Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

High heart rate esp. while working out

hi I am 27 years old male, 155lb, 5ft 8 in. quit smoking 4 months ago.  EKG showed sinus arrhythmia

My resting heart rate is always between 85-105 while sitting and 100-110 while standing and can go up to 120-130 while walking.  If I walk a flight of stairs my HR goes to 150 easily. I have a heart rate monitor and also have measured my pulse rate manually several times. I have tired multiple devices aswell and it's v accurate.

I had been to a cardiologist and done stress test, echo, and 7 days event monitor. HR was high like 130 while walking in event monitor but the Dr. said no to worry about it. I exercise 3 times a week cardio and wt lifting and intake v minimum caffiene. Generally I eat healthy aswell.

Esp while working out(wt lifting) my heart rate goes above 120-150 which is fine but when i stop it and watch my heart rate it doesn't go below 120 even after 5 minutes. It goes up and stays up which i think is dangerous. Also while doing cardio i don't let my HR go above 160 while can go easily so i monitor .

like for instance i am back from gym my HR was above 125 while doing my shoulder workout even with 2 minutes rest between each set and now i am home and sitting for atleast 30 minutes and typing my HR is 110. Esp after workout my HR stays up for a while. I do moderate wt lifting.

so my question is any idea why my HR is so high even after working out and being young. and it goes up and stays up?
Also should I ask Dr. for a med to lower my HR. coz DR. was kinda giving me choice "if this is bothering you i can prescribe me a med". I told him if you do not think it's necessary, I don't want to. I really don't want to be on any med.

Any tips, suggestion what should I do? any one experiencing similar problem? I am concerned that it might cause sudden death or a cardiac arrest. Cardiologist had told me if HR goes above 120 and stays up...there's a risk for sudden death.
17 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
I had a holter back in 2010. It really didn't showed anything at that time..my MAX HR was 155 and lowest was 55.
But at 2012 I had a 7 day event monitor..which showed my hr was going 130bpm while just walking..dr said he is not concerend...
Helpful - 0
996946 tn?1503249112
I can't remember if you said you have worn a Holter monitor?  I am wearing a 48 hr one right now.  It's an excellent way for the Dr to get to the bottom of your issue.  I'll find out next week why mine's been running so high.  This may repeat...I've already tried to correct it...
Helpful - 0
996946 tn?1503249112
I can't remember if you said you have worn a Holter monitor?  I am wearing a 48 hr one right now.  It's an excellent way for the Dr to get to the bottom of your issue.  I'll find out next week why mine's been running so high.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
anyone else with similar problem or any experience?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
thank you for your time. But i don't think mind is thyroid related ..i have had thyroid test several time just in 2 years at different dr. office..

I think I have some rhythm problem , where it tends to beat faster and recovery is slow even with all the exercise i have been doing. i has improved but still where it gives red flags.
Helpful - 0
263988 tn?1281954296
Make sure you get copies of your laboratory work. When doctors tell you your thyroid function tests are normal, you need to know what they mean. Sometimes telling you they are within normal range does not give you enough information. Is the thyroid on the low end of the range or the high end of the range? If so these are the beginning signs of problems with your thyroid function.

It took me years to ask for my TSH, Free T4, and Free T3 test results and to keep copies of them myself.

I always had an extremely low heart rate and was told it was not a problem. We are talking 35 to 42 bpm. Not a problem? For whom? It is still low. That low heart rate was a sign of hypothyroidism. No doctor ever thought of treating it and blamed me for gaining weight. Duh!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
thank you the reply.

