To worry about this heart rate?

[Atypicaldancer]

I am anaemic and not particularly fit. I have a bmi of 28 and am trying to lose weight. I wear an Apple Watch and when I’m running my heart rate shoots up. Today it reached a max of 210 bpm. The Apple Watch doesn’t go higher. I felt awful and had to stop. It’s only running when this happens. DH thinks I should get checked out. I feel fine. What do you think.

You seriously need to get that checked.

Forgot to say - I’m 41 so that’s quite high!

Of course you should get it checked out. ASAP.
And don’t run again till you see a doc.
Your max healthy heart rate when exercising is something like 220 minus your age - so if you’re 30, it’s 190. Beyond that is dangerous
It might well be your watch, but better to be safe.

Yes you need to be getting that checked out.

I felt awful and had to stop Your body feels awful. Get it checked.

Most importantly, what is your resting heart rate?

It’s low. 59. I exercise regularly. It’s only running that does this.

I'd be very alarmed at 210, but how accurate are apple watches for recording heart rate?

Any chance the watch is incorrect?

I’d see your GP to rule out anything sinister and if it goes up like that beforehand, seek immediate help.

When I was anaemic my doctor ordered me to stop exercise.

I kept on with milder walking and yoga but nothing that makes the heart race like that.

Are you new to running? If you are, you might just be pushing yourself too much too soon. Slow your pace down and when your heart rate starts to hit 170ish (or whatever your 'high zone' is) then drop to a either a slow jog or walk for a couple of minutes, which should bring your heart rate down. Then repeat. You should see improvement over a few weeks. But if you've been running a while and this is new then definitely get it checked out!

DH thinks they are pretty accurate for steady state cardio. It never shoots up like that for any other exercise but always does for running. Today was the worst I’ve felt and the highest it was. He has a chest strap but not sure I should run again to test!

I have a heart arrhythmia and that’s how high my heart rate goes when I go in to SVT. Does it come on suddenly or a gradual increase while you run?

Not sure how you can be not fit and also exercise regularly with a low resting heart rate though, was that some kind of typo?

Cross posted. Get checked out. The GP will arrange a short ECG but you need a stress test one.

I’ve run before but only recently restarted. I was doing week 6 of couch to 5k so not beyond my capabilities. I do body combat, body pump and Pilates - all fine. Last time my ferritin was checked - it was 9. I have b12 deficiency, treated on the nhs.

I don’t feel fit because I’m a bit fat, but I do exercise and my resting heart rate is 59.

It comes on gradually

Anything above 100bmp isn't particularly good for you.
200+ needs urgent medical attention.
Have you taken it manually? I don't trust ANY devices, good old fashioned fingers to wrist works fine. Though use fingers NOT thumbs, thumbs have their own heartbeats!

Do you drink energy drinks? Smoke or do drugs that could increase it?

Good to get checked asap (I'd call 111 actually, they will give good advice). It may be that the reader is picking up palpitations (atrial fibrillation or some other condition) which need checking out. You may have a normal bpm but have a few double beats scattered in and suddenly it comes up very high.

Call 111 and good luck!

No smoking. No drugs. Occasionally drink (2 days a week, not to excess). I do get palpitations, but normally feel them and put it down to anaemia.

I can’t take a fingers to wrist reading because it happens only when I’m exercising and comes down quickly.

No energy drinks.

Could you ask your DH to run with your watch on and see if it's accurate? My friend had a faulty thermometer and took her child to A&E thinking she had a fever of 101 when she was actually fine! Tech can let us down, so before seeing your gp, just check it's not a faulty watch reading.

Will do. I do think it’s accurate tbh. It measures accurately when I’m doing any other exercises. It only rises like this when I run. It’s usually in sync with the monitors at the gym.

If you are sure it's accurate then definitely see your gp. It needs checking out.