Max HR jump: Should I Worry?

nick300zx

Hi,
I've been using a Garmin 500 with HR strap for a few months. When I first got it I worked out my max HR (climbing hill method) to be 179. This was a bit higher than the other method (i've forgotton how that works, i'm 49).I've only been riding for about 6-7 months so my fitness is improving steadily.
When i was doing the Sussex Scramble Sportive last week we came to a 'bump' about 10 miles in. I started to get a bit breathless about half way up, looked at the Garmin and my heart rate was 188! I immediately stopped to let it drop and then carried on with no great problem.
I've just had a quick whizz around Richmond Pk. today and again my HR jumped to 183.
Now both times it happened I was out of the saddle and pushing a bit so should I be worried or is it that i'm getting fitter and pushing much harder than before?

Any advice greatly appreciated

cougie

Your HR doesnt suddenly jump. It rises gradually and with great effort to your max. This is probably just interference. Try tightening the band.

slowbike

It can jump - mine does on occasion - and it's not the hrm - I can feel my heart pounding.

cougie

Id go get checked out at the Docs then. It shouldn't jump.

slowbike

It's adrenaline - get a kick of that and it'll "jump" pretty rapidly .. don't need to be checked out by the doc - I know what caused the hit ..

dawebbo

It means that 179 isn't your max hr.

Wrath Rob

It could be the strap. There are several known issues with the Garmin "premium" soft strap which picks up interference from synthetic clothes. Mine was fine until I stopped wearing 2 layers when the weather got warm, at which point I'd get very, very silly heart rate readings. Like heart rates over 230 when my max is 191.

Garmin posted some information on it here but that didn't fix my problems.

Other solution here.

My solution was to by a Polar HRM strap (not the sender) as that doesn't suffer from the same problem and is 100% compatible with the Garmin ANT+ sender. Problem solved.

Monty Dog

Unless you are experiencing a racing heartbeat well in excess of 200bpm that doesn't slow down when you ease-off, the expect you simply haven't been riding hard enough previously to get near your maximum. To do a proper ramp test protocol takes about 15-20 minutes before your final all-out effort to establish your maximum.
By all means see your doctor, but unless you're exhibiting symptons of conditions like tachycardia, they'll probably just tell you to stop pushing yourself too hard!

nick300zx

Thanks for all the replies.
'Jumping' probably wasn't the best choice of words. I was more concerned that my max heart rate had increased by so much.
Am guessing that I didn't push myself enough when I originally did it.

Cheers

Pross

As you've got fitter you are probably just able to push harder (or more precisely feel able to push harder). On that original HR level you were probably holding something back as you were worried you couldn't go harder, when riding a sportive your competitive instinct kicked in and you pushed that bit more. If you'd gone to your max HR in the first place you would have felt the same sensations - riding at ot near your max HR is not nice and only sustainable for seconds.