My heart is going to blow up soon!

[Angry Atheist]

Hey,

I just got back from a ride in the bush with a new heart rate monitor and there seems to be something wrong... with me!

I checked the calibration of the HRM with a 'finger on the neck artery' tests and the results match up almost exactly, but when I went for a ride the results I got were a bit strange.

My heart rate over a 2.5 hour period averaged out around 188bpm. The chart of my performance has even a few peaks of 203bpm, with my lowest being 174bpm in downhill or flat areas.

I'm 33 and I should be dead.

According to the 'research', its something like 220-age=max heart rate. My ride was quite hard over a 2.5 hour period (but still riding in control) and taking HRM measurement and the 'finger on neck for 15 sec' just to make sure that i'm sure as well just to make sure that the product I bought isn't wrong (Polar 725). it's working well and still I get these high readings. (55km distance, XC mainly and lovely uphills - Glenrock, Newcastle)

I do know that the higher your heart rate the worse your health, I'm non-smoker, 98kg, 178cm. I'm slightly fat (recent weight addition), but I used to be a above average fitness years ago. My lungs empty vs full is 19cm, blood pressure as normal (checked before ride) and yet I had a heart rate at times of over 100% and felt no adverse effects besides the usual slightly burning lungs and legs.

Weird.

Is this something that is a common occurance with others in this sport (over 100% rate heart at extended periods), or should I start writing my will?

[NCR600]

I guess the charts for heart rate are similar for those of BMI.

When I was using a HRM for training many years ago I could never even begin to approach my maximum rate in even the most arduous of sprints. (in fact I never could get past the rate reccomended for fat burning!) At the same time my BMI indicated that I was 20 kg overweight, despite the fact I was covering nearly 400 km a week on the bike, and doing extensive weight and spin sessions!

I guess you need to modify the scale to suit your own body. The way you feel while training is probably the best indication of how hard you are working, not a set of numbers on a HRM.

[Woodsie]

The calculation for max heart rate is an approximation, and it is perfectly normal to vary from this formula. If, as this exercise has shown, your heart can go up to 203, then 203 is probably your actual max heart rate.

Your fitness will impact your resting heart rate, but I think it has minimal impact on your max heart rate. If I understand it correctly the important figure is the gap between your resting and max heart rates. So I think the ideal is to have a low resting and a high max. But I could be wrong on this point.

[Ham]

if you're vision didn't get blurry and you didn't pass out then theres a good chance that you didn't reach your max.

that hr chart is not very accurate for instance george hincapie is 35 and his mhr is around 220 when according to the chart it should be 185, don't be concerned unless there is any pain or dizziness there are ways to get your proper mhr but i cant recall the exact way of the top of my head.

Im 22 and my mhr is around 210.

[Woodsie]

Of course the mighty Wikipedia has some good info on it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_rate

[thecat]

According to the 'research', its something like 220-age=max heart rate.

That is a very rough guide only.

As for high heart rate being bad for your health, I think that's to do with resting heart rate not your max heart rate.

[slip]

As above, you should be fine. Trained athletes can often maintain a higher heart rate due to their conditioning. Untrained people often have a higher heart rate for a given level of effort because they are untrained. People are all over the shop, I do the calculations when I train someone, sometimes it's right, sometimes it's not.

Have a look at the heart rates for athletes, even in motorsport. You see some big numbers maintained.

[Ricardo68]

Be very concered. Those numbers are high.

I had a trip to hostpital after a simillar experience running a year ago. This is off the back of running 10kms, three times a week for a couple of years. I was in a race and was going harder than ever before and my heartrate stayed at 180+bpm for an hour, not sure of peak but would have been 200+.

I'm like you, mid 30s, a bit overweight and used to fit as. Anyway I passed out, woke up in a hostpital bed with drips in both arms, covered in wires, surrounded by doctors & nurses ... the full bit.

After I was lying on the hostpital bed with the Dr with the zapper-paddles out ready to go I kinda thought it was time to back off. You should too mate!

[Turner_rider]

My heart rate over a 2.5 hour period averaged out around 188bpm. The chart of my performance has even a few peaks of 203bpm, with my lowest being 174bpm in downhill or flat areas.

I'm 33 and I should be dead.

I'm also 33 and peak at 202-204 is all out stupid sprints or those uphill drag races when you are out riding socially.

If you are like me you are probably just a hummingbird rather than an elephant (heart rate wise). But you may also be getting some interference for external sources - powerlines, buried cables etc.

If you are really worried talk to you GP and loose about 15kg so you don't have to work so hard. ;)

[Angry Atheist]

Ok, I spoke to a GP and they said that it isn't normal for the general populace to have such high sustained heart rates (5% off max) without excessive fatigue. The only reason, he thinks, I got consistent high readings is either the HRM is out of calibration or that I am fitter that I thought.

Well, without blowing air up anyone's ass, I didn't think that my fitness would hold once I had inadvertantly gained weight. The doctor explained that building the heart in my youth has probably conditioned it to be stronger and more optimised for exercise than the normal accepted median for fitness of the general populace. This means that I could have a higher than normal exercise heart rate and still feel good, but at the same time my weight addition means that my heart has to work slightly harder than normal (indicated by going over 100% of maximum classical heart rate - that being 220-age).

The doctor recommended that I try to keep it at a lower sustained rate (approx 10% less than MaxHR of 203) if I'm to not damage the muscle.

My resting heart rate is 61.

My opinion of this is that I don't feel "buzzed" if i don't go like the clappers when out riding. If the buzzed feeling is the because I'm in the borderline fainting-area, then I certainly don't feel like I will collapse. I think adrenaline might have something to do with that.

Oh well, If i get a heart attack, at least i have fun doing it!

Thx for opinions. The indications are that I'm not the only one. :p

[gasman]

fantastic, thanks for sharing that little tale, I am virtually exactly the same as you (age, weight, life tale) and suffer a similar fate, like you said, at least you'll be happy if ya have the HA
cheers
GASMAN

[Angry Atheist]

UPDATE:

I just re-read my thread and I forgot an important point:

I can suffer from hypo-glycemia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypoglycemia). That is, low blood sugar if i don't eat regularly. Its not everyday occurance, but it is something i have to be aware of, hence, the blood pressure monitor, the glucose meters etc. etc. I do not need injections or such, the hypos are controlled with diet. The regular eating is something which is the cause of my weight gain. The food intake isn't balanced with the exercise output. My regular weight used to be 72kg. The last three years have been the weight gain.



Ok, I tried my friend's HRM and I got more of less the same readings. I would have been very surprised if that Polar product was out of whack for such a quality product and brand name.

Thx for your feedback. I never really concerned myself with my performance (or lack of, rather :p ), so if you guys have similiar experience, then at least, I'm won't be alone in the heart-attack hospital ward! :D

hmmm :eek:

[Cave Dweller]

Don't worry, i think the circular saw blade will get you before your heart explodes.............


:D

[Angry Atheist]

wahahaha....

*breathe


wahahahaha