Exercise intolerance

Exercise intolerance
Other names	Exertion intolerance
EKG of a 70-year-old man with exercise intolerance
Specialty	Cardiology, pulmonology, vascular medicine/vascular surgery/phlebology, rheumatology, orthopedics, neurosurgery, neurology; exercise physiology, physical therapy/physiotherapy
Symptoms	Dyspnea, chest pain, other pains, fatigue, inappropriate rapid heart rate response to exercise
Duration	Variable
Causes	Various
Risk factors	Multiple, including sedentary lifestyle and low baseline physical activity

Exercise intolerance is a condition of inability or decreased ability to perform physical exercise at the normally expected level or duration for people of that age, size, sex, and muscle mass.^[1] It also includes experiences of unusually severe post-exercise pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting or other negative effects. Exercise intolerance is not a disease or syndrome in and of itself, but can result from various disorders.

In most cases, the specific reason that exercise is not tolerated is of considerable significance when trying to isolate the cause down to a specific disease. Dysfunctions involving the pulmonary, cardiovascular or neuromuscular systems have been frequently found to be associated with exercise intolerance, with behavioural causes also playing a part.^[2]