Excess Heart while doing Cardio - What/Why?

[Somethinghere81]

I am a 28 yr. old male. I am overweight at 270 lbs. I am working out with a trainer 2x a week, and I go running in between training sessions. I haven't run in the past couple of weeks, but trained very hard, and my average training heart rate for the hour I work out is around 138-143ish. I've reduced my body fat from 31% to 25% in a little less than a month. Today, I got on the treadclimber for the first time in about 4 weeks. I went over, got on the treadclimber. However, about 4 minutes into my workout the treadclimber read 209 for my hrm. I was quite puzzled, and looked at my heart rate monitor and it said 150, and felt my heart beat on my neck, and it was indeed 150, so I obviously knew the 209 was a misreading on the machine's part. Then about 4 minutes later, when the treadles on the machine were set to maximum range and I was going along at 3 mph (which I have done even higher before) my heart rate just started to go up all on its own. 150, 154, 157, 160, 164, 170 - I jumped off the treadmill as I was a concerned, and it still went up to 179. Then I went and sat down, and a couple minutes later, it returned to normal 150, just as it had gone up, and within 10 minutes, it was 100 and 98.

Thinking that it was a fluke, I decided to go back today. At the exact same spot - about 8 minutes into the exercise my heart rate began to go up again 134, 138, 143, 148, 150, 151, 155, this time I slowed the machine down to like 1 mph, reduced the treadles to minimum range - and breathed in and out really hard twice, and it began to come down on its own, and got to 138. I continued the exercise and completed it 25 minutes later. Is this simply a matter of not having done the exercise for a couple of weeks? I just had a physical in April/May with an EKG - perfect. I had a nuclear stress test a year ago - perfect, ejection fraction 58%. Could it be stress? But I don't feel these feelings any other time at all! My resting hr is 59! I simply don't understand!

[Lee Kirksey, MD]

Hello
It sounds like you may have become deconditioned over your time off. Your vagus nerve controls your heart rate with whats called vagal tone. As you become better conditioned, there is a better demand/supply oxygenation match for your muscles including your heart. Your heart and muscles use oxygen more efficiently as you become better conditioned  In the absence of chest pain and the fact that your heart rate returned to a normal range with rest, suggests nothing out of the norm.

I would consider some interval training as part of your workout. Run for five minutes, walk briskly for five, run for five etc

given your weight and risk factors, its better safe than sorry. Do not hesitate to contact your doc if you have other concerns. Congratulations on the first steps to better health. And dont forget about flexibility to compliment your current goals

www.personalwellnesswheel.com

[motox320]

To be honest, sounds normal to me... Once you get your heart up there.. its all endurance.. After the period hits, your HR is going to go up. Maybe try on a different machine, and see what happens. The 8 min thing means nothing, you are just concentrating too much.

Good job on the exericise and keep it up!