[ahnowbrowncow]

I've a garmin forerunner 410 with a hr monitor but I've been getting some very high heart rates that I don't think can be right.

Here's a few examples

4.42km run in 17:45 min. Avg hr 168, max hr 186. Lowest heart rates I've got even though the run was at a fast enough pace.

4.4km run in 18:47 min. Avg hr 171, max hr 201.

4.4km run in 18:50 min. Avg hr 203, max hr 237. An easy run but the hr goes through the roof

4.42km run in 17:27 min. Avg hr 201, max hr 235. Fast enough run but my heart didn't feel like it was going to explode and I didn't feel like I needed to stop.

8.1km run today in 36:02. Avg hr 194, max hr 219. A slow run and not even tired after but hr still very high .

Is my hr monitor just very inaccurate and is there any point wearing it if it keeps showing these crazy heart rates

[PaulieYifter]

Have you wet the sensors before you start?

Some of the training tops I wear (more static) cause the hr readings to go a bit crazy for the first 5-10 mins but after that its fine. Is that the case with your readings?

If the readings are nuts for the full distance then I suspect you have a faulty device.

[Ceepo]

Originally Posted by ahnowbrowncow

I've a garmin forerunner 410 with[/B] a hr monitor but I've been getting some very high heart rates that I don't think can be right.

Here's a few examples

4.42km run in 17:45 min. Avg hr 168, max hr 186. Lowest heart rates I've got even though the run was at a fast enough pace.

4.4km run in 18:47 min. Avg hr 171, max hr 201.

4.4km run in 18:50 min. Avg hr 203, max hr 237. An easy run but the hr goes through the roof

4.42km run in 17:27 min. Avg hr 201, max hr 235. Fast enough run but my heart didn't feel like it was going to explode and I didn't feel like I needed to stop.

8.1km run today in 36:02. Avg hr 194, max hr 219. A slow run and not even tired after but hr still very high .

Is my hr monitor just very inaccurate and is there any point wearing it if it keeps showing these crazy heart rates

As you said you have a Garmin with heart rate.
Garmin do gps. GARMIN DONT DO HEART RATE.

[Krusty_Clown]

Why don't you share one of the links from Garmin Connect and we'll take a look?
Garmin HRM straps are pretty good at throwing HR spikes, which will give you skewed data for your Max HR. It's down to contacts, friction, static electricity and poor design.

[rom]

Originally Posted by Krusty_Clown

Why don't you share one of the links from Garmin Connect and we'll take a look?
Garmin HRM straps are pretty good at throwing HR spikes, which will give you skewed data for your Max HR. It's down to contacts, friction, static electricity and poor design.

Poor design when polar can get it right. Pitty http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2010/04/t...eart-rate.html I have to ignore the first mile or two on every run. If the strap is very wet then I get very bad readings too. Contemplated getting a cheap polar but I would look mental with two watches.

[ahnowbrowncow]

Originally Posted by PaulieYifter

Have you wet the sensors before you start?

Some of the training tops I wear (more static) cause the hr readings to go a bit crazy for the first 5-10 mins but after that its fine. Is that the case with your readings?

If the readings are nuts for the full distance then I suspect you have a faulty device.

Yeah it's happened a few times where the hr is crazily high for the first few minutes and then it settles down but sometimes they're really high for the duration of the run.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/195978993

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/197094248

I'm guessing it's faulty, can you return them or will I just have to put up with it?

I also sweat quite a bit so maybe that is causing the inaccuracy?

[rom]

Originally Posted by ahnowbrowncow

Yeah it's happened a few times where the hr is crazily high for the first few minutes and then it settles down but sometimes they're really high for the duration of the run.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/195978993

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/197094248

I'm guessing it's faulty, can you return them or will I just have to put up with it?

I also sweat quite a bit so maybe that is causing the inaccuracy?

Do you know your max HR is ? Those spikes seem consistent. soft or hard strap ? I sweat a log too. have you washed the strap ? I used washing up liquid and warm water and let it dry fully. Don't worry about it being a battery. I used a multimeter and it ain't the issue even with low batteries. I use the polar strap with it and get better results I find.

