elevated heart rates and heat

I wear a heart rate monitor just because it came with the Garmin, but not until the recent scare did I began to pay attention.

One the 27th, which was about the start of the recent heat wave, I was climbing I-think-I-can in El Morro, which I consider moderate. Felt real light headed and had to stop. The heart rate monitor read 214! WTF?

The previous high for all the times I used a heart rate monitor was 184. Then three days later, on the Fully loop at night, the high was 202. WTF? The previous high on the Fully was 180.

Is anyone else noticing drastically elevated heart rates in the past 10 days or so? How dead am I?

My other numbers look fine. My at rest heart rate is about 58-60 which is supposedly "excellent." My recovery is about 56 in two minutes after reaching the target zone.

According to various websites, the maximum heart rate for my age (47) is supposed to be 173, and the recommended is 95-147. That sounds about right. My average is about 140.

Ironically I am a devotee of "hot yoga." I practice for 90 minutes in a room heated to 105 degrees 3 times a week. Apparently that is not helping much out on the trail.

 

Your battery is dying. In the Garmin, I mean.

 

Yup- check the battery. Usually numbers that high, (>200) are a false reading. In some cases I'll get high readings like that due to wind, (30+mph downhill speeds on the road), or if my chest isn't "moist" enough, which only happens in the cool weather and obviously wouldn't be your issue here.

Having used a HR monitor for many years now I can say that you'd probably see HR figures elevated by the heat to the tune of 5 or maybe, (maybe), as high as 10 bpm above what you normally see. On long climbs in the heat my perceived exersion being equal, the heat usually elevates my HR's by about 5 bpm.

Also- take the "recommended" HR figures and throw them out the window. They are such a rough estimate of where you "should" be and really don't hold up for many people. HR's are like fingerprints- they're unique to the individual. My max HR and LT HR is much higher than what my age would suggest it "should" be. And that doens't necessarily mean that I'm more fit- rather, it just means my heart revs higher. It's how I'm wired. I have a much younger brother who theoretically should be able to produce higher HR's than I and yet is consistently 8-10 bmp below what my heart revs to.

 

Well, I did feel realy woozy though, so my heart rate was definitely elevated. 30 above the normal even though El Morro was not that hot seems worrysome.

 

Replace the battery, as noted. Should see it regulate a bit better.

Heat will definitely raise the average a bit, but your max won't go up no matter how hot it is. 220-age is very rarely a good predictor of max HR.

If your HR stays elevated over 200 on the unit and you really are feeling light-headed, etc. you may want to see a real doctor!

 

I've actually been experiencing the opposite...my max HR is usually around 210bpm. Rode Bonelli last week in 100 degree weather and felt super light headed/seeing spots. Stopped to rest and saw that my HR was only 180bpm LOL! I just replaced my battery a month ago, so I know it's all good.

 

12mg Adenosine will fix it for you :lol:



(I know, prob only funny to me)

 

Put your fingers on your carotid artery and count beats for 6 seconds. Add a zero and you've got your heart rate. Good backup to a battery operated device.

Wooziness could have been due to being under hydrated or not acclimated to the heat and humidity.

 

OK, I gotta chime in here. It's good to be aware of your HR when exercising, especially on hot days. You should know your body well enough to be aware of signals/signs of dehydration, very or too high a HR, etc. On these hot days, your proper hydration should start the evening before an intense outdoor workout. I know first hand about this subject. I worked for a number of years for/with the Military, in this and other extreme weather conditions, most recently as a Civilian, contracted to work with our Warriors, as they train and prepare for their deployments to (pick the sand box)... Much of the time, I was responsible for a group of my counterparts/civilian co-workers. No matter what rules we had in place or what I'd suggest, there was usually at least one person to drop, in the heat, over the several days. Luckily, no serious injury, but it was always possible. Well, not counting my own, personal story. Let me just say here that you all need to be conscience of the conditions you're riding in and what your body is telling you. You all are friendly, cool and like family to the other members here - something I value and appreciate, too! Please be careful outside, especially in this heat! Ya don't wanna end up like me, do you?! :-k

 

I've ridden twice in the last two weeks and it's been pretty shitty, my heartrate definitely goes up, but it POUNDS. It's not just fast, it's like a tribal drum in my melon. It SUCKS. I have to stop and sit out the light headed feeling and nausea for a while. Ugh. I'm ready for fall

 

I think you should immediately book an appointment with a doctor who specializes in mental health. You are asking a bunch of mountain bikers to evaluate a possible medical condition, over the internet.

