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One fantastic swimmer at my pool told me his heart rate goes up to 210, 220 bpm when he swims hard. It drops fast, though; doesn't stay elevated when he stops. He's in his early 50's.
One fantastic swimmer at my pool told me his heart rate goes up to 210, 220 bpm when he swims hard. It drops fast, though; doesn't stay elevated when he stops. He's in his early 50's.
Well your swimmer friend solved the question posed to us. We met with someone who had been in an accident. Their heart rate was recorded at 230. If a 50 year old swimmer can reach 200 then 230 would not be dangerously high if it dropped.
There is no such thing as a dangerously high heart rate from exercise. I started running with a heart rate monitor in 1995. I ran close to 200 races while wearing it. I hit my highest heart rate of 192 in 1996 at age 41. I hit it again almost exactly 10 years later at age 51. Both times was running 5K races on a hot humid summer day.
That being said, what you have to realize is that maximum heart rates are individualistic.They are not an indication of fitness, but a high level of fitness allows you the ability to hit your maximum heart rate. For example, when I first started measuring my highest heart rate, I got a 176. I gradually started hitting higher heart rates for 14 months before I hit 192. My maximum heart rate didn't change. What changed was my ability to hit that rate.
Keep in mind that these rates were attained at the end of a 5K race. When I raced at longer distances, my heart rate was lower. I ran 3 marathons and my heart rate averaged 155 in each of them. The highest HR I hit during a marathon was 166.
Regarding "a dangerous level for such persons such that they need to discontinue the physical activity," this takes care of itself. If you are exercising at 85 to 90% of maximum heart rate, you will only be capable of doing it for several minutes before you no choice but to stop or collapse. Your body will not be able to continue.
Example would be a 40 year old athlete or non athlete who is under extreme physical exertion. Extreme meaning continuous.
What heart rate would be considered a dangerous level for such persons such that they need to discontinue the physical activity?
A far too difficult question to answer..because no where is there any suggestion of family history of Heart disease....
But..having said all that..working in ER..We had many chest pains present..ECG done..all the blood work done to get cardiac enzymes....then if negative..keep over night on monitor..next day..fast tracked to getting Cardiac Stress test done..which goes back to your heart rate question..however during stress test..multi-lead monitor is attached..regardless of rate would red flag issues.....
Problem is..when anyone choses to marathon..sprint or exercise to the point of high heart rates, regardless of activity...may be wise to get some sort of assessment done..so as can beware..maybe change diet..maybe take supplements or maybe just become aware of that often hidden Heart disease condition asymptomatic......
My best advice would be get basic full assessment..have a baseline ECG..having some baseline bloodworm done..advise your Physician what you plan to do or have been doing exercise wise...and maybe describe any symptoms you experience ( if anything flagged..would or should read to "Stress Test") and go from their...
Answer to OP..Always have full physical done prior to program that causes HR to exceed 200 BPM.....IF never done before..you may not know IF you have an underlying Cardiovascular problem....
BTW~~ I have always promoted exercise and pushing one's limits...but PLEASE never start at top notch....Baby steps..start slow..and increase by increments..until limit met...etc...No such thing as instant success..and pushing to far too fast could be detrimental..!!
There is no such thing as a dangerously high heart rate from exercise. I started running with a heart rate monitor in 1995. I ran close to 200 races while wearing it. I hit my highest heart rate of 192 in 1996 at age 41. I hit it again almost exactly 10 years later at age 51. Both times was running 5K races on a hot humid summer day.
That being said, what you have to realize is that maximum heart rates are individualistic.They are not an indication of fitness, but a high level of fitness allows you the ability to hit your maximum heart rate. For example, when I first started measuring my highest heart rate, I got a 176. I gradually started hitting higher heart rates for 14 months before I hit 192. My maximum heart rate didn't change. What changed was my ability to hit that rate.
Keep in mind that these rates were attained at the end of a 5K race. When I raced at longer distances, my heart rate was lower. I ran 3 marathons and my heart rate averaged 155 in each of them. The highest HR I hit during a marathon was 166.
Regarding "a dangerous level for such persons such that they need to discontinue the physical activity," this takes care of itself. If you are exercising at 85 to 90% of maximum heart rate, you will only be capable of doing it for several minutes before you no choice but to stop or collapse. Your body will not be able to continue.
Why is there no dangerous level? The question was at what heart rate would death be possible. Can a heart beat at 300, 400? I guess not (?)
A nurse at our Church said 140 would be dangerous. Obviously way off.
Google articles found some rates as high as 210-220 if the persons reporting that were accurate.
The heart has to have a limit.
That said the age of the individual is 36 and they were in an accident last year and heart rate was 230 when they arrived at the first aid building. The rate surely (?) was contained and trended downward. No heart disease known in their family except a grandparent died of hardening of the arteries from what we were told. They have no record of how quickly or slowly the heart rate declined once being treated and subsequent ride to the Carolina Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C.
Why is there no dangerous level? The question was at what heart rate would death be possible. Can a heart beat at 300, 400? I guess not (?)
A nurse at our Church said 140 would be dangerous. Obviously way off.
Google articles found some rates as high as 210-220 if the persons reporting that were accurate.
The heart has to have a limit.
That said the age of the individual is 36 and they were in an accident last year and heart rate was 230 when they arrived at the first aid building. The rate surely (?) was contained and trended downward. No heart disease known in their family except a grandparent died of hardening of the arteries from what we were told. They have no record of how quickly or slowly the heart rate declined once being treated and subsequent ride to the Carolina Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C.
Your question was at what heart rate would be considered a dangerous level for a 40 year old athlete or non-athlete who is under extreme physical exertion such that they need to discontinue the physical activity?
My response is that for a healthy person with no heart disease and no medications or drugs involved, that it would be near impossible to reach a dangerous heart rate. The body sets its own limit. I explained this based on my experience over 20 years of running with a heart rate monitor and trying to hit the highest heart rate possible. This is something that most people have never experienced. I found that I had to run at a continuous fast pace for 15 to 20 minutes and then sprint as fast as possible. I found that I could not reach my maximum heart rate unless I had that buildup to maximum exertion. This level of maximum exertion is where your chest feels like it is going to explode and you are going to collapse. A cardiac stress test by a cardiologist would never take a person close to this level of exertion, and most people are unable of running at that intensity for that long.
The point is that your body's limit will force you to stop before death is close to possible. Your hear can't beat at 300 or 400 beats per minute. Every person's potential maximum heart rate is different. I never got my above 192. My wife who is a casual runner can easily get hers above 200.
Keep in mind that I am only describing maximum heart rate from exercise, and not any type of medical condition or drug induced increase in heart rate.
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