dtoce wrote:
dewman wrote:
As others have said, HR straps are prone to wonky readings when the contacts are dry or when wearing some technical fabrics, seemingly more so in dry weather. If it happens again, try wetting the contacts with a little saliva or water and see if that fixes the reading. There are also electrode gels made for that purpose if the licking is too awkward. I'm not sure what to do about technical fabrics other than to get them sweaty.
For me, the giveaway of a false reading is the shape of the HR chart after the workout. A "real" HR will look like a terrain profile -- lots of little ups and downs like a hilly or mountainous horizon, with the HR going up or down a beat or two every few seconds. A false reading will look like a series of stair-steps up and down, with the HR reading jumping several beats at once and then staying constant for an extended time
That said, 38 is young, but not too young for a heart problem. If you're doing serious training for the first time, and if there's some heart disease in your family, it's worth getting a physical and bloodwork to be sure you're not a cardiac risk. You can be lean and fit with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or some other invisible risk factor. It seems like you'd feel a HR that jumps over 200, but there could be a fibrillation (treatable) that the HR monitor is picking up.
Not a doctor.
This advice has some things that are incorrect and therefore, I must post in reply.
It is true that HR monitors can falsely track cadence/movement and make it appear as if there is a tachycardia/fast heart beat issue. The way it can present is quite variable. False readings can look like a lot of different things.
You can be born with arrhythmia issues or have congenital anomalies that may not show up until adulthood. My 24 yo son's PSVT jumps to ~220 bpm when it occurs, and initially, he just felt a bit uncomfortable with it-nothing else. And I have dozens and dozens of patients with PAF who do not feel it one bit.
I am a doctor. Don't give advice that you shouldn't.
If people have symptoms or want expert advice-get checked out. There are lots of more accurate monitors/watches etc. And heart disease is the most common reason for death in the US after age 35-male or female.
Should this be taken seriously or not? It's up the OP. But it's quite dangerous for everyone to reassure someone that everything is OK when it may or may not be.
I can't count the number of consults that I've had over the years from people with real cardiac issues who were reassured by 'friends' that everything was ok-ha...
I couldn't agree more with this post. Its one of those things where now if I were you I would keep a check on the data each time you train and if the spikes become regular change your HRM and if its still the case, just pop to get checked out. Theres no harm in it and it will put your mind at rest.
I'm speaking as an individaul who recently got diagnosed wth Afib and its not always easy to tell sometimes only an ECG will tell the story. I don't wish to scare anyone but its worth bearing in mind.
Not a doctor again just a recent suffer with 20 years of endurance training and competition.