Scarily High HR?
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clairrob
Posts: 38 Member
Does anyone else have the issue where their heart rate is way to high for their age when exercising?
To preface, I've lost a lot of weight and I am only 7lbs away from an 'ideal' BMI for my height.
I don't like cardio because my heart rate is always too high, I only warm up with 5 minutes of cardio before proceeding onto strength training to warm up my body and muscles.
Recently my HR has been peaking at 204bpm, I am 28 so my maximum HR should be 192bpm. When I exercise I'd like to mention that I am not over-exerting or pushing myself, I am only exercising within my comfort zone and abilities but my body just tells me nope this is too much. It even peaks this way during strength training. Of course I listen to my body and take a rest when I see these spikes but it is a little worrying.
My family has a history of poor heart health, my Father had his first heart attack at 44 whilst fit and healthy.
I have a Doctor's appointment for this today, but would like to know if someone has experienced similar to me?
To preface, I've lost a lot of weight and I am only 7lbs away from an 'ideal' BMI for my height.
I don't like cardio because my heart rate is always too high, I only warm up with 5 minutes of cardio before proceeding onto strength training to warm up my body and muscles.
Recently my HR has been peaking at 204bpm, I am 28 so my maximum HR should be 192bpm. When I exercise I'd like to mention that I am not over-exerting or pushing myself, I am only exercising within my comfort zone and abilities but my body just tells me nope this is too much. It even peaks this way during strength training. Of course I listen to my body and take a rest when I see these spikes but it is a little worrying.
My family has a history of poor heart health, my Father had his first heart attack at 44 whilst fit and healthy.
I have a Doctor's appointment for this today, but would like to know if someone has experienced similar to me?
3
Replies
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Does your heartrate go down when you stop exercising? If so then there's likely nothing to worry about.
Yeah, there's this 220-age equation, but it's only true within plus or minus 12 beat per minute for about 68% of a population. So according to this equation your normal maximum heartrate would be 220-28 = 192 plus/minus 12, thus 180-204. And that's only true for about 68% of everyone. Another 27% get another plus minus 12bpm on top of this, thus a deviation of plus/minus 24. And another 5% get this tree times. That's for normal, healthy people.
So there's a possibility that you're just not very fit and your HR goes rather high at the moment. This will go down eventually as you get fitter. Cardio is excellent for this. Try to do 1-2 sessions per week where you go so slow that you can still talk coherently and go as long as you can. If you're running then this might be very slow indeed. It's these slow and long runs that build fitness and get your heartrate down slowly. But don't run further than 10% more each week to prevent injury. If you can do 5km this week then don't do more than 5.5km the next, etc.
Another possibility is what I demonstrated above: it's just your normal hr. Doctors generally don't know much about this and just assume 220-age holds totally true for everyone. Sports physicians know more about this. Nothing to worry about. It's just genetically determined.
If your hr doesn't go down when you go slower or stop then it might be worth discussing with your doctor. You might have POTS. You can test this at home if you're not at risk of fainting. does your HR go up by more than 30bpm within 10 minutes of getting out of bed and not doing anything? Then it might be this.
But yes, if you have a family history of heart problems then get it checked out. But a high HR is generally not a problem. There are some heart problems where you might want to keep your HR lower overall, but that's something your doctor has to tell you.4 -
My HR is naturally quite high. I don't fit the average that the 220 minus age gives. I've been unning regularly for 10+ years and I can still end up in the 170s on an easy run. Higher if I push myself. I'm in my mid-60s, so my max is supposed to be in the 150s, which is actually where my HR is soon after I start my runs.
Do you feel breathless? Then you need to slow down. Can you carry on a conversation as you work out? Then you are probably just fine. Checking with your doctor is always a good idea, but a high HR doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong.1 -
Yeah, I run high as well, but my HR recovers quickly when I stop. I spoke with my doctor about it about 10 years ago. She said with no other symptoms, not to worry about it. Good luck, glad you are checking with the doctor, but don't let it freak you out.1
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Let us know how the doctor consult went, if you feel comfortable doing so?
Other than that, I'm just chiming in for the ditto: 220-age is an approximation, inaccurate for many people. (It's more a genetic thing than a fitness thing, though reportedly fit people see less heart rate decline as they age.) If you have no symptoms - faint feeling, weakness, sense of heartbeat fluttering or "beating out of your chest", etc., you're probably fine. Check in with your doctor next time you see him/her, if that would be reassuring.
I'm 67, so my HRmax should be 153. My heart rate was sports-tested a few years back, which suggested my HRmax was then around 181. It may've declined a bit since, but I think not much. I don't visit anything above the 160s very often (just lazy!), but how I feel over 153 is about how I'd expect to feel if HRmax is still around 180-ish.
If my max is close to what it used to be, then 153 should be about 80% HRreserve, or 85% HRmax. I can hold that 153+ for at least a few minutes at a time, and it feels like 80% reserve should, i.e., breathing hard, sweating, challenging, but not anything like I'm imminently about to collapse or die.
