Heart rate and cold ?

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Hi , So today I caught a cold and have a sore throat and a runny nose. According to my Fitbit , my heart rate is much higher than usual ( 100 bpm when resting ) and I burned a lot more calories than usual ( about 200 ) . Could this be related to me being sick or the Fitbit being highly inaccurate ?

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  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    My heart rate is higher when I am ill. I don't think we're actually burning extra calories due to the higher heart rate, I treat those days like an exception.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    Heart rate is not an indicator of calorie burn. As you've just learned, a lot of non-calorie things like being sick (or your hydration level or mood or using caffeine or other drugs) will affect your heart rate.
  • julesEMS2016
    julesEMS2016 Posts: 44 Member
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    I agree that it shouldn't be looked at as a source of higher calorie burn. It is normal for a person's heart rate to increase when they are sick. Cold medicines can also increase your heart rate.