22 years old. Resting heart rate is 62bpm. 180bpm when I’m not even pushing on the bike, 184+bpm when I’m running. Didn’t check my heart rate when I was swimming. Did a mock triathlon training set on sunday: 1.6km swim, 60km bike, 8km run, and my heart rate was hovering above 180 for most of it.
Is this normal / abnormal?
62 is fairly normal.
But are you sure about 180 on the bike without pushing? That seems EXTREMELY high. Many people going all out in a sprint race wont get that high. I’d assume you are either pushing, or your HRM is reading wrong.
I’d be interested in hearing the answer to this too.
My heartrate’s usually in the low 170’s when I’m running. I’ve tried to run with it in the mid-150’s and I simply can’t do it. Basically, if I’m even jogging, it’s mid-160’s. I’m 37. Do I basically have a hamster’s heart? Is the only hope a transplant?
Benjamin
Where is it at during your run?
I’ve had similar issues… tried a few different HRM as well, thinking the first one was wrong. Talked to my dr about it, and apparently I have excess tach… with any sudden movements (sitting to standing, with any exercise, etc) my HR can jump quite a bit rather rapidly. They’ve also referred to it as a sinusnode abnormality.
I would go on “easy” runs and my HR would hover around 206 and my heart would be beating so fast that my chest actually hurt. Resting is around 54. Comfortable/very easy bike pace would keep me around 150-160. I come from a swimming background, and I remember it always being high, but obviously in the water, never that high. When I started running, I figured I just needed to adjust to being on land and that with improved running fitness, it would come down. After a year, no such luck. My dr sent me for a stress test, during which they realized what was happening. I’m now on medicine for it (very low dosage of a beta blocker) which brings it down to 190-- still high, but at least I don’t have the chest pain.
So, take what you want from my experience… it’s worth making sure everything is ok since it IS your heart! There are definite cons to taking a beta blocker, though, so i’d only go that route if you absolutely have to. There are plenty of people, I’m sure, who have naturally high heart rates without any issues, so let’s hope you’re one of them!!
Good luck!
My max heart rate is 201 with resting about 42 which was found during v02 max testing and I know i’ve tried to push to my LT on the bike which is at 190 and I find it hard to get it past 170… by that time I’m going close to 50km/hr.
Yours isn’t even that high. I’ve done a 5k avg 207 and a 7.5 mile bike time trial at 202.
Don’t worry about it you’re fine.
Grant
during the summer heat and dehydration can dramatically affect heart rate. most triatheltes are chronicly dehydrated during the summer. check the color of your urine every time you, well, urinate. hydrate until it is clear, then do your workout. see if proper hydration lowers your heart rate. strive to limit your loss of fluids during your exercise.
I have the same condition. Im 35, fit and healthy. My resting has been as low as 42 within the last few years. I started using a HRM a few years ago and freaked out. Id be riding next to someone and we’ll cross readings; he’ll be at 142 and Id be at 164. Same conditioning and breathing rate. Id go running and cruise at 175 and back-off around 184.
Took the HRMto have it repaired and they said nothing was wrong with it. Booked to the Dr. (who’s word is gold to me), who ran all kinds of tests and told me that I have a naturally high rate. It kind of stinks because unless Im in the water, Im always around 165. I recover super-fast, though.
Dont worry about it. Its, I hope, normal.
I’m the same as several others on this post. I have a low resting HR, about 42-44. If I’m sitting around or driving a car or so on it’s in the 50’s. I’m 35. But as soon as I start any type of exercise my HR shoots up.
My max HR is about 195. My zone 2 on the run starts at 161 and on the bike it’s about 151. I had a VO2 test done a while ago and I told the doctor and nurse that were administering it that my HR would go high real fast. It was 145 within 1 minute of the test and the nurse was freaked out. The doctor explained that it was just the way my body worked, and that it was no big deal. My recovery was what he was interested in and withing 60 seconds of finishing the test my HR went from 195 to about 120, which he said was good.
For references, my last HIM I did my avg HR was 173 for 5:17:00.
For a 5k I will avg over 190 and for a 20k bike TT a few weeks ago I avgd 182.
Don’t sweat it, you should be fine.
Right, but I also would like to add that crash hydration doesn’t work, it has to be a consistent process started well before a workout.
why are you concerned about your HR? That is something that is subjective and individual to each and everyone of us. Be more concerned with power on the bike (if that is a data point you have available to you) and your mile pace on the run. HR will be what it will be… dont use it as your main benchmark.
Hi all,
Wow, so many replies…
I’m more concerned about my overall health, rather than performance. I used to be more of a sprinter / fast-twitch kind of person (was a jumper and short distance sprint swimmer - horrible at anything beyond 50m - in high school), not sure if my move to endurance stuff like cycling and triathlon is good for me, especially in light of some of the articles slowman has posted.
Doesn’t help that my dad started having some slight heart problems (arrhythmia, missed beats) only after he started ramping up his exercise regime. He’d been exercising regularly previously (mainly swimming), and this heart problem started when he started treadmill running for longer than 40 minutes.
Think I’ll get it checked out by a doctor…
I know the “220-age” thing for max HR is a load a hooey and all, but, it aughta tell ya that for a 22 y/o yer HR levels aren’t out of the range of normal, by a long shot.
Pretty normal.
But, I’m not a doctor, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last nite.
My Max HR used to be well over 190, now it’s barely over 180.
As other posts said, I think it is subjective. I’ve recorded my HR at 200 while running (hard) and 198 on the bike (again, going hard). I wouldn’t worry about these numbers.
That is basically the same as George Hincapie. I think he rides most of the TdF with his heartrate well over 180. Some people just run “hot.” It’s not normal, but it certainly isn’t abnormal. When he and Lance would do training rides, Lance would be at 120 when George was at 160.
agreed. I get up over 120 just getting pumped up to ride. 95% of my ride is over 180. ive seen 213 a few times. it is a very individual thing.
My girlfriend “jogs” and talks at like 170, if im at 170, im ready to pop. I think its just an individual thing.
Don’t worry about it, you probably just have a smaller heart than the average person your size. Since the heart is smaller and pushes less blood with each beat, it beats faster to make up for it. There is nothing wrong or bad about it. It’s just the way it is, in the end the amount of blood moved is the same.