When I workout my starting HR is around 115 always. And it goes up quick, usually doing elliptical, like i am not even tired and I can go 4 times intense and higher resistance but My HR is already in 150 zone. So i have to stick with resistance 1 or 2 and do a moderate workout(160-170 stripes/min) , but I keep my HR betn 150-160 zone. If i dont slow my speed my HR keeps going up, i have had 170 bpm many times..so i have to drop down to 120 stirdes per min in the elliptical. So 1 min speed and HR 160 and slowdown 3 min and HR 125-130. and repeat.

later after I pedal v slowly it starts to go down and in 4-5 min. it comes down to 130 and then it stays betn 120-130 forever. HR doesn't go below 120 even i stop and stand and check my monitor. Solwly it goes to 115 zone and stays there , then i start my weight lifting, and while i am lifting wt. it goes to 130-155 BPM and while i take a rest betn. sets it goes down to 125-130 and stays there while I stand not moving at all for 1-2 min.

I don't get nervous anymore and I just think this is how it is so i keep moving. But in a long run I am concerend that i might have a sudden cardiac arrest of having high HR all the time usually while moving or a sudden death.

another thing I don't sweat at all. I have had my thyroid check multiple of time and all other blood work , everything came back normal. I never use to sweat much anyway but i enter the gym dry and leave dry. Sometimes I feel some sweat in my back , but that's it..nth on my forehead or anywhere else.

in your opinion, could it be bcoz my workout not being intense enough compared to my capacity but my HR goes up without much exertion? So i do a cardio where my HR is betn 150-160 but my exertion is v minimum.

My wife on other hand goes upto 7-10 level resistance with intese pedaling(around 190-200 stripes/min) and her HR is 150-160 bpm. I just look at her and i say ....lucky u...lol

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have pots its no fun ever time I stand up I get headaches tension in chest and head I'm tired a lot but also have ms I guess so I don't no what symptoms go with what but if you have these symptoms you could have pots. I know the most common symptom is heartrate change of over 30 bpm. If you have these I'd at least get checked.
Helpful - 0
996946 tn?1503249112
I have been wondering about that POTS condition and I'll have that possibility checked out.  Took a beta-blocker this morn and it seems to have brought it down a bit.  Good luck to you with yours!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm not really sure what you are concerned about? Is there some kind of symptom that goes along with the HR that concerns you? At 27 years old there is nothing wrong with having your HR be 160 when you're working out. It could go up into the low 200's and that would be normal. Your resting pulse rate is fine, your heart rate of 110 when walking is pretty standard, and you sound like you basically take care of yourself. I wouldn't be worried at all. The only thing you mention that I guess could warrant any concern is a lack of HR recovery, but remember, if you are deliberately keeping it down, not letting it get really ramped up it doesn't have as far to fall. When I run I can get my HR way, way up like into the 200's and after it comes down to say, 130-140 after the first 2 minutes it kind of levels off, that's normal. If you were only getting up to 125 in the first place it's not going to drop to 70 right away. Sitting in the low hundreds for a half hour is not dangerous. You literally have nothing to worry about. Be happy. Find a new cardiologist that doesn't spread illogical fear to you. If a HR staying over 120BPM's meant a risk of sudden death all those people you see running road races or playing pick-up basketball for longer than a few minutes would be dropping like flies.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
no i never drink energy drink and drink 1 cup of coffee per week. I think it's been like this for years. With exercise my HR has gone down a bit but still higher than it should be.

If you HR goes while you stand up , say even after 5-10 minutes is still high and goes down when you sit down, you might wanna look at POTS. Usually you bp does down when you get up and HR goes up.
Helpful - 0
996946 tn?1503249112
Are you consuming a lot of caffeine or Energy drinks?  How long have you had this pattern of HR?  Like other heart conditions, for instance, afib, there are a lot of triggers.  I started having tachycardia almost a week ago and have no clue as to what triggered it.  And unlike you, I can sit down and it goes into the 60's and stays there until I am up and about again...just regular walking takes it up into the 120's.  Mine only started this pattern about a week ago.  I had taken my first CoQ10 supplement but don't know if that had anything to do with it.  I'll be watching to see if anyone can give you any "words of wisdom" on this condition. I think mine might have to do with stress and anxiety to be perfectly honest.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you I appreciate for your time and suggestion
. I have accepted myself that my HR falls into high ends. What i am concerned about is the extra tax on my heart. The research has concluded that high heart rate leads to lot of trouble in long run. Which makes sense, it like running a car engine, the more you run , soon it wears out. It's been going on a for a while, i use to be v worried but now i have learned to live with it and doesn't bother me much but it concerned me.

