Cycling UK Forum

I know if I’m concerned I should seek professional medical advice, but just wondering if anyone else has experienced brief but sharp spikes in their heart rate whilst cycling or partaking in aerobic exercise?

I wear a Polar heart rate monitor with chest band. Today there was a very brief, 5 seconds, spike in my HR peaking at 223BPM. I had a similar experience last week with a peak of 208BPM. At the time I felt nothing peculiar or unusual though I must admit I was pushing the pace with a favourable tail wind. For context, I completed a 30 mile ride in a little over 2 hours, and my average HR was 140BPM. I’m in my mid sixties and have enjoyed aerobic exercise, running and cycling for most of my life. This is a new phenomenon for me. Previously my HR would typically top out between 165 and 175BPM on hills,very occasionally 180BPM.

Below is a photo of the information downloaded to my Garmin Account showing my HR during the ride. The spike occurs around an hour into the ride

Thanks in anticipation for replies.

There was a discussion of something similar, but I can't find it.

With no associated symptoms I'd vote for that to be an artefact.

David2504 wrote: ↑26 Jan 2022, 7:02pm I know if I’m concerned I should seek professional medical advice...

You're right. : - )

Jonathan

David2504 wrote: ↑26 Jan 2022, 7:02pm I know if I’m concerned I should seek professional medical advice, but just wondering if anyone else has experienced brief but sharp spikes in their heart rate whilst cycling or partaking in aerobic exercise?

Last July. I'm exceptionally "cardio" fit (49), but it was all over the place in the gym (Polar HR/chest belt arrangement). In my case I thought it'd be medication related, which'll have been the case, but exited the gym immediately, directly to minor A & E a ten minute walk away. Given heart issues can be fatal, Dr there had an emergency ambulance ordered immediately, for a major hospital check up.

Whilst I'm not a hypochondriac, I.e.my approach to breaking bones being to find another exercise to use during recovery, or another pool when I drown, I'd get yourself checked out as a priority

I’d say the spike is purely the monitor. The spike happened just as you eased your work load most often at the top of a hill,
I say this as someone who constantly searches for an accurate reliable monitor. Chest straps I don’t sweat enough especially in winter. On descents the contact goes and crazy numbers ensue. I’d stop at the bottom and get the spit out again.
I’ve recently been trialling a Scosche optical and get even more dramatic results..For example I could reach the top of a hill 120 beats and as soon as I coasted down the other side it would read 180 and return to my usual 90 after a mile or two. I’ve sent it back.

I'm no medic so my thought could easily be totally daft (in which case ignore it) but is it possible it was an atrial fibrillation/arrhythmia incident?

Even if it is possible I have no idea what that would mean with regards to getting it all checked out - I'm rather "sensitive" about AF after one family member suffered (though in her 90's (age) so very different situation).

Ian

Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.

Firstly HRMs will read erroneously when there's something interfering with them, have you familiarised yourself with the places this occurs, or are you new to using one? Power lines, railways, cellphones in passing cars, and possibly radio masts are all potential culprits. There was one house in particular that used to interfere with mine, I don't know what he had in there.

Anyway, when my (Polar M52) HRM started kicking off I quickly ruled out any of the above causes, but then as I didn't feel any particular symptoms I put it down to a faulty monitor. Eventually it went from an occasional episode to being so frequent that the HRM became useless, so I ditched it and rode without it. When my health took a downturn, I bought a new (FT4) monitor and found that did the same. It was about another 18 months before my arrhythmia was diagnosed.

If you end up having an ECG done, don't assume that a negative one is necessarily an all clear, I had 2 Bruce tests, two 24hr Holters, a 7 day Holter, and more ECGs than you could poke a stick at, but the only time anyone has seen my atrial fibrillation is the other 10 occasions I fetched up at A&E in an ambulance.

(Some AF patients find HRMs unhelpful, but my Polar M52 has been compared against the paramedics' ECGs multiple times now, and seems reliable.)