[catweazle]

Originally Posted by rom

Contemplated getting a cheap polar but I would look mental with two watches.

I gave in and bought a cheap Polar F4 for the left wrist and my 310xt on the right, hardly notice it now and the accuracy off the Polar is great although a little bit limited data wise for my crunching the numbers after a race

[PaulieYifter]

Originally Posted by ahnowbrowncow

Yeah it's happened a few times where the hr is crazily high for the first few minutes and then it settles down but sometimes they're really high for the duration of the run.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/195978993

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/197094248

I'm guessing it's faulty, can you return them or will I just have to put up with it?

I also sweat quite a bit so maybe that is causing the inaccuracy?

The profile of these activities looks reasonable although the heart rate would be high/impossible for me (my max is <185) so it depends on what your max is.

The more you sweat and the quicker you do then the better its likely to work.

The link rom put up explains it all.

The only way to be sure is to get another monitor (say from Polar) - wear them both at the same time and compare the results.

This activity from you displays the type of profile with the spike in the first few minutes that I was talking about http://connect.garmin.com/activity/192999671

[Krusty_Clown]

How do you feel, when you're heart rate is hitting those high spikes?
If my average HR was over 200 for an 18 minute run, I would feel like I was near-death (in fact, I probably would be in cardiac arrest!).

[ahnowbrowncow]

I felt grand, they were easy enough runs so was very surprised with the hr.

I've no idea what my max hr is.

And I haven't washed the strap for a couple of runs now and it's probably a bit damp with sweat so maybe that's affecting it, I'll wash it and let it dry properly before my next run.

[Krusty_Clown]

If you're feeling grand, then it's highly unlikely that your HR is running 200bpm. It may be affected by the type of clothing you are wearing (e.g. if you are wearing two tops, it could be generating static electricity, or wearing a single top that is particularly prone to generating static).

I used to have a Polar HR monitor that gave my high readings when I ran under large electricity pylons, or secured my radio close to the HR strap.

[DixNeuf]

I also use a Garmin HRM and get strange results from it. First few runs back after a bit of a lay off (few months) and it comes back with very high readings too. But after training for a while the numbers come down. Mad really, but it doesn't bother me that much. I go more by how I feel, and the HR really is only indicitive for me.

Put it this way, in the course of a couple of weeks, I have seen it go from averaging low 200's, 190's etc average down to mid 80's, consistently declining from one sessio to the next.

[Clearlier]

Originally Posted by ahnowbrowncow

I felt grand, they were easy enough runs so was very surprised with the hr.

I've no idea what my max hr is.

And I haven't washed the strap for a couple of runs now and it's probably a bit damp with sweat so maybe that's affecting it, I'll wash it and let it dry properly before my next run.

As Paulie says the profiles of those charts are quite consistent which suggests that they're accurate or whatever it is that's going wrong is going wrong consistently so it's probably not a contact issue (incidentally I sometimes go for weeks without cleaning my strap and provided I wet the contacts almost never have problems with the numbers I see). Do you know anyone else who has a HRM that you could borrow for a run to see how it compares or somebody else who knows what their heart rate is usually like and could wear yours to see if it measures theirs accurately?

If the numbers do turn out to be accurate then if I were your coach I'd want clearance from a doctor before I coached you. It's probably that you're just an outlier in terms of heart rate but I've never seen or heard of numbers like yours for the effort that you describe so I'd want the opinion of an expert to be confident that nothing untoward is going on.

P.S. Just thought of one more thing that might help you check the accuracy of your HRM. While standing still, take your pulse using your fingers the old fashioned way and compare it to the readings that you're getting from the watch. It may be that a skewed reading will show for heart rates at all levels of effort.

P.P.S. Have you always seen these numbers or was there a time when you were seeing different numbers?

[spacecookie555]

Is it just those garmin things or could other workout devices malfuction because of static etc...does anyone know? Because im fairly fit, my excercise of choice is swimming but I use the running equipment in the gym the odd time and everytime I get a bit sweaty and all all the machines heart rate monitors flash danger and the little heart light goes crazy, is this the machines or is it me??