HRM slows down heart beat. Who else?

yirara

A quick question: if you use a heart rate monitor, does something happen to your heart rate when you look at it? Whenever I work out and look at my heart rate it goes down by around 10 beats per minute. It's kind of annoying when I'm training so intensely that I cannot speak anymore (like spinning classes) as I get seriously out of breath once my heart beats slower. I can also lower my heart beat and blood pressure just by looking at a measuring thingy at a doctor. Freaked a nurse out when the beep beep beep suddenly slowed down.

EvgeniZyntx

There has been research since the 70s on the mechanism of voluntary HR changes from external feedback. While exact mechanism aren't really fully understood, you can train yourself to either influence HR or, in your case, practice so that it doesn't affect you as it does.

It seems you have more ease than most, it is rare in untrained individuals.

yirara

Hey, thanks a lot EvgeniZyntx,

I suppose I'm not completely untrained. As a kid I spent a lot of time at the local swimming pool, trying to dive further or longer than previous attempts. At a certain moment I just realized I can go longer if I relax and if my heart beats slowly. It now just happens kind of automatically, or indeed when I relax or 'want' the machine to show less. I never tried it the other way around though. Maybe it does work?