@axel_knutt That’s very interesting and is the M52 you refer to the wrist worn model? I can’t find it on their web site

Normally, if you have a spike in heart rate, or an event that can cause that sort of thing, you can feel it. So, if you didn't feel anything unusual, it is *probably* caused by something external.

That said, given the consequences of being wrong on this, IMO it is worth getting it checked out.

Hi,
I've been wearing a monitor for over 10 years on every ride.
99.9999 percent, it's a blip in the monitor.
No symptoms you might not even get a check up but go down that route to be safe.

getting them to work reliably is quite difficult you just have to take them as they are.
The problem nowadays you've got so many things connected to so many things that it's very easy also to get interference, thats Bluetooth.

Psamathe wrote: ↑26 Jan 2022, 10:11pm I'm no medic so my thought could easily be totally daft (in which case ignore it) but is it possible it was an atrial fibrillation/arrhythmia incident?

Even if it is possible I have no idea what that would mean with regards to getting it all checked out - I'm rather "sensitive" about AF after one family member suffered (though in her 90's (age) so very different situation).

It isn't daft. But an artefact seems much more likely from what we've been told.

Atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias can be asymptomatic. And there's a lot of undiagnosed atrial fibrillation out there.

Investigation should start with talking to your GP.

Jonathan

Jdsk wrote: ↑26 Jan 2022, 7:09pm There was a discussion of something similar, but I can't find it.

With no associated symptoms I'd vote for that to be an artefact.

David2504 wrote: ↑26 Jan 2022, 7:02pm I know if I’m concerned I should seek professional medical advice...

You're right. : - )

Jonathan

I’m not sure what an artefact is?

People who put too much trust in instrumentation are vulnerable to the unexpected because instruments, electronics in particular, don’t always work as they are expected to.

Carlton green wrote: ↑27 Jan 2022, 10:40am

Jdsk wrote: ↑26 Jan 2022, 7:09pm There was a discussion of something similar, but I can't find it.

With no associated symptoms I'd vote for that to be an artefact.

I’m not sure what an artefact is?

People who put too much trust in instrumentation are vulnerable to the unexpected because instruments, electronics in particular, don’t always work as they should do.

In this context it's the measuring system giving a result that isn't caused by something genuine in the person being observed.

Jonathan

This may be a relevant earlier thread:

viewtopic.php?p=1473589

It started off talking about flapping shirts, but then moved on to discuss the accuracy of consumer HRMs and their potential for giving an early warning of medical issues.

Jdsk wrote: ↑27 Jan 2022, 10:43am

Carlton green wrote: ↑27 Jan 2022, 10:40am

Jdsk wrote: ↑26 Jan 2022, 7:09pm There was a discussion of something similar, but I can't find it.

With no associated symptoms I'd vote for that to be an artefact.

I’m not sure what an artefact is?

People who put too much trust in instrumentation are vulnerable to the unexpected because instruments, electronics in particular, don’t always work as they should do.

In this context it's the measuring system giving a result that isn't caused by something genuine in the person being observed.

Jonathan

Thank you.

Whilst out taking my own expertise I wondered about the value of and risks involved in such high heart rates - burst a blood vessel, etc. During exercise what are the beneficial, healthy and safe ranges of heart rate?

Carlton green wrote: ↑27 Jan 2022, 2:35pmWhilst out taking my own expertise I wondered about the value of and risks involved in such high heart rates - burst a blood vessel, etc. During exercise what are the beneficial, healthy and safe ranges of heart rate?

The medical advice is pretty simple and pretty consistent:

Take exercise. Don't worry about that sort of adverse effect. Consider talking to your GP as in the age-appropriate advice from the NHS. Have your blood pressure measured every 5 years. Talk to your GP if you develop any symptoms that concern you.

"Physical activity guidelines for older adults":
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/p ... er-adults/
There are different pages for different ages.

Jonathan