High Heart Rate During Exercise

I am a 27 Year Old Male in good health.  My resting heart rate is normal, but when I do cardio my heart rate jumps to the above zone (168 bpm+) very quickly and stays there.  I've lived in Colorado for 3 years and don't know if this is an altitude, lung (asthma), or heart problem.  Any ideas?

-Thanks

[DrNoopurMD]

Hi,

There can be many reasons for increased heart rate like high blood pressure, low blood pressure, heart disorders like myocarditis, cardiomyopathy, anemia, hyperthyroidism, asthma, panic disorders and fever to name a few.
Does any of these sound familiar to you?
I would also advise you to please do some warming up exercises before you start with your cardio work out. Take care!

[Niffer991]

what is your Resting Heart rate exactly? Calculate 220 - age - RHR = Hear rate reserve. HR reserve x 60% = low limit. Then do the calculation again with 85% and that will be your high cardio limit.

I am 30 and I get my heart rate up to 170-175 bpm and because I am very fit it is not a big strain for me, I can maintain it for 1 hr.

Maybe there are conserns but maybe not so do the calculations and figure out where you are at. Always do a warm up and cool down and if further conserns then ask a doctor.

Good Luck

[tovli]

Welcome, initiate, to the normal-to-be-off-the-chart club...perhaps.  After you visit your family physician and cardiologist, if you hear "you are healthy, nothing to worry about", you will be a certified member of the "we haven't a clue why, but we're going to tell you not to worry" club.  

It may be that you have a "normal" high max heart rate.  Only an exercise physiologist can safely and expertly measure it.  I have a great resting heart rate, declared in good health, but I have a max heart rate that is 13% above the 220-age estimate, and I reach 90% of even this high max too quickly to run a "normal" Cooper 1.5 mile test.  This causes my heart to bust the "exercise here range" after the first warmup minute or two.  After two years of hoping to lower the slope of my heart rate vs. time exercising, and hoping to find out why I might have "moderate to severe exercise intolerance", the hope is nearly gone.  

Don't be worried, but do consult your doctors to be sure you are safely abnormal....

[soflsun]

I also have a low resting HR and high exercise HR.  In addition, my pulse stays well above my resting HR after exercise, sometimes staying at 90-110 BPM for 4-6 AFTER exercising.  My normal RHR is anywhere from 48-60...so nobody has been able to help me with tha either.

[Lonelymom]

My heart rate is high at resting and becomes dangerous with exercise. I have to take medication to keep mine below 100 bpm during resting. Never had a problem with my blood pressure.  I would love to have your heart rate!! I spend a lot of time on the machine fighting it to allow me to go faster. As soon as I start working out it is beeping for me to slow down and cool down time. lol... Stupid machine won't let me work out.

Tovli-- I laughed at your comment because it took several years before I could get some kind of help with my heart rate. I was told your will be ok and don't worry about it. I was also told yeah you have a murmur but it's normal and don't worry about it. I finally got a cardiologist to run test and figure out that I had acute arithmia and that my resting heart rate was that of someone that has worked out for an hour.

Anyway please check with your doctor but I think if the resting is lower than the work out one would be also.

[Niffer991]

There are many ranges for blood pressure and our Resting Heart Rate (pulse) natural Resting HR is 60-80 and anything below 60 the prescription is usually eat more salt to raise it unless otherwise said by a doctor. If it is high then eat less salt and eat more potassium and anything else your doctor recommends.

A healthy person can easily get your HR very high up to 180-190bpm as I personally am more comfortable working out in that zone. Although I do know if I wanted fat burning I would have to lower it even though it would feel easy. On the other hand if your HR stays elevated for hours after then that would suggest you are more unfit and should always keep your HR lower ie. 130-150 depending on your age and RHR.

There are many factors in our HR and if hyou are super unsure or scared then see a doctor, otherwise you can go by the Rate of Perceaved exersion. If you can still talk and are not out of breath then you are in a good Target HR zone. If you are out of breath then slow down.

[septi]

Everything was perfect until the day I bought the damn Garmin 405 :o)
I found out that I have run with 94% of my maximum HR and started to worry. I'm 36 years old, never smoked, resting HR is 60 and yet my heart rate jumps above the roof during running. My face gets red, I sweat a lot but I feel great. I was always like this as far as I remember but never monitored my pulse. I believe the formula 220-age doesn't really apply to me and to others like me.

Here's my 10k Garmin run link for further analysis:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/38208334?sms_ss=email

[Jaybazzler]

I have always been flabbergasted by the 220 - your age rule. I have always been quite active, but more recently have taken up running again. I am 36y.o, 83kg (183 lb), don't smoke, resting heart rate of 66bpm, and normal blood pressure. When I run for 30 mins, I run at about 6 mins a kilometre (9.6 mins per mile). My heart rate averages at around 178, at which I can hold a conversation. Running up a long hill though, will get this to 185. When I started running a month ago, my average was 185bpm and a hill would make my heart go to 195bpm. At 195, I basically want to stop running, or at least go downhill. I guess what I'm saying is that I feel that I am exerting myself normally when running, and have always felt this. The more I train, the less the average and max heart rate. I certainly don't believe the 220 - your age rule should be gospel.

[MFranklin]

Hey... I'm NOT crazy after all!  I have been wearing a heart monitor for the past 6 months during my runs where I run 3-5 miles at about a 9 min pace.  I am a 50 yr old male, in excellent health, 5'11'' 200 lbs.  My resting HR is 55.  When I run my HR accelerates quickly to around 175-179.  If I run up a hill or run only a little faster, my HR jumps to 180+ (I have seen it as high as 195).  I feel much better after reading some of these posts.  Thank you!  I am now a card carrying member of the "HHRDEC" (High Heart Rate During Exercise Club)... I just made that up. 8^)  You might want to Google "Hyperkinetic Heart Syndrom (syndrome)" for information about a high heart rate... but I don't think this applies to most of the situations in these posts.  Keep on Run'n!!!

[snonis65]

I am 47 yr old female seeming to have same issues my RHR is 60 and yet when I exercise (stationary bike) my heart rate shoots up to 178 as well. I am not stressed or even struggling to breathe during workout- just thought it was me . Glad to know there are others out there with the same problem
S Hartman