is? Does he watch the Rich Roll podcast?

[@bjreed1251]

I can't believe he doesn't consider plant-based either, after a heart attack! I had a PB cardiologist, they are out there.

[@catherinekasmer9905]

I agree. Surprised Rich didn’t mention Dr. Ornish or Rip Esselstyn who have been on the show.

[@signawp]

Lol! Professional triathletes eat healthily. Especially at the Ironman distance. Watch the episodes of the Tim and Rinny Show after the heart attack. His condition, he stated, is genetic.

[@Jasperinvests]

So are you suggesting he eats fake meat products that are genetically engineered in a lab? All those ultra processed foods are real good for you 🫠

[@Vincentmpalermo]

How many Covid shots did he get

[@UFPhotos]

It just goes to show you how random everything is. There could be a guy who smokes cigarettes from the time they are 13 and live to 80. Even if you do everything right and are a supreme athlete it could still happen. It’s just the luck of the draw when it comes down to it.

[@jamesrose2312]

Pathphysiologically speaking, it makes absolute sense how Tim had a heart attack. Its actually not just random.

[@CMoore8539]

@@jamesrose2312 I’m wondering if he took the vaccines.

[@rogerc23]

Nutrition is the deciding factor. It’s like Japan that had one of the highest per capita smoking rates but no where near those cancer rates. The standard America diet is an heart attack machine. Also it’s a bit odd to pretend that long distance triathlon is healthy. It’s extreme stress on every bodily system, especially the heart. So that requires really smart levels of recovery and anti inflammatory nutrition.

[@Gsp_in_NYC]

@@jamesrose2312 agree. it's not random..it's like doing cocaine all night. don't run your heart to endless extremes pointlessly

[@freeian2]

@@rogerc23 Hi Roger. They did have quite a high rate of strokes-which transitioned to myocardial infarction once they relocated to U.S. adopting standard diet.

[@CarisaRealtor]

Vitamin k2

[@moonflower761]

Rich you need to do some more research on covid as smart as you are.

[@MichaelHoward13]

I think endurance sports or excersing excessively strains the heart. Don't think Ill ever again run over 7 miles at a time

[@angelrivas4042]

7 miles 🤣🤣

[@Naah732]

Yeah man you really pushed the limit with 7 miles

[@aprilracine]

@@Naah732😂

[@lawnmower11]

Nice work ignoring the Obvious cause

[@meseekingyah3041]

S.h.o.t

[@nathaneley6486]

Vaaaaxed?

[@meseekingyah3041]

@@WalksOfWonder-BC why do you think that is? I'm seriously wondering, he's supposed to be so health conscious, seeking answers?

[@sharin922]

I wish I could just listen to what his diet was without having to listen to the entire thing. Also, don't eat HIGH GLYCEMIC FOODS. Low sustainable glucose won't spike your blood glucose. 🙏🏽

[@SuperAwesomedude20]

Seems like he avoids red meat and that’s about it. All the other basics like eating fiber etc he does

[@lilianlilian9461]

So much cope. You are NOT superhuman fit if your heart fails.

[@kingoflv-1]

rich tries to amp this up but......

[@danafoltin8114]

Statistics show that a professional athletes do not live any longer than an average couch potato. That shows that the body just doesn't like extremes.

[@MartinVran]

Are there statistics for WFPB athletes?

[@Yates__]

Did he get the 💉?

[@sandeephunjan]

Valid question. Many sports organizations mandated athletes take it. I also want to know.

[@littleedenflowerschannel440]

Probably

[@freeian2]

No idea. But would there be confounding evidence for a long term Covid scenario leading to underlying inflammation contributing to the event.

[@MatthewBadgett]

His heart attack occurred before the vaccine was available to him.

[@smilebot484]

He said he got Covid before vaccines. Sorry to bust the conspiracy

[@tblightningbolt8902]

💉

[@theartificialintelligencebiz]

vaccine related?

[@vandengrey6912]

Vaccinated?

[@nerovirtus381]

No , epo.

[@MatthewBadgett]

Maybe after. But he wasn't eligible til the month after the heart attack.

[@vandengrey6912]

@@MatthewBadgett Why wasn't he eligible before?

[@MatthewBadgett]

@@vandengrey6912 because they first opened up the vaccine to some health care workers in December of 2020 before the rest of healthcare workers and people over 90 in January of 2021. By March of 2021, it was still only available to the elderly and people with risk factors. it became available to everyone in April 2021 (1 month after his heart attack). That being said, COVID increases heart attack risk.

[@vandengrey6912]

@@MatthewBadgett hmmm. Interesting

[@pedrowilson6211]

Is he vaccinated?

[@nathaneley6486]

Vaccinated for covid?

[@jasonf1797]

I'm a big fan of TO but sounds like COVID shot to me, just sayin'

[@bro_math]

Vaccinated?