Heart Rate variation thru the day concern

[Will_85]

Hi, my name is William Earl, and I just have a few questions that I would like some input on. I am concerned about my heart rate  and I have been since i recently got a pedometer/stopwatch/pulse/heart rate monitor. I have noticed that my heart rate according to this watch is lowest in the morning when I first wake up first thing before getting out of bed and usually as of the last week or so has been varied from about 78 all the way up to approximately 93 beats per minute(give or take a few beats a minute from either side). Today, as I walked at a rate a bit slow for me, at an "Average" or slightly slow pace for any one else my size(I am about 5 foot 8 btw) I noticed my heart rate monitor measured my heart rate generally in the low to mid 130s per minute again there was variation +/-5 beats give or take, given that i wasn't monitoring the rate the entire time the rate may have gotten close to 140; I normally am a fast to at times a very brisk walker for someone my size, and the other day, as i was doing this brisk to at times literally powerwalking, I periodically checked my heart rate and it bounced around from the 160s to just shy of 180 beats per minute. Today I checked my heart rate after jogging/light running from the mail box at my apartment complex and I realized after jogging up the stairs and when I got to the door, I perceived that my heart rate may have reached 200 beats per minute, even though the highest reading I have read from my watch today was 196 beats per minute. I am 26 years old and have recently been exercising more since about thanksgiving. My questions are: What is the average maximal heart rate for a 26 year old man? And is it normal or unusual for your heart rate, resting or not, to vary in beats per minute like mine does? I have noted other people have asked similar questions but I have had all tests done except for the cardiac stress test and the i haven't done it because I haven't asked my doctor if he thought I needed one. They said that all my lab blood work came back normal. Can somebody like me demand that I get a stress test done to see what kind of condition my heart is in? or would my doctor have mentioned the need for one if he thought that I truly needed such a test done? By the way sorry for such a long post. P.S. My heart rate just for sitting in front of a computer tends to vary during the time of day it is but is generally between 88 and 102 in mornings in front of my laptop to up to 120 bpm during mid afternoon. Thanks for any input anybody may have after reading my post:)

[grendslori]

It sounds like you are perfectly normal to me and that you have basically given yourself a stress test. Throw the watch away, you'll be far better off without it. Watching it all the time and even sleeping with it shows anxiety on your part which will alter your rates all over the place.

[shay933]

I like the above answer, Just a suggestion, ask your doctor for a holter monitor,  and compare. A holter will at least give the doc a rhythm strip to note from. I believe you should tell your doc the exact same thing you are writing about. You need some piece of mind, and if your doc should explain what avenue to persue.

[erijon]

Let me see if I can answer a few of your questions. Your max predicted heart rate is 220 - your age which would be 194. You should be working out at 65% to 85% of that number. Your heart rate will vary based on your body's demand for oxygen. For example, an hour or so after eating, your heart rate will increase as your intestinal system has a higher demand for oxygen rich blood to help with the task of digesting your food. Also, minor changes like room tamp can alter your heart rate as can your emotional state at any given time. It can also be affected my any stimulants you may have ingested like caffeine.

You should not need a stress test unless your are symptomatic of heart disease. You can speak with your doctor about it, however most cardiologists are hesitant to do unnecessary tests because the more you test, the bigger the risk of a false positive that can lead to a more invasive test. For example, you take the stress test and it comes back abnormal due to the improper placement of an EKG lead. The next test would be either a nuclear stress test that will subject you to radioactive tracers or possibly a cath that has a 1% to 3% risk of complication so make sure you know what you are getting into, discuss the possibility with your doctor.

Hope this helps, post again with any additional questions.

Jon