Unusually High heart rate for duration of exercise

[SouthernGroove]

I am a personal trainer, a family member has asked me to help her with her training as she seems to have a heart rate issue that she is receiving conflicting advice on. She is a 17 y/o female middle distance runner. She has had some good results at high school level athletics. Her resting heat rate is 42 bpm, that jumps to 170bpm as soon as she starts to warm up (a very light jog). The problem is her heart rate does not drop to a 'normal' range when she is warm, it remains at 170bpm for the entire run. She has been told that she is suffering from 'over training'. She has taken 6 months off training, and tried differing training techniques but to no avail, her heart rate still climbs to 170 immediately and stays there. She has tried different heart rate monitors, and recently had an ECG all confirming the same results. Any ideas why this could be happening? and how we might treat it?

[Jac2801]

I get a similar thing. My resting HR is 60bpm, after a light jog or fast walk it climbs to around 150 immediately.

[Dr Vinod]

Hello!

It is important to calibrate the devices you are using. You should go for a treadmill test near a cardiologist and check it manually before coming to a conclusion.

Try eating a fruit platter or taking a cereal before your workouts, keep yourself hydrated properly and also acclimatize and slowly increase the intensity of your workouts and see if your heart rate stabilizes.

Follow up with a cardiologist if your symptoms continue.

Take care!

[SouthernGroove]

Thanks for your comments. She has seen a cardiologist and had an ECG. They could not find a problem. Everyone says that it is natural for the heart rate to rise quickly at onset of exercise, which is correct, but the heart rate should drop (or normalize) to a sustainable level appropriate to the level of exertion. i.e., at a light jog it should drop to about 100bpm - 120bpm, but it doesn't, it stays at 170bpm until she completely stops. She is a very fit 17 year old, but when competing she has nothing left, or no 'kick' for the final straight of a race, she is exhausted!. No one seams to know why her heart rate stays at 170bpm regardless of her exertion level.

cheers