HRmax, in a healthy HR response, isn't a a number of beats per minute we shouldn't go above, it's a number we can't go above. Obviously, the words "healthy HR response" are important there, and that's where symptoms and questions to one's doctor enter the picture.
As an aside, a medical stress test may not give an accurate HRmax number either: They made my stress test stop when I got to high enough age-estimated levels that they had the data they needed, even though I still had enough breath left to argue with them while still exercising. 🤣
If you're not sure of your actual max, but you're sure your heart is healthy, it can make sense to use RPE (rate of perceived exertion) to manage your fitness planning. There are various RPE schemes on the web. This one seems pretty reasonable, to me:
There are lots of self-tests for HRmax (or tests that can be done with an amateur helper outside a sports lab). You would ideally want one that's specific to your most practiced CV sport/activity. There are ones that try to take you to true maximum, there are ones that are submaximal and try to project max.
No one who is not well trained - i.e., quite fit - should be doing any of these self tests. It would be conservative to delay doing a true-max test until after a chat with the doctor first, besides.1 -
Hi everyone, thanks for all of your responses! They definitely helped me ease my anxiety on the issue.
The doctor has ordered an ECG (I am hoping its an active one as my HR and BP is super normal at rest) and some blood tests to check my iron, thyroid levels, kidneys, liver etc. basically they're checking for everything. I'm looking to have these tests in the next few days.
Per the graphic that @AnnPT77 provided above (which is so helpful, thank you!), my activity level when reaching these highs is around a 5.5 on the 1-10 intensity scale. Unfortunately I do have some symptoms that do go alongside it such as sharp chest pains and the feeling of my heartbeat in my head, which is why my doctor is concerned especially with my family history.
I'm so sad because I changed my lifestyle 3 months ago for my mental health and now my body is telling me to stop. I'm not letting it deter me, I'll just have to reduce activity until there's a solution but the gym is finally my happy place
I'll update when the results are in in around a week.2 -
I'm 67, so my HRmax should be 153. My heart rate was sports-tested a few years back, which suggested my HRmax was then around 181. It may've declined a bit since, but I think not much. I don't visit anything above the 160s very often (just lazy!), but how I feel over 153 is about how I'd expect to feel if HRmax is still around 180-ish.
I'm 48, thus my HRmax should be around 172. If I run very slow my HR gets close to 172, and I've been running for 8 years. My max is around 205. Cool! 220-205 = 15. I'm sooo young!
When I was younger, as a student I often saw a HR of over 220. Go figure.3 -
Hi everyone, thanks for all of your responses! They definitely helped me ease my anxiety on the issue.
The doctor has ordered an ECG (I am hoping its an active one as my HR and BP is super normal at rest) and some blood tests to check my iron, thyroid levels, kidneys, liver etc. basically they're checking for everything. I'm looking to have these tests in the next few days.
Per the graphic that @AnnPT77 provided above (which is so helpful, thank you!), my activity level when reaching these highs is around a 5.5 on the 1-10 intensity scale. Unfortunately I do have some symptoms that do go alongside it such as sharp chest pains and the feeling of my heartbeat in my head, which is why my doctor is concerned especially with my family history.
I'm so sad because I changed my lifestyle 3 months ago for my mental health and now my body is telling me to stop. I'm not letting it deter me, I'll just have to reduce activity until there's a solution but the gym is finally my happy place
I'll update when the results are in in around a week.
That sounds like a very good doctor! Good he's running some checks! For the slow runs I mentioned you should be at around 2-3, thus it looks like you're a bit too fast/intense. Try to slow down so much that you can speak properly. As long as you're not quite so fit this might be a bit more difficult, but still: slow down for 1-2 sessions per week and try to increase the time you're doing this. This will build endurance, and will make you able to run faster while still being relaxed. (I'm just assuming you're running, but this is true for all cardio)2 -
Don’t “stop”. If it’s truly determined to be an issue, ask your doctor what can you do?
There’s people here with all kinds of health issues that still manage to do something.
At some point I know I’ll simply get too old to stand on my head. At that point, I’ll figure something else out to do. There’s a whole world of activities. I do aquafit four times a week with my husband. It’s low impact, but using “water bells” that create a lot more drag than the usual styrofoam ones, I can still get a great workout and enjoy silly time in the pool with him.
Like you, I’m too invested in the “healthier new me to just stop.
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And PS: both my parents passed away of heart problems and diabetes. When I started having chest pains late last year doing stupid stuff like walking up the stairs, I had a full evaluation and did allllll the tests.
I was (and still am) doing weights, running, walking miles a day, power yoga, cardio, aquafit. No chest pains except at home or at rest. 🤷🏻♀️
No problems discovered.
And boy, was that a freaking relief just to be reassured. You do what you need to do- and you need to do it- to make sure you’re OK.3 -
Hi everyone, thanks for all of your responses! They definitely helped me ease my anxiety on the issue.
The doctor has ordered an ECG (I am hoping its an active one as my HR and BP is super normal at rest) and some blood tests to check my iron, thyroid levels, kidneys, liver etc. basically they're checking for everything. I'm looking to have these tests in the next few days.
