8 Causes of Exercise-Related Chest Pain Besides a Heart Attack

Having a heart attack while exercising is possible but not common. The risk doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t exercise (unless your doctor has specifically told you otherwise). In fact, regular exercise is one of the best things you can do to lower your risk of heart disease.

However, in some cases chest pain does warrant an immediate call to your doctor or a trip to the ER. “If you feel chest heaviness or pain that comes on with exercise and resolves with stopping exercise, you should call your doctor as soon as possible as this could be a sign of coronary artery disease or a heart attack,” says Jennifer Haythe, a critical care cardiologist, associate professor of medicine in the Center for Advanced Cardiac Care at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, co-director of the Columbia Women’s Heart Center, and director of the Cardio-Obstetric Program.

Chest pain brought on by a cardiac issue can feel like pressure, similar to a heaviness that can be described as an “elephant sitting on the chest,” she says.

Other symptoms of a heart attack include pain and pressure that may radiate to the left arm or neck and jaw, as well as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, palpitations, or lightheadedness. (Keep in mind that heart attack symptoms in women tend to be different, and can include fatigue, jaw or upper back pain, and other non-chest pain symptoms.)

(Related: 15 Heart Attack Prevention Tips Every Woman Should Know)

Because a heart attack is a life-threatening event, it’s important to share with your doctor any symptoms you feel in your chest while exercising so you can be evaluated in order to rule out cardiac causes, she says. It’s also not uncommon for people to feel some minor chest pain, tightness, or discomfort during exercise, unrelated to a cardiac event, says Jim Liu, a cardiologist and assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Here are some other possible causes of exercise-related chest pain that aren’t a heart attack.

Pulled chest muscle

Did you overdo it with the push-ups or chest presses? The most common reason for someone to have chest pain during exercise is musculoskeletal pain, including pulled muscles in the chest area, Liu says. You can confirm this is your problem as musculoskeletal causes of chest discomfort will be “reproducible,” meaning that performing a certain movement or pressing on a certain spot will replicate the pain, Haythe says.

Treatment: Typically these are fairly mild injuries and rest is the best remedy for a muscle strain, Liu says. If it’s swollen, ice packs and ibuprofen can help reduce the inflammation.

Asthma

People who have asthma may develop chest tightness or cough with exertion, Haythe says. It’s one of the main symptoms of exercise-induced asthma (EIA), a narrowing of the airways in the lungs triggered by exercise.

Treatment: If you have been diagnosed with asthma, talk to your doctor about how to use your inhaler before and/or after your workouts, she says. If you’ve never had asthma, it’s possible to develop EIA at any age and you can have it independent of regular asthma. Talk to your doctor about getting an inhaler or making changes in the way you exercise, she says.

(Related: 8 Silent Signs You Have Asthma)

Respiratory infection

If you have or recently had a respiratory infection, like a cold or flu, you may feel chest discomfort with deep breathing during exercise, Haythe says. Sometimes the infection can progress to something more serious like walking pneumonia or pleurisy, in which case you may feel sharp, stabbing chest pain with breathing during exercise, Liu says.

Treatment: If you are mainly over your cold and the pain is slight, it may simply mean you haven’t given your body quite enough rest yet to recover. But, if the pain worsens or you have trouble breathing, see a doctor immediately to rule out other infections or complications, he says.

Heavy breathing

Some people, particularly those new to exercise, may be surprised at how intense it can feel when you are breathing very heavily. For instance, if you’ve just completed a hill sprint at maximum exertion, you may feel chest pain or tightness for a few minutes while trying to catch your breath. “When people exercise, movement of the upper body and deeper breathing will cause the bones and muscles of the rib cage to stretch and move, sometimes quite a bit,”Liu says. Breathing heavily in cold air, like running outside during the winter, can also trigger chest pain or discomfort.

Treatment: Taking a little rest during your workout, until your breathing returns to normal, should resolve the feeling. If it doesn’t, talk to your doctor about other possible sources of the pain.

Injured ribs

It’s not just muscles that can be injured or cause flare-ups during exercise. You may feel pain in the bones of your rib cage or clavicle, Liu says. Bone “bruises” are injuries from an impact that aren’t a fracture. They are fairly common and can result from running into or dropping something on your chest. These feel like a dull ache and may be tender to the touch in a particular spot. It’s also possible to dislocate or break your ribs, which causes intense, stabbing chest and/or back pain.

(Related: 3 Simple Ways to Prevent Back Pain)

Treatment: Bruises should heal on their own with rest and time, but if you suspect a break or dislocation you likely need X-rays to see the extent of the damage and figure out a treatment plan, says Liu. Call your doctor.

Costochondritis

Costochondritis is a very common cause of chest pain, Liu says. It is a condition where the cartilage between the ribs becomes inflamed and is often described as “chest wall pain,” adds Haythe. There are many causes of this type of inflammation, but lifting heavy weights and strenuous exercise are common culprits.

Treatment: Most of the time this will go away on its own and treatments are just to manage the pain while you recover, he says. Ibuprofen or other NSAIDs can help reduce pain and inflammation.

Heartburn

Any exercise that puts pressure on your abdomen — including weight lifting, ab crunches, some yoga poses, or high-impact workouts — can trigger gastroesophageal reflux, where the contents of your stomach are pushed back up into your esophagus. You may have a feeling of fullness or pain right below your ribs or a burning pain that radiates up your chest into your mouth or neck, Haythe says. You also may have a sour taste in your mouth.

Treatment: Most people with acid reflux or GERD know what triggers it. Avoid eating right before your workout. Talk to your doctor about other lifestyle modifications or medications that can help reduce your pain and other symptoms.

Angina

“There are other heart-related causes, such as angina, which can cause chest pain during exercise,” Liu says. Angina is chest pain related to blockages in the coronary arteries, which in turn limit blood flow to the heart. This is different from a heart attack. With angina, the pain usually goes away when you rest and stop exercising, when the heart does not need as much blood flow, he says.

Treatment: Angina chest pain may not be a heart attack but it might mean one is on the way and should be taken seriously, he says. “It is usually associated with coronary artery disease symptoms such as hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking history, and may indicate a serious heart condition,” he says. Typically, your doctor will order a stress test or a heart catheterization to diagnose the cause of the angina. Medications are usually used first to try to help with the symptoms, but coronary artery stents may also be required, he says.

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