Brendan Fevola has shared details of his shock health scare after losing 30 kilograms following a strict diet and exercise regime.
The 43-year-old AFL great recently told how he lost a quarter of his body weight in the past 12 months in a major health overhaul.
However, he has now revealed that he had an unexpected health scare earlier this week after his heart rate suddenly plummeted on Monday.
Speaking on air on Tuesday, Brendan told how he uses a heart monitoring app on his phone, which showed his heart rate plummeted while exercising before rising to worrying levels while sitting in an armchair.
He said the alarming results prompted him to go for a health check-up and he became concerned after two of his friends tragically died from sudden heart attacks.
“I went for a health check yesterday,” she told her co-hosts on Fox FM’s Fifi, Fev and Nick breakfast show.
“Two of my colleagues have had heart attacks and two of mine have died from heart attacks,” he said matter-of-factly. “They were my age and suddenly they collapsed.”
The radio host explained that his heart rate should have been higher and that it usually sits at around 120 BPM (beats per minute) when he does his midday workout.
Brendan Fevola has shared details of his shocking health scare after losing 30kg following a strict diet and exercise regime.
However, Brendan (pictured in January) has now revealed he had an unexpected health scare earlier this week after his heart rate suddenly plummeted after exercising on Monday.
“I have a heart monitoring app on my phone, where you put your finger on the screen and it takes your pulse,” he explained.
“The other day I went for a 1,000-step run and I literally couldn’t breathe. (My heart rate) was 63… it was the lowest it had ever been.”
Brendan said his wife Alex expressed concern that the fluctuations meant “no oxygen was getting to (his) heart” when he exercised, prompting him to have a full health check.
“We both thought I was in shape,” he joked about the low heart rate during his run. “And then when I got home and I was on my couch, I looked over and it was 120, sitting there.”
After undergoing blood tests and an ECG, which check heart function, Brendan revealed he was shocked and relieved to learn everything was normal.
“I had a test for diabetes, cholesterol, prostate, iron, kidney, liver…” he shared.
“The doctor told me that the only advice she would give me is that I have a bit of a high level of stress and that I need to relax. She told me not to trust the apps. They are pretty good, but not perfect.”
Brendan went on to stress the importance of men over 40 getting health checks and said he was concerned after experiencing chest pains.
“I think it’s very important for people to go for health check-ups, but especially men over 40, because men don’t care about their health,” she added.
The AFL great, 43, recently told how he lost a quarter of his body weight in the past 12 months in a major health turnaround, shedding a massive 30kg.
“I think, ‘Oh, my heart hurts, it’ll go away,’ and that’s what we’re thinking in our minds because we’re stupid people.”
Last week, Brendan detailed his recent 30kg weight loss, saying he was “feeling great” on the keto diet after losing 9kg in a fortnight.
The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that aims to put the body into a state of ketosis where it burns fat for fuel, helping to induce weight loss.
A recent study from Harvard University on healthpublished in March 2024, warned that the “weight loss miracle” is not something to experiment with because “it is actually a medical diet that carries serious risks.”
Among those risks is increased heart rate as a side effect of ketosis, According to Healthline.
Speaking about his weight loss journey last week, Brendan said he was “two weeks” into trying the keto diet after other diets and felt “amazing.”
“It doesn’t contain carbs or sugar. I don’t like sugar very much, so I don’t eat a lot of chocolate.”
Last week, Brendan detailed his recent 30kg weight loss and said he was feeling “great” on the keto diet after losing 9kg in a fortnight. The diet can cause an increased heart rate
Brendan added that he was enjoying trying new foods as part of his diet and said he was already noticing some amazing and unexpected benefits.
“I’m going to eat cauliflower rice, cauliflower puree with something resembling meat. I’m going to eat salmon, fish, chicken. The food is really delicious, it’s everything I eat but without the carbs,” she shared.
‘I literally walk down the street now and people say, ‘Is that him, Fev?’ because I’m fading away. Last year I weighed 128kg, which is a lot.
“When this is over, I’ll be lighter than when I play at Carlton. I’ll be more or less the same weight.”