High heart rate at very slow pace and little increase on exertion

Due a new running watch which does not a strap to monitor heart rate I can easily see my heart rate on runs. My resting heart rate is between 45 and 55 but even on very easy pace (like 6.30min/km due to running on ice!) my heart rate is a quite constant 160-165. However, when doing intervals it only goes up to about 175 at the most even  when it feels pretty damn hard. It has been pretty snowy and icy but not sure this would affect heart rate and pace. Anyone had similar experience?

Comments

  • Thats a very very limited range. If its constant then I think its not working. Your heart rate varies almost constantly - so if you get a straight line on it - its not right.



    I suspect poor contact ?



    Are you saying it hasnt got a strap ?
  • I suspect you are just unfit - sorry.

    Max heart rate is independent of fitness. So 175 sounds about right (mine is 177, I'm 49). You're hitting your max doing those intervals. But it sounds like your heart rate is shooting up even at low speed. You need to work on your aerobic fitness.

    http://www.philmaffetone.com/want-speed-slow-down

     

     

  • Happy plodder,

    If you have something like the TomTom one or the other similar ones, that are built into the watch, then you need to have them pretty tight on your wrist to get an accurate reading, if it doesn't cause your arm to fall off maybe try tightening the strap one extra notch when you put it on next time and see how that goes?

  • If your arm falls off - you'll probably run faster anyway. Less weight.
  • But then what about the watch... that would be a wasted investment... I guess there is always the other arm.

    Oh. If i'm talking rubbish and you meant a new watch with a chest strap, then ummm err I don't know make sure it's wet image but don't electrocute yourself image otherwise i'm in for a hell of a time in the courts if you end up with one arm and or get electrocuted and try to sue me.  ... But it's ok as i've got not a lot of money so it's not worth it.... The only people that would win would be the legal teams.

  • I guess one way of telling the accuracy of the watch is to count your heart rate the old fashioned way and see if the monitor corresponds

  • Hmm I will try tightening the strap but it does show a very rapid drop off when I stop i.e my heart rate is near 100 within around one minute. I am running with a bit of an ankle injury at the moment so also wonder whether this, extra adrenaline from avoiding snow/ice, and the cold are raising my heart rate too.

     

  • mine is usually high  when running even easy running... when racing it shoots over 200 and dosent come down unless its longer than 5k race and then not by  alot... 

     i just stopped wearing the heart rate as it annoyed me looking at a high heart rate.. image

  • VDOT52VDOT52 ✭✭✭
    Which watch is it? Is it the tomtom with the built in HRM? A watch with an ancillary chest strap? or a cheap Chinese copy or one where you have to put your fingers into electrodes to get your pulse read?



    To me, your story sounds like it is reading your cadence/foot steps. Which for most people are around 160-170 unless they go all out.



    If it is the TomTom then the advice about tightening the strap is spot on, also warming up indoors before you go out and doing some brisk walking outside to allow the unit to lock onto your pulse should help.



    The suggestion about you being unfit is definitely another possibility too because even at the oace you mention, it could be had work if you are overweight and not used to running. If this is the case then practise makes perfect.
  • It is the TomTom so will try warming up more as it does sometimes give me a warning to do just that. I have only had it a couple of weeks. I have been wearing at the second tightest so at least have one more set of holes to tighten.

    Gideon Levy - even though I am far from my fittest I would not say I am unfit given I am running over 40km a week, cycle/walk 6-10km a day and do yoga a few times a week. My resting heart rate is also pretty low and my BMI is about 18 so not anything near overweightimage.

  • With intervals - theres always a lag - so if you check your HR as soon as youve finished - you might not see the peak. It depends on how long the intervals are too.
  • The 6:30 per km should be a lot lower.  I'm slow ass.  5 min km is about my fastest every 26m 5k and i can run 6:30min per km with my heart rate in the 120s. I know we are all different but i would have thought that you'd be able to do it in the 130s not the 160s... If playing with it doesn't work. Can you test it with another tom tom, in case it's your unit, or get someone else to wear it to see if it works for them or gives similar results?

    Also try on your other wrist unless it's fallen off.

  • It does seem odd actually as usually my easy run pace is between 5:50 and 6:10 even on forest trails and over up to half marathon distance so to be doing 6:30min/km for 6k is a bit strange even with injury and icy conditions....hmmmmm. Will test on other wrist and see what happens!

  • VDOT52VDOT52 ✭✭✭
    Happy plodder, no offence was meant by my previous response, I was only trying to help. To that end I will suggest something that no one else has, and that is that your wrists may not have enough 'padding' to allow the watch to seal properly against the skin and therefore it may not be able to see your pulse due to the external light ingress and the sensors own light escaping instead of being trapped within the sensors readable field of vision.



    I hope that makes sense.



    The watch picking up your cadence could be the result of the above theory. Also regarding warming up- it takes the extremities a lot longer to warm up in the cold as loos supply is restricted so that would also lead to the watch locking onto your cadence instead of pulse.



    Check out dcrainmaker.com and his review of the tomtom cardio as there will be lots of comments about nighles and solutions at the end of his review.



    Good luck.
  • Gideon Levy - no offence was taken, do not worry image. Your explanation makes perfect sense and tried the watch at the tightest setting this morning but heartrate still high. Now wondering whether I am anaemic as feeling more tired than normal and noticed insides of eyelids are pretty pale this morning. Weird considering I love liver, eat red meat at least once a week, loads of leafy greens and not much caffeine. Or maybe I am just an unfit, lazy arse after allimage.

    Anyway thanks for all the suggestions, greatly appreciated image

  • VDOT52VDOT52 ✭✭✭
    If your Bmi is 18 then you may be suffering the early signs of malnutrition, especially in avert cold environment, where Bodyfat is a very important aid in keeping you warm and your system healthy.



    Good luck and let us know when you find out what the issue is.
  • Wrist HRM,s rely on looking through your skin at blood flow in the capilliaries. when you run some blood is diverted from your arms to your legs. In the cold your surface capillaries shrink to reduce heat loss. As your quite thin and the monitor can't see through bone which makes up a greater proportion of your wrist it cant see bloodflow. All of this reduces the ability of your HRM to function correctly. try wearing it on the inside of the wrist or keeping your arms warmer with a long sleve top untill your hot, and i mean sweaty hot.

  • I have been wearing a long sleeved top and long sleeved jacket! However, will give it a go on the inside of my wrist.....that is in a few days after the ankle eases up. Think the 16km on Saturday did it no favours then this morning's skate about on the ice and trudging through icy snow before hobble jogging home sadly image.

  • Happyplodder

    Good luck with the watch and injury. I use a link which is the same heart rate monitor as in the TomTom I believe but as a stand alone. It talks yo my Garmin 620 and the combination works really well. Try to stick with it as heart rate based training is good once you get the hang of it. It has really improved my running.
  • It seems that it is not the watch that is the problem but me as increasingly struggling with runs despite considerable improvement in conditions; 6.30min/km pace feels knackering. Booked in to see doctor next week but today nurse checked my blood glucose (5.9 so normal considering I had just had my breakfast), haemoglobin (lowish end of range but not below) and crp for infection (no sign). Will see what doctor says but nurse did suggest thyroid problem.

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