Does anyone understand heart-rates? Getting v high readings

[peeveddoesntcoverit]

Thank you so much in advance to anyone that can help.

I've been running for 3 years now, 2-3 times a week, and have done a few half marathons, so consider myself quite fit. I have a normal BMI.
For my birthday my DH got me a Garmin Forerunner with the heart rate monitor. I've used it on my last two runs:

connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/698296743
connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/701061030

The heart rate data is at the bottom on the red graph.

My average heart rate is 188 or 184. According to charts I've found online, this is dangerously high!

I am running up steeps hills (can't avoid them here), but I'm frightened I'm on the verge of having a heart attack.

Am I? Or is the monitor wrong? Do they take the wrong reading?

Thank you

I wouldnt worry Peeve as long as you feel ok, mine goes up to around 180 bpm if I run faster than 10 minute mile pace.

Presumably your heart has been doing the exact same thing while you ran over the last 3 years so I think you'd know if there was a problem

I think the theory is your max heart rate is 220 minus your age, so if you are 30, it's 190. If you want to improve your cardiovascular fitness you work at a higher % of your max than for fat burning. This is theoretical though, suppose if you didn't have the monitor you wouldn't have been concerned unless you felt unwell etc, maybe worth getting checked out if you have any other symptoms?

the 220 - age is a rough guide to the maximum rate that your heart is able to beat, not the maximum that it ought to be allowed to reach.

Max hr declines by around 1bpm per year irrespective of fitness.

I'm 49 and my heart rate sometimes goes up to 190 or so when I'm running

Oh thank you, you've all saved me! I was sitting at my desk convinced I was about to keel over any minute.
The max rate stuff is really interesting, and I've never had any other heart-attacky symptoms so I assume I'm fine.
Bloody Garmin, I'd never have thought twice about my heart rate until it put it in a scary graph. It's a great watch though.

Your resting heart rate is generally more indicative of problems than your peak...

Also OP, it is pretty easy to figure out where you live from the map... Maybe tighten your privacy settings,,,/ask MN to remove the links if this bothers you...

My heart easily goes above whatever its max is supposed to be. Normal for me.

A physiologist said it's probably because my heart is small for my body size, which could be due to my mother smoking heavily during pregnancy with me. But not to worry, my body is used to it all.

please go and gp this checked at your gp - nothing wrong with going for a 10 minute consultation and letting them know your heart rate is high when running for someone so fit. Then the gp can decide whether any further investigation should be taken or not.

Dont assume your fine just because you don't think you have any other symptoms, you are probably ok but to be on the safe side please visit your gp as a high heart rate can be an indication of an underlying health problem as I found out.

What was your problem, ivykaty?

This is interesting.

Thanks all. And I've re-tightened my privacy settings so I should be invisible now.