I think it's kind of high  HR 100-120 while just simple walking. And recovery time is long too. It was my cardiologist who said ..sudden death happens if HR go up 120 and stays there. He also kind of suspected POTS but he couldn't proof from ekg and event monitor test. He told me to increase sodium and stay hydrated.

Ya i don't want to be on meds aswell , atleast not while iam 27. But if i have to i have to. On the good note today my resting HR(while sitting) is pretty good. it was 70BPM and 75BPM in the day today. Not it's around 85..but when i stand up and start walking it goes up to 110 bpm.

What are you average BPM , like while sitting, walking, or working out?
Helpful - 0
1298588 tn?1330318981
Hi there,

I too suffer from high heart rates. It's always nice to know I'm not the only one, so thank you for that! My high heart rates are only periodic, and after (very) extensive testing have been proven to consist of nothing more serious than sinus tachycardia caused by anxiety. In your case, by contrast, the high rates seem to pose more of a constant issue. However, I don't think that it's as bad as you may think.

First of all, your resting heart rate falls in fact mostly in the normal range, which if you don't know is 60 to 100 bpm. While many doctors believe that it is healthier to fall in the lower end of the range, many people naturally fall in the higher end and still live long and healthy lives. Like your hair colour or your height, your slightly higher heart rate is just another trait that makes you unique and special.

The time your heart requires to return to your resting heart rate after exercise, or your recovery time, is similarly different for everybody. Again, your numbers don't sound dangerous to me. I also have a heart with a long recovery time, and after intense exercise (or anxiety) my heart can beat at 110-120 for several minutes or even up to about half an hour. As long as your heart rate does go down within a reasonable period of time, it really isn't anything to worry about. I even had a stress test done to investigate my long recovery time, and the nurse listened to my heart beating at over 100 bpm for about ten minutes after the test was done, until it finally started to go down, and she wasn't worried at all. I don't think you should either.

I don't know who told you that a HR of over 120 can cause sudden death. I've never heard any such thing. If your RESTING HR is over 120 all the time, then certainly, it's not the best thing for your heart, but even that is not going to cause it to stop suddenly. Some people with chronic heart conditions endure rates of 150+ for weeks on end, and they're still alive. Personally, I've had heart rates even higher than that, up in the 180s, sometimes for quite awhile, and I'm still here too. For that reason, I don't think you need meds. I think that you are just somebody whose heart beats a little faster than average, and that you are starting to become overly concerned with it, which is only making it worse. Believe me, the most important factor that influences our heart rates is our mind. I advise you to keep an eye (or a finger, lol) on your pulse over time, just to keep yourself at ease that things aren't getting worse. The way things are going, though, I think you can be happy and healthy for a long, long time!
Take care :)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
thank you for your help. Ya i want to take prevention steps aswell before it;s too late...
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I don't no much about this but I'm sure someone with more knowledge will post soon I just wanted to post to make you feel a little better that people are reading. I also have weird heart rate issues and am on a 30 day last night I woke up my heart went from 40 to 160 in the snap of a finger. Its hard to not to worry buy its the best thing just keep up with the doc.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
anyone? any suggestions..also I had my thyroid tested and also for auto immune disease ...everything came back normal.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Heart Rhythm Community

Top Arrhythmias Answerers
1807132 tn?1318743597
Chicago, IL
1423357 tn?1511085442
Central, MA
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Are there grounds to recommend coffee consumption? Recent studies perk interest.
Salt in food can hurt your heart.
Get answers to your top questions about this common — but scary — symptom
How to know when chest pain may be a sign of something else
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.