 

Make sure the heart rate strap is tight and wet (I just opened the door for all of you...). It's possible to get false readings if the HRS isn't "grounded properly". Also make sure there is no other wireless device that might interfere with the signal. Or maybe you're a hamster.

BTW, when I worked at JPL my nickname was Dr. Brown

 

As mentioned above, verify with a finger to the carotid. Pulse check, that is. Not a stabbing, take-yerself-out kinda thing.

 

Dude, if you heart rate was really 214 you would have died. There are probably a handful of adult athletes in the world that have a heart rate that can go over 200bpm for an extended period of time since the more in shape you are the stronger your heart is and the less it has to beat. When I was in my mid 20s I went as hard as I possibly could up a hill on a hot day and my heart rate peaked at 192. That is the highest I have ever seen it. I rode a couple times this past weekend and made the mistake of drinking a rockstar a couple hours before my ride. My heart starting skipping on a couple of the climbs. No bueno.

 

I recall once reading that Lance Armstrong's resting heart rate was around 30 bpm and his max was over 200 bpm...but that's another thread...

I used to wear a heart rate monitor regularly for years but have gotten away from it. I noticed an elevated heart rate on hot days too, but what you experienced sounds like questionable numbers.

Have you cleaned the heart rate monitor strap? I read online that salt / mineral deposits can build up and interfere with the readings. Cleaning mine helped my readings go back to normal. The battery dying, already mentioned, can be it too but if that doesn't fix it try cleaning the strap if you don't do that regularly already.

 

Funny you mention that. I was going to regale you all with my mental issues which include homicidal tendencies. I thought I would save a $250/hour appointment with my shrink and open myself up right here .

 

A lot of you mentioned changing the battery. The battery recharges well, and it lasts for days sometimes if I forget to turn it off. So how would it affect the heart rate monitor readings? Its only job is to keep the unit up and running, isn't it?

 

Hmm, there might be a battery in the HR strap too. If I were you, I'd probably look at the back of the plastic piece to see if there is some slot that you can unscrew with a quarter. Picturing this in my min,d I'd guess it was a CR2025 battery.

 

+1 w/ crispy's recommendation. Battery size is correct, and can be replaced by unscrewing the cap with the edge of the new battery.

Its the battery in the strap. If you have the old-school "uncomfortable" plastic version, then just make sure you have the battery cap sealed. If you have the more expensive "comfort" strap, they are pieces of &%$! and a battery change won't work. Interwebs and customer service forums for all versions of those (not just Garmin's) are full of complaints. Toss it and get the cheap plastic ANT+.

The bad reading comes from the head unit failing to pick up all the beats, and the algorithm in the head unit trying to "guess" at what it should be.

Heat may elevate the heart rate in order to promote cooling, but if you hit 200 bpm for anything more than a few seconds and are not elite (if you're reading this forum, you're probably not elite), you need to get checked out.

 

Since someone mentioned Lance I figured I would link to this http://www.livestrong.com/article/237100-a-fast-heart-rate-dehydration/ . Dehydration can definitely cause elevated heart rates with light headedness as a symptom. The only time I have called for help on a ride my heart rate stuck at well over 200 and wouldn't come down even after I stopped pedaling. Scared me a bit, but was fine after I got some fluids in me.

Now when I notice that my HR is drifting high (more BPM at same power output) I stop to hydrate and rest. This is especially true when it is hot.