[ery]

Hello everyone, I have a question about heart rate monitoring.

I have always been reasonably fit and healthy. I started running 6 months ago and yesterday I ran my first 10k race. I ran it in 52.02 and when I checked my heart rate monitor it said my max heart rate had been 218, with avg at 190. This seems to be way above the generally accepted range. Does anyone else have a similarly high rate during exercise?

 

[LEECE]

Hi Ery,

Welcome to the forum, and thats a good time for your first 10k *well done

I have had this a couple of times, and because of that i generally dont take much notice of it... as long as i/you felt ok dont worry about it, i sometimes even go out without it on.

I woud not worry ery.

 

[richardsimkiss]

that does seem exceptionally high ery... a general rule of thumb to estimate your Max heart rate is supposed to be 200 minus your age...

The reason for this is that 220bpm is supposedly the maximum the human heart can manage before it gives up/in/explodes or something... (forgive my lack of technical knowledge)... anyways to suggest your heart hit this rate to me would say somethings not quite right with the equipment. I'm not saying it's definately wrong, but it seems a little unlikely? Could there have been any electrical equipment nearby that interfered with it? I dunno, I'm clutching at straws here trying to think of a logical explanation! lol

 

[richardsimkiss]

P.S... god job with the 10k btw! That's a very respectable time, especially if it's your first!

 

[LEECE]

LOL @ richard and explodes (dont frighten the new member will you )

As rich said Ery probably something interferring with your HRM, but do not worry too much :d try it out again somewhere.

My HR has got up to 208 before

 

[Grant]

I can hit my Zone 3 heartrate when walking and can quite easily hold a conversation when its supposedly in Zone 4 - 80-90% of my heartrate. I've no idea why this is the case. I was at the doctors on Friday and when he checked my heart rate, he said it was in a healthy range.

I definately wouldn't suggest running at that heart rate on your training runs, but would suggest trying to keep the avg HR at least 20-30bpm slower.

Well done with the 10km time, that was a great result.

 

[pedestrian]

t Could there have been any electrical equipment nearby that interfered with it? I dunno, I'm clutching at straws here trying to think of a logical explanation! lol

...I've also heard that heartrate monitors can actually interfere with each other (Oo-er!). It's not unlikely that there was another monitor in use in your vicinity. Not saying that this is the reason for your high readings, but just a thought.

What kind of maximum/average rate do you usually get during a normal run over a similar distance?
Maybe the fact that this was your first 10k race had something to do with your heart rate being so high. Stress/excitement/adrenaline etc...?

 

[LEECE]

i always get so anxious on races i dont know why, i cant sleep the night before also.



why is that .................... its only a race lol

 

[Grant]

Maybe the fact that this was your first 10k race had something to do with your heart rate being so high. Stress/excitement/adrenaline etc...?

I did the 10km race at the Great Scottish Run a couple of years ago and my heart rate hit 220 coming running down the off ramp from the Kingston Bridge - it must have been the excitment of being a couple of hundred feet above the River Clyde.

What was really worrying was when the reading fell to "0" a couple of minutes later.

Fortunately, the HR monitor was faulty and gave up the ghost a few days later.

 

[richardsimkiss]

I did the 10km race at the Great Scottish Run a couple of years ago and my heart rate hit 220 ...

... the reading fell to "0" a couple of minutes later.

Or perhaps you're heart just exploded?!

HRM's can interfere with each other, though a lot are digitally coded and therefore only communicate with your own chest strap.

I guess it's not impossible to reach that level of HR - just very impressive! lol.

 

[ery]

Hi, thanks for that huge response! I have actually had it almost that high before, on training runs although I have to say only on FAST training runs. I guess its a HRM malfunction. I got a reply from brianmac.co.uk , he says :

Hi

It is possible that at some point during the run your monitor chest strap had poor contact with the skin which caused the monitor to record a high reading. When running hard there is probably a lot of vibration from the legs that can cause the chest band to loose contact just for a second a two.

I have pushed myself hard and hit my MHR and you know it when you genuinely have hit your MHR. You slow down - gasp for air - and you can feel your heart thumping at 3 beats /second

I no longer feel in the slightest bit concerned! thanks again, what a helpful bunch you are.

 

[Grant]

Or perhaps you're heart just exploded?!

HRM's can interfere with each other, though a lot are digitally coded and therefore only communicate with your own chest strap.

I guess it's not impossible to reach that level of HR - just very impressive! lol.

Fortunately, it didn't explode, but the heart rate monitor was was promptly binned.

 

[richardsimkiss]

Hopefully you'll stick around on the forum for a while yet ery :d