Heart Rate Question for the Pros!

Goosiesnougs
Goosiesnougs Posts: 420
edited November 8 in Motivation and Support
Let me start off by saying I am very fit. I work out for about 2-3 hours a day. I have a Polar HRM that I LOVE!
I was on the stairmill this A.M. before my muscle class and my trainer/friend was next to me and she noticed my heartrate was MUCH
higher than hers. At one point mine hit 178 while hers was 135 (her level was higher than mine too)
My resting heartrate first thing in the morning is normal; about 66 bpm. She took my pulse and said there seemed to be an extra "beat" that the HRM was picking up (yes, yes, I will see a dr just in case!) She's not a nurse, but still got me thinking!
Anyway, if my HRM is picking up extra beats is the calorie burn that it shows accurate? Or am I racking up extra calories thinking I can eat them and it's just thinking I worked harder than I did.
The trainer told me that if my HR was up that high there would be NO WAY I'd be able to chat with her. I'm one of those people that never shuts up though While I was climbing I definitely felt like I was working hard. My treadmill reads the same thing in the A.M. as the HRM shows, as do the machines at the gym, so it's not the monitor. When I use the treadmill for intervals it spikes during the run and back down again when I walk.
I'm just wondering if this is normal? I'm 5'7.5" and 130 lbs and like I said really physically fit (IMHO) 34 years old and female
Does anyone have this same problem with their heartrates hitting an "abnormal" high?
Thanks in advance for any info. you guys have for me!

Replies

  • mzjstef
    mzjstef Posts: 62 Member
    Hi! I recently bought a Polar HRM as well. My maximum heart rate has been 176, my resting is around high 60's as well. However, when I'm at 176, there is no way I could carry on a conversation! I'm 5'2", 129 lbs. I'm in pretty good shape, workout hard, and I'm 42...almost 43. Interested to hear the responses you get!
  • Goosiesnougs
    Goosiesnougs Posts: 420
    :happy: Me too! Thanks
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
    my polar put my max HR at 193.. when i met with a trainer at the gym he said i shouldnt try to hit 80% because no one can really go that hard for very long. im either an exception or hes wrong because i regularly stay on the elliptical for an hour and the majority of the time im between 160-165. i can talk while i do so, but ive never tried to have a full convo, i might have to take a breath every few words? the other night i was in the low 170s for a good 15 minutes at least.. i probably wouldnt have been able to talk at that point - i was pushin pretty hard.
  • Goosiesnougs
    Goosiesnougs Posts: 420
    I"ve never been up that high! HOLY COW!! I think my max is around 180.........definitely not able to carry on a conversation. Normally while I'm on a machine or in a good class it regularly gets up to 155-165 and stays there.
    I am taking very deep breaths before I say a sentence, but can definitely get out what I want to say. When I spin the same, but between songs (30 seconds or so) the HR will go right back down to 140-150, but right back up again when I work.
    So so so happy to hear you guys have the same thing happening.
    Do you think I can "safely" eat my exercise calories without going over?
  • SassyCalyGirl
    SassyCalyGirl Posts: 1,932 Member
    interesting. I have mitro valve prolapse- my heart does a "extra" beat every 45 seconds. But then it "skips" to catch up and I have not noticed my HR being anything out of the norm. I don't think it would effect the HRM-doesn't seem to effect mine.
  • sskitka
    sskitka Posts: 33 Member
    Hi I'm an RN and from what I believe, If your heart is beating an extra beat yes FIND OUT WHY but it is also working harder and burning more calories... 170's not healthy to maintain for long periods of time, just be careful but the work your heart does equals calories burned so yes you can eat your calories back safely.
  • kbw414
    kbw414 Posts: 194
    "The trainer told me that if my HR was up that high there would be NO WAY I'd be able to chat with her."

    When I've been exercising recently, my heart rate has been up near 165-170 bpm, as per my heart rate monitor (which is new and I am convinced is accurate). I CAN hold up a (somewhat gaspy) conversation while I'm at that level of intensity, despite being overweight and unfit. I'm in my twenties, though. I don't know how old your friend is, but I know that if I exercised at 135 bpm, I wouldn't really be doing much of a cardio workout...
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
    I don't know how old your friend is, but I know that if I exercised at 135 bpm, I wouldn't really be doing much of a cardio workout...
    im similar there - i get to 135 walking my daughter to school in the morning.. i tried to do heart rate interval on the elliptical the other night, and it wanted me to drop down to 120 for a minute and i just couldnt do it...i was moving so slowly the machine though i had stopped.
  • Goosiesnougs
    Goosiesnougs Posts: 420
    I totally agree with you. If I walk at a quick pace--not really fast, just quick my heartrate jumps to 130-135!
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