Heartrate over 180 but don't feel exerted

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suppakana
suppakana Posts: 307 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all! I have a weird situation. Normally when I'm working out, I have a good sense of what my heartrate is based off of how exerted I feel. Usually I stay around the 170-180 range because that's where I feel the most comfortable; over 180 and I start to lose energy, below 165-ish and I feel like I need to push harder. Most people, when I tell them about this, warn me of the dangers of getting my HR up above 180 and maintaining that; I've read some articles about this and agree.

However today I had a very different situation... In the middle of my cardio workout I looked at my HRM to verify where I was (I felt like I was maybe at 165, 170. Pushing it, but not terribly hard) and my monitor said I was at 186. 186??? I barely even felt winded. So I finished the workout feeling like I barely worked out. I tried to, and mostly succeeded at, keeping my HR below 180.

Now, a little while after finishing, I'm confident the problem isn't my HRM. I swapped out all the batteries recently and while I was doing my stretches my HR came down as usual. I'm almost back to my usual resting HR.

Maybe I'm just having an "off" day or something. What would you guys do in this situation? Listen to your body and push a little bit harder, or follow general wisdom and take it a bit easy?

Replies

  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    As long as your perceived effort is telling you that everything is fine I don't know that I'd worry about the heart rate being over 180. I'm usually in the 160-170s when I run and back it off when I hit the mid-180s but that's because I can tell I'm tiring at that pace. Everyone's heart rate is different and a lot of the information around heart rate is generic, based on gender and age.

    My sister and I run together. She's 2 years younger but otherwise her height, weight and conditioning are similar to mine. We'll be running a race side by side and my HR is almost always about 25-30 BPM higher than hers. Why? I have no clue, it's just something genetic that's different for her than for me.
  • suppakana
    suppakana Posts: 307 Member
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    SueInAz wrote: »
    As long as your perceived effort is telling you that everything is fine I don't know that I'd worry about the heart rate being over 180. I'm usually in the 160-170s when I run and back it off when I hit the mid-180s but that's because I can tell I'm tiring at that pace. Everyone's heart rate is different and a lot of the information around heart rate is generic, based on gender and age.

    My sister and I run together. She's 2 years younger but otherwise her height, weight and conditioning are similar to mine. We'll be running a race side by side and my HR is almost always about 25-30 BPM higher than hers. Why? I have no clue, it's just something genetic that's different for her than for me.

    ... That's a good way to look at it. Thanks! :smile:
  • levitateme
    levitateme Posts: 999 Member
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    I generally don't feel like I'm "working hard" until my HR is 185 or above and that's supposedly 95% my max. Everyone is different. If it feels good to you, I wouldn't worry too much about it.
  • Hedgehog182
    Hedgehog182 Posts: 4 Member
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    Those numbers are averages. I would not worry myself. Might mention it to the doctor, or do a little research on that maximum number. Are there exceptions to the 180 rule? What are they? Do I fit there? And since you're dealing with a maximum here, "is the feeling of well-being real?" In short, I'd be examining this Maximum and looking to see if there are cases of feeling great but still being in danger. If not, if perceived exertion is accurate in this case to, I'd go for it.
  • uconnwinsnc1
    uconnwinsnc1 Posts: 902 Member
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    I say at 21 years old I wouldn't worry about a 185 HR. If you want to talk to a doctor go ahead.
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
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    At your age, 185 isn't too much to worry about. According to the formulas, my maximum HR at 46 should be 174-181, but I measured it a couple years ago at 192.

    Another factor, though, is that in cool weather, especially if you're wearing synthetic shirts, your HRM might be misreporting. I switch between 2 HRMs (one for cycling, one for running), and both have reported heart rates up to 225 in cold, dry weather. Usually that's only in the first 5-7 minutes of a workout, before I start to sweat, at which point the electrolytes on my skin provide better conductivity for the HRM strap. Wetting the strap and licking the contacts (or using EKG gel), and using cotton or wool shirts, improves conductivity. (Of course, a cotton shirt in cold weather has its drawbacks. I'd recommend wool.)
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    As someone who has supraventricular tachycardia and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (my resting heart rate often goes as high as 225 BPM), you would know if there was an issue with your heart rate getting above 180- trust me. You would be dizzy and barely able to stand without toppling over. You might have chest pain and shortness of breath. Your body would let you know if something was medically wrong.
  • tycho_mx
    tycho_mx Posts: 426 Member
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    Everyone is different. At "conversational" riding pace my HR is about 110. My mates? 130, 140. But my maximum is about 180, while they can do the 200's.

    Conversely, I've recorded resting HR in the low 30's.

    Additionally, there are other factors - when you're fatigued, your HR climbs more slowly. If you have caffeine, it goes on higher. When it's hot, your HR is higher for a given intensity because your body needs to work harder to shed heat. That's why HR is useful, but hardly perfect as an objective exercise intensity measurement tool.


    "Max" HR is individual. The way to know it is not through a formula, but through an actual maximal effort test.
  • cowbellsandcoffee
    cowbellsandcoffee Posts: 2,975 Member
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    tycho_mx wrote: »
    "Max" HR is individual. The way to know it is not through a formula, but through an actual maximal effort test.

    ^ This. I did my test about two weeks ago. It hurt but I'm glad I have my HR numbers now.

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