Possible unusually high heart rate

Roen

Hi,

I'm just wondering are there people out there that have unusually high heart rates while exercising but other wise have no issues.

It's only since picking up a HRM in the past year or so that I've confirmed what I've always felt. My heart seems to be at a rate higher than my work load or age would dictate.

I'm male. 44 in two months. 178cm 83.4kg. Lifestyle would be active. Train in the gym 3-4 times a week and like to get a two hour hike in once a week as well.
Latest 5km run heart sat at 190 for 28 mins out of the 30.
Spin class not so long ago and I was consistently at 190 again and sat at 204 for 4 mins.
40 min walk up Black stairs mountain and again heart rate was in high 180s for the duration.

I've used 4 different chest straps from Polar and Wahoo Tickr to cheap aldi ones. All coupled with a variety of watches, iPhones or Android devices or gym machines. I've also used gym machines themselves (the silver sensors on the handles). All report back results to within 1 beat of one another.
So I think I've pretty much ruled out mis reporting at this stage.

Resting heart rate 18 months ago was high 50's as measured by a hospital gadget while I was waiting for a shoulder MUA. Went to mid 50s when I was sedated and concentrated on my breathing.

Resting HR was mid 60s last week in doc surgery whilst getting checked for an ear issue.

Typical resting HR measured with Wahoo Tickr Run first thing at morning would be low 60s.

I've been checked by a very well regarded heart consultant for over two hours two years ago. I was in as I was doing a lot of HIIT at the time and began getting palpitations. I've eased off that type of training and the palpitations have vanished.
Had ultrasound and ecg as well as a couple of other things measured by him.

So, sorry for the long winded thread.
Nothing to see here or do I have an outlier heart wise?
Anyone seen this type of thing before?

Thanks R.

Log9

Honestly, you should go see a cardiologist and get checked over again if you have concerns.

Usually it's a high resting heart rate that you'd be concerned about or any arrhythmia (irregular heart beats)

A simple, non invasive echocardiogram (ultrasound) and an ECG (a bunch of wires stuck on your chest) and maybe a 24 hour automatic blood pressure cuff as well as a listen to your chest is usually all that's needed.

Nobody could realistically give you good advice here and if you're concerned about a high pulse you should get it checked out as its symptomatic of everything from just stress and caffeine to major heart conditions. It's most likely nothing but if you're concerned, get checked!!

Ask your GP for a cardiology referral.

Also anyone doing serious sports should probably get screened anyway and its recommended everyone does maybe once a decade or so.

Roen

Log9 wrote: »

Honestly, you should go see a cardiologist and get checked over if you have concerns.

A simple, non invasive echocardiogram (ultrasound) and an ECG (a bunch of wires stuck on your chest) and maybe a 24 hour automatic blood pressure cuff as well as a listen to your chest is usually all that's needed.

Nobody could realistically give you good advice here and if you're concerned about a high pulse you should get it checked out as its symptomatic of everything from just stress and caffeine to major heart conditions.

Ask your GP for a cardiology referral.

Also anyone doing serious sports should probably get screened anyway and its recommended everyone does maybe once a decade or so.

Hi,
Cheers for the reply. As stated above I have seen a cardiologist (I called him a consultant, apologies for the confusion) and had a series of tests performed. I did neglect to mention that all came back normal. He was happy with me to continue on as I was. I only stopped the HIIT as an experiment to see would the palpitations stop.

EDIT Just want to make clear I'm not looking for medical advice. More so if anyone is similar or trains with some one that is.

Log9

The only non medical advice I would have is ensure you're not consuming lots of caffeine. It can speed up HR quite a lot on some people yet others are insensitive to it and it has no impact on them.

hunkymonkey

Just out of interest, did you do a regular organised sport as a kid? That is were you a member of a team (gaa/soccer/rugby etc) or single sport (boxing/swimming etc) that trained at least once a week and played a game once a week on at least 40weeks a year.

On the palpitations while doing HIIT, that's a no no. Getting them while at rest needs investigation, getting them while exercising is extremely serious. Hopefully you made the cardiologist aware of this when you went to him.

Log9

Did they get an ECG recording of the palpitations?

Often they would give you a Holter recorder which if an iPod size device with a 3 or 4 lead ECG. You push a button when you feel the palpitations and it records the electrical activity.

Arthurdaly

I'm 40 and my heart is pretty accurate to the 220 - age theory. My max would be low 180s and I can hold 175 for 20 mins, 165 for 60 mins. I train with guys of similar age one of which would regularly be in the 200+ range and 180-190 for harder efforts. I'd say you are in the minority with such a high range at your age but that is not to say anything is wrong.

Get an ecg done to ease any worries

Roen

Log9 wrote: »

The only non medical advice I would have is ensure you're not consuming lots of caffeine. It can speed up HR quite a lot on some people yet others are insensitive to it and it has no impact on them.

Don't drink tea or coffee. But I had not thought of dietary influences. Cheers.

hunkymonkey wrote: »

Just out of interest, did you do a regular organised sport as a kid? That is were you a member of a team (gaa/soccer/rugby etc) or single sport (boxing/swimming etc) that trained at least once a week and played a game once a week on at least 40weeks a year.

From the age of 12 to 17 I would have trained 3-5 times a week. Almost all Tae Kwon Do and boxing, with running thrown in. Certainly more than 40 weeks per year. Quantity was the most desired quality in that particular parish I can tell you.
The one class that sticks in my mind was when I was 16. 400 push ups, followed by 400 squats, followed by 400 sit ups. Then get up and spar for 20 mins. Bar the odd sneaky rest when the instructors back was turned I would have completed the majority of the reps. I think about 5 out of 20 of us made it into the class two days later.
It was not indicative of the classes in general and it might sound unbelievable, but I'm not given to hyperbole and am just trying to paint a picture of the level of training leading up to that.

hunkymonkey wrote: »

On the palpitations while doing HIIT, that's a no no. Getting them while at rest needs investigation, getting them while exercising is extremely serious. Hopefully you made the cardiologist aware of this when you went to him.

They were random in nature, while training and while not.
They stopped soon after easing up on the HIIT. I made the nature of them clear alright to the cardiologist. He was exhaustive in his questioning. He practiced in New York for most of his career, and to quote the man "if they felt you weren't being thorough, you'd get pulled out over your desk."
I had several ECGs, none of them captured a palpitation. I didn't ever get the Holter recorder though.

Oryx

Max heart rates do vary. I did lthr testing with a group lately and the rates varied from 160 to 185 (this is lthr not max). I think if you get irregular beats a strap will misread also.

If you are worried go back to that consultant and ask about it. It would be reckless for us to give assurances that all is grand with you. Only a cardiologist can do that.

Mellor

The 220-age number is a guide, not a accurate limit for "health".
And just because you were sitting a doctors surgery, doesn't mean it was a true resting heart rate. None the less, a heartrate in the 60s is entirely normal. By all means go to a cardiologist to remove any doubt, but nothing you said strikes me as unusual.