Hawthorn extract HR Max

Hi all. I've been taking Hawthorn Extract for blood pressure. I recently took a break from it and noticed an effect on my exercise. I normally sprint 4x100m with a 3m rest in between. My hr has been around 185-193. When i took a break from Hawthorn my hr was 170. Same speed and effort. Is this a good thing, is achieving a higher hr more beneficial.

Comments

  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    How can you attribute not taking Hawthorn to a difference in your HR on a speed session?   

    For same speed and effort then you would want to see an reduction in HR to show an increase in fitness, not an increase.

    There are many factors that affect HR
  • Well it's been a few sessions and today i was on Hawthorn. My hr didn't go as high as normal and I did drink a bit before. I think the Hawthorn is a diuretic and perhaps im suffering from dehydration as a result. Im going to quit it for now and keep an eye on my blood pressure. If it goes high then I will seek medical advice, I hear ARBs are best for exercise. 
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    I thought hawthorn takes a couple of months to have full affect so skipping a day or two would make no difference, would it?  I didn't think it worked like meds you would get for high blood pressure

    Are you using a wrist sensor HRM?
  • Hi Shades. It has been a bit more of a coincidence on my hr where I have stopped/started it for a week, that it must be down to Hawthorn. However I've not monitored my blood pressure over the same period so that may well take longer to be affected. Im unsure of how Hawthorn lowers blood pressure or even if it is just a diuretic or has more mechanisms that lower blood pressure. The diuretic part does seem to be more instant in effect, since my last post, I now only get up once in the night needing the toilet. Yes I wear a polar M200 wrist based monitor. 
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    The reason I asked about the HRM is that wrist monitors are not accurate for intervals, they're only accurate when the body is at rest so you can get frequent random readings which can alarm some folk re their training/health.

    Not getting up more than once in the night is a positive advantage. 
  • I didn't fancy a chest strap as I thought it might be a little restrictive and uncomfortable. Im fairly satisfied with the wrist monitor. I think it shows recovery ok. My peak hr is actually after my sprint on my walk back to the start. I was hoping someone could chime in with similar effects on blood pressure medication. As it goes i think im better off without the Hawthorn and im looking at supplementing with beetroot tabs soon for the nitrates. 
  • SHADESSHADES ✭✭✭✭
    Maybe you need to start a thread on blood pressure meds, unless someone is using hawthorn or has done so in the past they're probably not going to read this thread.
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