High Heart Rate

I am 26 years old and weigh 115lbs. I exercise everyday for between one and two hours at high intensity (and have done for over two years). I recently purchased a heart rate monitor and it shows that my heart rate goes up to around 204 (I've also checked this on another heart rate monitor). This doesn't seem normal. Even when I'm taking it easy on the bike it is 160 minimum. Has any one else experienced this? Do I need to check it out with a doctor? I've also noticed that I've gained a stone in the last month.

Have you measured your resting heart rate?

No - not yet. I've worn it during the day at work and it seems to be around 55 (I think) when I'm sat at my desk.

And so your rhr would probably be lower if you were just lying in bed...

I don't really know. I don't think the hr's you give are too too high. People have different max heart rates (the 220-age is a very rough estimate) and clearly yours is higher than that.

I'm not sure if it warrants a trip to the doctor, but if you are worried, it couldn't hurt.

that sounds way high beckypotter. you sound like you're in excellent cardio shape - you're HR should get no where near that high, IMO.  I exercise about the same amount as you: 90-120 mins. / day of pretty high intensity cardio - and my HR never exceeds 150 - 160; but normally stays around the mid 130s or so. 

if i were you, i probably would make a trip to the Dr. - just in case, you know?

I have never heard of a high exercise heart rate as being an indication of any type of disease but it never hurts to check with a medical professional.

And just because someone else's , like musicalfishmich, exercise heart rate range is different than your does not mean that there is anything wrong with either of you. 

But hitting 204 is higher than most.  I'm doing good to hit 185 these days but I used to be able to 190 regularly.

When I push it my hr averages 160 - 170, up to 180 and my workouts can be 3+ hrs (training for a half ironman). Some people just have a high heart rate. On occasion I've noticed my highest heart rate shows just over 200. I've had heart stress tests done, MRI's etc - no issues.

I use the HR monitor to control my training sometimes if I want to train in a lower zone, but mostly I just use rate of percieved exertion - how I feel. If I feel fine and my HR is 175 I don't worry about it and keep going.

Original Post by beckypotter83:

I am 26 years old and weigh 115lbs. I exercise everyday for between one and two hours at high intensity (and have done for over two years). I recently purchased a heart rate monitor and it shows that my heart rate goes up to around 204 (I've also checked this on another heart rate monitor). This doesn't seem normal. Even when I'm taking it easy on the bike it is 160 minimum. Has any one else experienced this? Do I need to check it out with a doctor? I've also noticed that I've gained a stone in the last month.

First what I would do before seeing a doctor, is to take your resting heart rate when you just wake up. It could be that you just push yourself really hard during exercise. If your resting pulse rate is high, then you might want to look into it.

In all honesty, it sounds like you are overtraining. One of the side effects of overtraining is increased heart rate. You should be taking at least one (preferably two) days off per week where you do no exercise at all. You also only need 90-120 minutes of cardio per week to maintain cardiovascular fitness. The fact that you are doing 1-2 hours everyday (and at high intensity no less) is way too much. To even things I out, I would recommend cutting the cardio back a bit, hitting the weights more, and taking 1-2 days off per week. In the long run, this may help to lower your heart rate a bit. Getting cardiovascular exercise is great for the heart, but doing too much can be just as bad as not doing any. The trick is finding a happy medium. 

An elevated resting heart rate in a sign of over-training.  Another sign of over-training is not being able to get your heart rate up during exercise.  I don't think that is your problem.

Original Post by trhawley:

An elevated resting heart rate in a sign of over-training.  

Resting heart rate, not active heart rate as she is describing. If she was overtrained she would be having difficulty in her workouts as well as being irritable and tired. There is nothing wrong with working out the way she is describing.

My heart rate was high from day 1 exercising, it has not changed in the 3 years I've been running.  

Original Post by sybil878:

Original Post by trhawley:

An elevated resting heart rate in a sign of over-training.  

Resting heart rate, not active heart rate as she is describing. If she was overtrained she would be having difficulty in her workouts as well as being irritable and tired. There is nothing wrong with working out the way she is describing.

My heart rate was high from day 1 exercising, it has not changed in the 3 years I've been running.  

Read the first part of my post. I said that she may just push herself hard during exercise and that she should check her resting pulse before worrying about anything or consulting a doctor.

