Heart rate monitors while taking beta blocker

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krevelle65
krevelle65 Posts: 189
in Fitness and Exercise
I have high blood pressure. I take a beta blocker to control it. I was looking in to getting a HRM. I stumbled across some article that said if you take beta blocker don't use HRM. My main exercise is walking. Any information would be helpful.

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  • katheern
    katheern Posts: 213 Member
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    You should probably talk to your doctor about this.
  • sjackson902
    sjackson902 Posts: 154 Member
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    Why did it say not to use a HRM if you're using a beta blocker?
  • krevelle65
    krevelle65 Posts: 189
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    Beta blockers control your blood pressure by lowering your heart rate. According to this article, your heart rate would read low and you might be pushing your body too hard by trying to get heart rate to a typical target zone. We have a shortage of doctors in my area. My doctor said taking beta blocker wouldn't effect my working out at all, that the drug wouldn't effect my target heart rate. I got the feeling she was dismissing me. Like a person my size wouldn't workout enough for it to matter. I would change doctors if any of the good ones were taking new patients.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    You can use an HRM, but the calorie data will be even more worthless than usual and you will have to develop your own "heart rate response" scale.

    A beta blocker blocks receptors in your heart that are responsible for increasing heart rate. Your maximum heart rate is limited--it's like a speed "governor" on an engine. You can still exercise and the heart rate will still increase, just not as much as someone without a beta blocker. How much max HR will be limited is quite variable.

    When people use heart rate target guidelines for exercise, the target heart rates are based partially on maximum heart rate. There are calculations to estimate max heart rate but, again, these are only applicable to non-drug-affected heart rates.

    So you can use an HRM to monitor exercise heart rate, but you can't use any of the heart rate guidelines that come with the monitor or that you would find on various fitness sites. In the old days for cardiac rehab we used to do symptom-limited stress tests to determine the patient's actual max heart rate, but nobody would do that anymore.

    If you want to look at heart rate "numbers" to monitor your exercise, you will have to compare your perceived exertion to the number you see on the HRM. In other words, you will have to work out at certain perceived exertion levels (easy, medium, hard), and see what the heart rate is at those levels.

    You might ask: "well if I am already using perceived exertion to determine my intensity, what do I need a HRM for?" My answer would be: "good question".

    The only medical reason not to use an HRM is if your doctor had never told you that your beta blocker medication significantly lowered your exercise HR and you overworked yourself trying to achieve the heart rates listed in the manual.

    Otherwise the reason for someone on beta blockers not to use an HRM is practical, not medical.
  • krevelle65
    krevelle65 Posts: 189
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    Thank you for the information, I think I will keep doing what I am doing. I was just wondering if I was working at a rate that was optimal for losing weight. It seems to be a slow process and I hate exercise. I have been walking with a pedometer. I am slowing trying to increase the speed without getting shin splint. I am currently around 3 to 3.1 mph for about 35 minutes. Earlier this spring it took 40 minutes to walk same course. Thanks Kathy
  • D_Sampson
    D_Sampson Posts: 3
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    Thanks for the information. I, too, take a beta blocker for blood pressure. You have given a very good explanation.

    I have been wondering if a HRM would be beneficial and now I know. I'm stuck in a plateau and am searching for information to get out of it. Thought that monitoring calorie burn would be helpful. I'm journaling food intake and exercise (using the machine calorie burn), but am just searching. Thanks again.

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