I do plan on asking my doctor about this, but thought I would post here to see if I can get any insight.
I am a 26 y.o. female and I am currently doing NROL Fat Loss II for training. After two of my three lifting sessions, I do intervals or some form of HIIT. (Yes, I am aware I am not following the program to a T) Every so often, during these interval sessions my heart rate monitor would get all crazy and read in the 200's. (I have the most basic Polar model, not sure of the # and its about 2 years old)
I always just thought it was a fluke because the monitor can be off or not recognize the signal sometimes. And I never felt any pain or physical discomfort or shortness of breath out of the ordinary for the work I was doing. Lately I have been doing 1 minute hard, I minute easy runs on the treadmill 6-8 times at the gym. The treadmills at the gym pick up your signal if you are wearing a chest strap which is really nice. Well, the over 200 bpm reading came up again last night, not only on my watch but on the treadmill. I think I saw 224 at one point. It stayed like that for a minute or so, then suddenly jumped down to 175 (which is where I normally am during these intervals).
Should I be concerend?
I feel fine physically during these sessions and my breathing is normal, well as normal as can be when doing intense work
(Also, a little background, I have been active my whole life (well since about age 12) save a few weeks here and there in college. I had primarily been a distance runner prior to starting NROL4W in Feb. of this year, so I feel I am in decent enough condition. I was diagnosed with exercise induced ashtma in high school (10 years ago) and used inhalers only for a few years though. I haven't been tested since nor felt the need because I haven't had any problems breathing.)
Thanks for reading and any suggestions in advance!
If your heart rate jumped from over 200 to 175, I think you'd feel that in your body. I doubt you could really get your heart rate up over 200. I think it's probably a fluke of the monitor and not a true reading at all. They often will not take my heart rate at all; other times I can get readings that jump around.
I've had this happen in spin class a few times and it turned out the person next to me was also wearing a chest strap and my watch was reading from both. If you don't feel like your heat is beating at +200bpm, it probably isn't, so I wouldn't worry.
If in doubt maybe try taking it manually next time and compare?
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i do like the library, but i also like the gym my new log!
Yeah... if your Polar is the most basic model, it may not be protected against "crosstalk" and might pick up signals from someone else.
Do you ever get this spike when working out where no one is near? Like at home? If you do, then at least you can eliminate the crosstalk idea.
I will say that sometimes I have seen big spikes like that on my own Polar (F11) so it does happen, and unless you feel it in your body, probably nothing to worry over.
Thanks for all your help everyone. I definitely don't feel it so I am thinking its an issue with the monitor. I will check it manual next time it happens - I didn't think of that, duh.
It has happened to me at home/outdoors before also. I am aware of the cross talk thing at the gym and thought of that, too.
I am asking for a new super deluxe heart rate monitor for Christmas, so hopefully it will become a non-issue.
Your strap is likely the culprit, which is why it's the same readout. And, therefore your watch portion is prolly just fine.
If you have a strap that you can change the battery on, I'd do it and see if it's still an issue. If you don't, might as well get the new strap, as for the old ones, replacing the battery is about the same price as a new one.
Do check with your doctor. Heart rates at that high could be an abnormal rhythm which spontaneously converts back to normal. Could be the monitor but I'd hate to ignore it and down the track turn into something more serious.
Other electronic devices can interfere with the signal, too. We have an old TV that messes up my Polar whenever I get near, and there's a telephone pole near our house with some equipment on it that goofs it up whenever I run by it too.
Heart rates above 200 are possible if your HR naturally tends to run on the high side.
What is your resting HR when you wake up or just sit at your desk?
However if it really jumped up from say 170ish to over 220 it probably was just a glitch.
I have had a similiar problem with my Polar F11 and have to attribute it to some form of interference at the gym. Mine has hit 221 bps which would be pretty hard for a 65 year old man to do, furthermore, I have never had that kind of a problem using it at home or on the trail.
I will readily admit that it did scare the devil out of me the first time it happened.
Have you ever been diagnosed with tachycardia before (abnormally high resting heart rate)? If so this could be an indication of an altered state of heart rate before beginning cardiovascular exertion. How about cardiac arrhythmia? Either of these pre- existing conditions could cause an abnormally inflated number to appear on your HR monitor and should be addressed by a physician. Also the aforementioned issues with cross- information could be a factor. Nothing to ignore.
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I am not going to go stand in no stag line with old Mr. Perkins and a bunch of slumped over teenage boys. --- Barney Fife
My resting heart rate is average, not abnormally high by any means.
I have never been diagnosed with any sort of heart condition. No medications or any other conditions that I know of. I saw my doctor in Oct. and everything was fine - heart, lungs, blood pressure.
For now I am going to chalk it up to the monitor being screwy, but am going to ask my doctor next time I talk to her.
Heart Rate question/concern
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