Per the graphic that @AnnPT77 provided above (which is so helpful, thank you!), my activity level when reaching these highs is around a 5.5 on the 1-10 intensity scale. Unfortunately I do have some symptoms that do go alongside it such as sharp chest pains and the feeling of my heartbeat in my head, which is why my doctor is concerned especially with my family history.
I'm so sad because I changed my lifestyle 3 months ago for my mental health and now my body is telling me to stop. I'm not letting it deter me, I'll just have to reduce activity until there's a solution but the gym is finally my happy place
I'll update when the results are in in around a week.
Oh, yikes! I wish you'd mentioned in your OP about the sharp chest pains and feeling your heartbeat in your head! That's seriously scary symptoms (which IMO purely heart rate isn't, if no other symptoms alongside). I'm so glad you were soon into your doctor, and are getting the full workup. That's perfect.
Meanwhile, for sure keep it very moderate, things your doctor is OK with. Even easy walking and some stretching have benefits, may be OK to do, if your doctor approves.
I also endorse yirara's advice about running speed. If the goal is increasing cardiovascular fitness - once cleared by your doctor! - the best route as a beginner is to build your base fitness and endurance by working at very low RPE for the amount of time you can devote without (1) accumulating fatigue that persists through the day, or (2) messing up your overall life balance (short-changing the time and energy needed for every other thing important to you).
Only after getting that base CV fitness in place would a completely healthy medically cleared person, by then post true beginner, want to start incorporating more intense intervals or short but more intense workout for part of the weekly workout sessions - maybe once or twice a week. Elite athletes in cardiovascular sports don't go at max effort every single training workout: They do most of their training time at relatively easy (for them) intensity, treating high-intensity work as more of a condiment or side dish, not a main meal. There's no reason we regular folks need to do it differently, and every reason we should follow their good example. They have the best, most advanced trainers and support people that money can buy, after all.I
I hope you get good news from your doctor once all the tests are in!0 -
It's excellent that your doctor is thinking seriously about this. After my normal yoga started getting very hard for no reason, I noticed a high heart rate problem. I had to 'fire' one doc who did zero about it. I mean, I couldn't do my normal things and he didn't bother with it at all!
The second doc, a specialist, found a heart rate problem that is apparently similar to POTS (he also said "an autonomic nervous system problem"). I don't remember its name. But the doctor put me on a much higher dose of my migraine medicine, which is really a blood pressure medicine. Propanol ER. That worked to bring the rate itself down, and fortunately the symptoms too 🙂 Ever since, I've been able to do all my normal things. For over a decade.
I hope that helps a little? Apparently the autonomic nervous system can have a few glitches here and there.1 -
Thank you!
I'm calling my doctor tomorrow for my results of my blood test and ECG, I've decided if everything comes back as 'ok' then I'll ask to be referred to a cardiologist just as a precaution.2 -
Thank you!
I'm calling my doctor tomorrow for my results of my blood test and ECG, I've decided if everything comes back as 'ok' then I'll ask to be referred to a cardiologist just as a precaution.
See if they can refer you for a stress test. With your family history I wouldn't think it would be a problem. My dad passed away at 61 from a widow maker and even though I was pretty healthy and fit, my Dr. still referred me to a cardiologist specifically for a stress test due to him being so young and also a history of cardiac issues for myself (resolved but still could pop up). I passed with flying colors.3 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »See if they can refer you for a stress test. With your family history I wouldn't think it would be a problem. My dad passed away at 61 from a widow maker and even though I was pretty healthy and fit, my Dr. still referred me to a cardiologist specifically for a stress test due to him being so young and also a history of cardiac issues for myself (resolved but still could pop up). I passed with flying colors.
The ECG tech/nurse recommended this and was surprised I wasn't referred for that instead of the ECG. Years after my Dads first heart attacks, he suffered further heart attacks and had angina so stress tests were an annual thing for him. I no longer speak to him but unfortunately I share half of his genetics lmao, can't say he didn't give me anything!
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As an aside, I'm very glad I've started to look after my health and have embarked on this weight loss, health and fitness journey. If an underlying issue is found in regards to my heart, I'm very glad I've discovered it now. Imagine if I continued living my unhealthy life with an underlying heart condition!4
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Here to update again! Everything came back as normal so I'm being referred to a cardiologist for further investigation.2
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I used to hit 200 when sprinting up hills on treadmills. What mattered was it dropped back down when I hit a slower interval.0
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@clairrob how are you doing g? We’re you able to obtain more information to help you out? Hugs2
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As others have said --- what's your heart rate do when you stop working out...does it take forever to get back down to normal or does it do that fairly quickly?
The standard equation for what your 'max heart rate' is is just a guide and it's likely that your own person max heart rate could be higher than that....so you're really not 'too high' IMO. It's surely something you might ask your doctor about especially if you are worried about cardiac issues...but I think it's likely fine.
There isn't really any way to know your own person max heart rate in reality unless you have a stress-test type thing done to actually figure it out (which takes into account your VO2 Max as well).0
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