Heart Rate Spike Question
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Alabama
Posts: 60
Bikes: Haro V2 and Ironhorse Outlaw
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Heart Rate Spike Question
Curious if anyone else has every experienced this. Occaisionally when I am riding I will get a heart rate spike. I will be riding along with my heart rate about 145, which is about my average when I ride, and my heart rate will spike to 195 or 200 for about 8 or 10 seconds, then it will drop back down. When it drops back down it will drop down lower than what it was before the spike, like down to around 120 or 115. Then slowly it works back to normal again. All this happens in a span of 2-3 minutes. I can deel the spike, so I don't believe it is interference with the HRM. I feel fine, it doesn't seem to make me feel bad or anything. It does not happen on every ride just occaisionally, like today it happened aboyd 13 miles into a 25mile ride. And before you say it, yes I have seen a doctor. They ran all kinds of test, EKG, Echo Cardiagram, Stress test, wore a heart monitor for a month, even a heart cath. Everything turned out fine. Just curious if anyone else every experienced sinular symptoms.
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The Alta Loma area of Rancho Cucamonga. About 45 miles east of Los Angeles, California. Uphill, downhill and across hill riding; not too level!
Posts: 1,328
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
You say this happened when you used your bike. . . Did you stop and actually feel your heart beat to check whether it was really spiking? Maybe your heart-rate monitor was funky?
#3
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Alabama
Posts: 60
Bikes: Haro V2 and Ironhorse Outlaw
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Never actually stopped and checked, but I can feel it in my chest just before the monitor registers the change.
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 6,831
Bikes: Trek Domane SLR 7 AXS, Trek CheckPoint SL7, Trek Emonda ALR, Trek FX 5 Sport
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 751 Post(s)
Liked 1,666 Times
in
980 Posts
I only had this happen once and it spooked the crap out of me. I went from 130 to 194, blurry vision and a clear heart thumping. I too had all the test and what not, but they all came back normal. The doctor, who is also a cyclist, told me that it could have been a number of items including weather conditions (wind, heat) to the amount of effort I was putting out at the time and the body just spasmed.
Like you, I was just trekking along and then boom, I almost fell off my bike and it took everything I could muster to pull my foot out of my pedal. It was hot, 97 and very muggy, so the humiture was about 115. Although these temps while a little high, are not out of the ordinary and as I have lived in the South for 42 years, I am well accustomed to it. I was also well hydrated. I had already taken 40 oz of the PowerBar fluid in my 70 oz camelback and was only 1 hr 20 mins into my 2 hr ride.
I have never had another issue like that since and I am very happy about that.
Like you, I was just trekking along and then boom, I almost fell off my bike and it took everything I could muster to pull my foot out of my pedal. It was hot, 97 and very muggy, so the humiture was about 115. Although these temps while a little high, are not out of the ordinary and as I have lived in the South for 42 years, I am well accustomed to it. I was also well hydrated. I had already taken 40 oz of the PowerBar fluid in my 70 oz camelback and was only 1 hr 20 mins into my 2 hr ride.
I have never had another issue like that since and I am very happy about that.
#5
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Alabama
Posts: 60
Bikes: Haro V2 and Ironhorse Outlaw
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
The strange thing for me is, when it happens I don't feel bad. Aside from the feeling of elevated heart rate in my chest, I am fine. I see the heart rate go up and then I stop pedaling and coast a bit, but I feel fine. It is very strange.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Posts: 73
Bikes: Jamis XLT 3.0, Trek 1500, Gary Fisher X-Caliber
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on TV but could it be your electrolytes ? Are you getting enough potassium and magnesium ? Due to some medications I was taking a few years ago I got into a situation where my potassium levels were very low and it caused some very strange things with my heart rhythms.
Shog
Shog
#7
Out fishing with Annie on his lap, a cigar in one hand and a ginger ale in the other, watching the sunset.
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: South Florida
Posts: 16,057
Bikes: Techna Wheelchair and a Sun EZ 3 Recumbent Trike
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 22 Times
in
17 Posts
Originally Posted by aboyd
Curious if anyone else has every experienced this. Occaisionally when I am riding I will get a heart rate spike. I will be riding along with my heart rate about 145, which is about my average when I ride, and my heart rate will spike to 195 or 200 for about 8 or 10 seconds, then it will drop back down. When it drops back down it will drop down lower than what it was before the spike, like down to around 120 or 115. Then slowly it works back to normal again. All this happens in a span of 2-3 minutes. I can deel the spike, so I don't believe it is interference with the HRM. I feel fine, it doesn't seem to make me feel bad or anything. It does not happen on every ride just occaisionally, like today it happened aboyd 13 miles into a 25mile ride. And before you say it, yes I have seen a doctor. They ran all kinds of test, EKG, Echo Cardiagram, Stress test, wore a heart monitor for a month, even a heart cath. Everything turned out fine. Just curious if anyone else every experienced sinular symptoms.
__________________
. “He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”- Fredrick Nietzsche
"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." - Immanuel Kant
. “He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”- Fredrick Nietzsche
"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." - Immanuel Kant
#8
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Alabama
Posts: 60
Bikes: Haro V2 and Ironhorse Outlaw
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I will definatly keep an eye on it, may try to get more potassium in my diet. I don't feel any pain or shortness of breath, and it is not happening very often. The last time it happened, it was about 10 minutes after I ate a GU gel, can't say for sure the other times weren't shortly after a gel.
