Very high heart rate - advice needed.

[AniaLove]

Hi. I’m new ❤️. Week 5 and C25K has been life changing and I love it. I’ve been monitoring my heart rate whilst running and it spends most of its time at peak, often going over 200 bpm. 😱 l’m 42 so I’m guessing that this is a bit high for my age. I feel challenged but fine when I’m running and I’m not going like the clappers. Are there any doctors/experienced runners here that can offer some reassurance? It’s scaring me a bit. 😔

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Welcome to the forum and well done on your progress.

Can you speak aloud, clear, ungasping sentences as you run?.........if not, you are going too fast.

This FAQ Post may answer your question healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

This guide to the plan is essential reading healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

and includes advice on minimising impact, stretching after every run, hydration and strengthening exercises, all of which will help.

Enjoy your journey.

[roseabi]

Please don't worry! As you say yourself you are feeling OK, so it's likely best to assume that your HR monitor is inaccurate and have a look at what you can do to solve the problem.

IannodaTruffe's post is very helpful, so do have a read through it! Additionally, your HR monitor may be locking onto your cadence in error - cadence is the number of steps you take per minute. You've not said which device you're using, but here's an article by Garmin which troubleshoots this issue, and should be relevant to any wrist HR monitor support.garmin.com/en-GB/?f...

Here's Garmin's article about chest strap HR monitors, in case that's what you're using: support.garmin.com/en-GB/?f...

Both of these articles recommend a good warm up that raises the heart rate before starting exercise.

But if after troubleshooting your device you are still worried please do speak to your doctor! xxx

[AniaLove in reply to roseabi]

Thank you x

I have a fitbit and it’s usually very reliable. I’m going to try and slow down a bit tomorrow. 🤞🏻

[Bazza1234 Graduate in reply to AniaLove]

Sorry Ania, but there is your problem - a Fitbit wrist based pulse rate monitor. They are probably OK for counting walking steps but no runner ever wears one. The Garmin running watches with wrist based pulse rate monitors are not much better. I used a Garmin chest strap for many years and they were mostly OK ( they really need to b e wetted well with water before use) but now use a Scosche armband which I am very happy with, reliable and easy to use. It communicates with my Garmin watch.

[Frenc Graduate in reply to AniaLove]

Hello there, I’m so pleased you’re enjoying C25K, it’s brilliant. I used to have a Fitbit and they are apparently fairly good at getting HR and cadence muddled up. I have to say this is mainly when walking, but with a walk/run combo the same thing could be happening. It used to measure my HR at about 190 bpm walking gently down a hill to work - which would then really freak me out! 😊

[Ant50 Graduate]

You could always do a quick check of your Fitbit. Wait until you are relaxed, then find your pulse at your wrist count it for fifteen seconds (multiply by four to give you bpm) and then compare to what your Fitbit says. If it gives a similar measurement as your count, then maybe your Fitbit is picking up your cadence when running. Obviously if it gives a widely different figure maybe an error with your Fitbit?

Only other thought is to wear your Fitbit quite loose on your wrist, I think I remember when i set mine up it said something about false readings if it’s too tight on your wrist.

I guess if you think the readings are correct and are still very high when you run, maybe a quick call to your doctor to ask his/her advice. No harm in checking with an expert !

[Maz1103 Graduate]

I have constantly worried about my heartrate. I have a fitbit and also use a chest strap because I like to run at a low heartrate (most of the time ). My fitbit seems to be more accurate (similar to the chest strap readings) if I wear it a couple of inches higher up my arm than my wristbone. I think they are accurate for resting heart rate.

Really though, slow down to lower your heart rate. I used to run as if I was being chased all the time. Nowadays I run slower and its more enjoyable.

[Kiai Graduate]

The advice about checking your pulse to validate your fitbit HR is s good idea. You might be fine; I have to try to keep my heart rate down as a couple of years ago I found out, after a checkup where a GP heard a heart murmur, that I have mild aortic valve stenosis - My heart rate shoots up very high if I get too enthusiastic, which for me risks tearing my aortic valve. If you’re concerned about your HR you could visit your GP to check. For me, I jog at a nice, easy conversational pace which gets me in the fat burning/build fitness HR zones - I find it’s really enjoyable taking it a steady pace and I don’t get at all tired doing it. I did my first Parkrun a while back finishing in 46 mins (I got a bit carried away and did a naughty sprint finish which caused my HR to go to 181, significantly over my theoretical maximum HR, oops (I won’t be doing a sprint finish again!)

[Jell6 Graduate]

I posted this about a year ago. If you feel well you most likely are!healthunlocked.com/bridgeto...

[nowster Graduate]

If you are at all worried, your GP is the first person you should be asking.

However, it's not unusual to have a HR that is higher than the formula.

I often sprint finish runs at a HR of 180bpm, and feel perfectly fine. If I went by the formulae for my age I ought to be feeling seriously unwell at that.

[Cmoi Graduate]

Quite honestly, I didn't even measure distance or pace, let alone heart rate, during C25K. In fact I don't look at my heart rate now, except after a run (and quite often not even then) as I much prefer running by perceived effort instead. Not least because according to the 220 minus age formula I should probably be dead several times over by now.