The reason why I said "overtraining", is because she is doing 1-2 hours of high intensity cardio everyday without taking any time off at all. Also, when you take into account that her heart rate is topping 200, it could be representative of a high resting pulse.

Original Post by beckypotter83:

No - not yet. I've worn it during the day at work and it (HR) seems to be around 55 (I think) when I'm sat at my desk.

for everyone asking about becky's RHR - this would obviously be what it is.

Original Post by vyperman7:

Read the first part of my post. ....

...... it could be representative of a high resting pulse.

Read my first post and her response.

Hey, me too.  My heart rate goes super high when I do any cardio - so much that I cringe when I put my hands on those little sensors on the sides of the elliptical trainer because it always tells me I'm about to explode or something.  I can usually carry on a decent conversation when my HR is up around 190 - 200-- that's what I use as a judge of exertion.  My exercising heart rate has been super high ever since I started measuring it. 

I asked my doctor about it, he said it's not a problem. 

However, gaining a significant amount of weight (without trying, I'm assuming) in a short period of time is a reason to see a doctor, I would think, unless you know you've been eating a lot more than normal. 

I'm one of those whose heart rate gets very high during exercise. My resting HR is 45.  A brisk walk brings it up to 120. Running - 150-185, averaging around 165. An hour of heavy weight lifting with short (30 sec) rest periods usually shows an avg HR of 150-160.

Original Post by musicalfishmich:

Original Post by beckypotter83:

No - not yet. I've worn it during the day at work and it (HR) seems to be around 55 (I think) when I'm sat at my desk.

for everyone asking about becky's RHR - this would obviously be what it is.

 Nope your sitting at a desk heart rate is not your resting heart rate -- the only way to get your true rhr is to take your pulse for one full minute before getting up out of bed in the mornings and doing this for 3 days straight - the avg will be your true rhr.

To test if you are overtraining do the above - however be sure to be relaxed ( rest a minute or 2 if you turned off your alarm clock to get the rate back down a bit) take it for a full minute ( don't short change it -- dont do the 10 second but the full one minute )  then get up sit on side of the bed and immediately take it again for the full one minute - if your sitting pulse is 5 bpm over the lying down rhr then you have overtrained and need a rest day.

Also getting your heart rate up and living to tell the tale doesn't mean you are sick.  according to the formulas I'd technically have died of a blown up heart many times.    If your recovery rate is quick you are in good cardio health if it takes awhile for your heart rate to get back down to a reasonable rate then you may have issues and need to see a dr.

Thanks for your comments everyone. I'll check my resting heart rate tomorrow morning when I wake up. I wore my monitor at my desk yesterday and it was higher than I thought - around 65, but I guess I'm always moving around a bit.

I know I train a lot - but I have a sprint triathlon in a month so I want to be fit for it. I'm also trying to lose weight - although totally unsuccessfully!!

You might be interested in this article or other articles by this author since she is a triathlete and pioneer of heart rate based training.  As she mentions, your max heart rate and training zones will be different when you are running, swimming. or biking.

i really don't think it's anything to worry about.  from what i know the formula is not very well tested (220-age) but is one of those things people just accept.

if i really push (interval type training) i can go over 200 bpm too.  not for a long time obviously. the annoying thing is i can't set my max on my HR monitor so i just adjust my age till it's right.

your max heart rate has nothing to do with how fit you are, it won't change during your life.

tr~ good link!

Original Post by lemntwist:

terval type training) i can go over 200 bpm too.  not for a long time obviously. the annoying thing is i can't set my max on my HR monitor so i just adjust my age till it's right.

y

What kind of HRM do you have??  My Polar F11 allows me to adjust the zones and maximums.  If you are adjusting the age and if your HRM gives calorie burns you are going to be way off

I also have a very high active HR. High intensity, it stays around 180-190. Any cardio, even a slow walk has it over 150. I can't do the 'cardio' program on machines because I end up moving as slow as the machine will go : )

I saw a Dr. about it (since it jumps up even when I take stairs), and they discovered my HR to be irregular, many tests later (including a stress test that got my HR to 220), decided that there is nothing wrong, no danger, just an oddity of mine.

However, there are possibilites that are not so benign. So, no need to run to the ER, but scheduling a doctor's appt. is certainly not a bad idea, just to get checked.