#9
Out fishing with Annie on his lap, a cigar in one hand and a ginger ale in the other, watching the sunset.
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: South Florida
Posts: 16,057
Bikes: Techna Wheelchair and a Sun EZ 3 Recumbent Trike
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 22 Times
in
17 Posts
Originally Posted by aboyd
I will definatly keep an eye on it, may try to get more potassium in my diet. I don't feel any pain or shortness of breath, and it is not happening very often. The last time it happened, it was about 10 minutes after I ate a GU gel, can't say for sure the other times weren't shortly after a gel.
__________________
. “He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”- Fredrick Nietzsche
"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." - Immanuel Kant
. “He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”- Fredrick Nietzsche
"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." - Immanuel Kant
#10
Senior Member
Sounds like a palpitation. Two heartbeats very close together will fool the heart monitor into thinking your bpm is very fast. Well technically it is for a second but alot of things can cause palpitations. Allergies can cause these, in case you haven't looked into that avenue already.
#11
Opus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: North of City
Posts: 223
Bikes: Bianchi Cross Concept, Bianchi Axis, Specialized Crosstrail, Specialized Roubaix, Miyata Sportsrunner, Trek T1 Track Bike, Specialized CrossTrail Expert, Specialized Tricross Comp Triple
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
That has happened to me twice and it scared the dickens out of me. I think I was not getting enough fluid in me and I was getting a little dizzy. Had the nuclear stress test and it all came back normal. I would watch the elctrolytes and listen to your body. Best of luck! I have not had the problem since I started paying attention to being hydrated.
__________________
Go raibh an chóir ghaoithe i gcónaí liom!
2007 Specialized Tricross Comp Triple, 2007 Trek T1, 2006 Specialized Roubaix
2006 Bianchi Cross Concept, 1989 Miyata Sportrunner, 2006 Bianchi Axis, 2008 Specialized Crosstrail Expert
Lullaby Of Foo
Now I lay me down to sleep
Keep my bike safe from the bicycle thief
Keep my tootsies toasty warm
keep my carbon from any harm
Good Night Road Bike
Good Night Moutain Bike
Good night all you Foosters
And good night Moon
Go raibh an chóir ghaoithe i gcónaí liom!
2007 Specialized Tricross Comp Triple, 2007 Trek T1, 2006 Specialized Roubaix
2006 Bianchi Cross Concept, 1989 Miyata Sportrunner, 2006 Bianchi Axis, 2008 Specialized Crosstrail Expert
Lullaby Of Foo
Now I lay me down to sleep
Keep my bike safe from the bicycle thief
Keep my tootsies toasty warm
keep my carbon from any harm
Good Night Road Bike
Good Night Moutain Bike
Good night all you Foosters
And good night Moon
#12
Barbieri Telefonico
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Posts: 3,522
Bikes: Crappy but operational secondhand Motobecane Messenger
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
No heart monitor for me anymore ... too distracting
__________________
Giving Haircuts Over The Phone
Giving Haircuts Over The Phone
#13
Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 38
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by aboyd
Curious if anyone else has every experienced this. Occaisionally when I am riding I will get a heart rate spike. I will be riding along with my heart rate about 145, which is about my average when I ride, and my heart rate will spike to 195 or 200 for about 8 or 10 seconds, then it will drop back down. When it drops back down it will drop down lower than what it was before the spike, like down to around 120 or 115. Then slowly it works back to normal again. All this happens in a span of 2-3 minutes. I can deel the spike, so I don't believe it is interference with the HRM. I feel fine, it doesn't seem to make me feel bad or anything. It does not happen on every ride just occaisionally, like today it happened aboyd 13 miles into a 25mile ride. And before you say it, yes I have seen a doctor. They ran all kinds of test, EKG, Echo Cardiagram, Stress test, wore a heart monitor for a month, even a heart cath. Everything turned out fine. Just curious if anyone else every experienced sinular symptoms.
Not to spook you, but could also be a panic disorder. I developed one after open heart bypass surgery. Sitting there a couple of months later and suddenly my heart starts racing (+200), got dizzy, blurry vision. Scared the heck out of me. I went to the emergency room, but was fine by the time they saw me. This happened a couple times before I was diagnosed. Now controlled, so even heavy exercise doesn't cause problems. Just a thought...
#14
Senior Member
+1000 cardiac stress test stat, ecg at the doctors a minimum. You're posting in Clydes.... whats the rest of your health history / risk factors?
#15
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Oregon
Posts: 17
Bikes: Gary Fisher
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
This sounds like an SVT. you stress your heart to a certain level and then "BOOM", it is off to the races. What your MD should do is have you wear a protable monitoring device while you ride. then when you feel it happen, it will record and your doc can take a look at it. Many times this can be resolved with an oral medication. Plus, when your weight drops, you may end up not stressing your heart to that degree anymore. I have had the same event happent to me with strenuous exercise. If you become symptomatic (It happens on a ride and you feel like crap!) Stop, breathe deeply and slowly (to oxygenate the heart) and occasionally cough really hard. Many times the coughing will convert you back to a normal rhythym.