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Looking For An Explanation On Sudden HR Jump

36 yr old female here, been exercising since I was 18, sports, skating, aerobic classes, etc.  Currently a weight lifter (since 2000) and inline speed skater.  Something really weird happened when I was stationary cycling at my gym...

I cycle as part of my inline speed skating training.  Anyway, I did a 5 minute warm-up then went into my work time, I pedaled on resistance 7 at 100 rpms steadily which equated to my working at 82% of my MHR.  Of course my legs started hurting as usual since this session was only my 5th session as I just added this activity into my training program.  Well, my HR was nice and steady at 82% of my MHR until I got 17 min into my session and then all of a sudden out of nowhere, my HR jumped up to 90% of my MHR, verified by both my coded Polar Heart Rate monitor and the monitor on the bike itself.  My HR then REMAINED ELEVATED, at 90% of my MHR for the remainder of my workout, 13 minutes.  Now in addition to the jump itself being weird, my legs also actually felt BETTER after a couple minutes at 90% of my MHR, I actually didn't feel like I was working quite as hard.  I mean don't get me wrong, it was still hard, but it seemed more tolerable to me.  So yeah, there I was at 90% of my MHR for the remaining 13 min of my workout.  I completed the 13 min then cooled down for 5 minutes.

So I want to know, WHY?  Why did my HR just suddenly jump up after 17 min and STAY up?  And secondly, why did my legs actually feel BETTER once that occurred?  This really has me very intrigued and baffled, can anyone offer any explanation?
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Avatar universal
Thanks Jerry_NJ,  I'm actually not worried since I felt just fine, I was just hoping someone could offer an explanation as far as what is going on in terms of exercise physiology.

I've read around on these heart forums quite a few times in the past for things I have worried about, like my heart arrhythmia that I get sometimes, and so I know that as long as I feel okay, there's nothing to worry about.  I get the premature beats at times.  Anyway, thanks for the help and sharing your experience.  I have heard the term getting a "second wind" before and now I have to wonder if that actually has some validity in terms of exercise physiology.
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612551 tn?1450022175
COMMUNITY LEADER
Sounds like a great workout, but not one I could keep up on...but then I'm a past runner, and much older.

It sounds to me like you hit your "second breath", via a step up in your HR which does a better job of supplying the oxygen your legs were crying for.  I have no idea why it didn't happen in the past, but it sounds to me like you hit a new level.

In my past experience of running I made it a practice to run my HR up to my maximum, then back off.  In any case I would always see some drifting of my HR up/down when on a set/fixed load such as can be maintained on a treadmill (setting grade and speed as needed).

I don't see anything to worry about in your post.
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