today in phys. ed. we were doing power jumproping for the whole period... anyway we were periodiocally stopping to check out heart rate. the first few times we stopped i was in the normal range about 150 to 170 bpm. i then took a break a went out side. when i was outside for like 5 mins my hr went back down to my resting hr ~110 bpm. i went back inside, and jumped for less than 30 seconds and checked my hr again i was at 260 beats per minute yes i said two hundred and sixty beats per minute!!!! i didnt believe it so i checked again and it ws still 260.
i then had someone else manually check my hr and they said i should be dead. i neglected to tell the phys. ed. teacher or the nurse. should i see a doctor? could this be a serious medical condition? what should i do?



i read this soon after tell me what you think:


MAXIMUM HEART RATE FORMULA IS WRONG

Gabe Mirkin, M.D.

Many of the standard tests used to measure heart function are based on a nonsensical MAXIMUM HEART RATE formula, that predicts the fastest your heart can beat and still pump blood through your body. Although this formula is the golden standard used today, it is not based on science. In 1970, a good friend, Sam Fox, was the director of the United States Public Health Service Program to Prevent heart disease. He is one of the most respected heart specialists in the world. He and a young researcher named William Haskell were flying to a meeting. They put together several studies comparing maximum heart rate and age. Sam Fox took out a pencil and plotted a graph of age verses maximum heart rate and said it looks like maximum heart rate is equal to 220 minus a person's age. For the last 30 years, this formula has been taught in physical education and heart function course and has been used to test heart function and athletic fitness. In the 1960s, Sam Fox was very helpful to me when I was competing, planning and setting up running programs, but the whole concept of maximum heart rate and the formula that it is equal to 220 minus your age is ridiculous.

The formula is wrong because your legs drive your heart. Your heart does not drive your legs. Maximum heart rate depends on the strength of your legs, not the strength of your heart. When you contract your leg muscles, they squeeze against the blood vessels near them to pump blood from your leg veins toward your heart. When your leg muscle relax, your leg veins fill with blood. So your leg muscles pump increased amounts of blood toward your heart. This increased blood fills the heart and causes your heart to be faster and with more force. This is called the Bainbridge reflex that doctors are taught in their first year of medical school. The stronger your legs are, the more blood they can pump, which causes your heart to beat faster. Since I race at my maximum speed most weekends on my bicycle, my legs are very strong and can pump blood forcibly to my heart. The formula, 220 minus age, claims that I can get my heart rate only up to 220 minus 66 or 154. I am 66 years old and I can easily get my heart rate above 210 beats a minute because I am in shape. An out-of-shape 20 year may have maximum heart rate of only 120.

A pencil mark plotted on a graph during an airplane flight more than 30 years ago has been the accepted formula for maximum heart rate for more than 30 years and the medical community has accepted false dogma, based on no research, for more than 30 years.

I wouldn't worry about the 220 - age formula as it is usualy a long way out and as you have seen not based on much science.

The fact you are asking this question suggests that you should speak to someone else about it. You don't say how old you are (I guess you are quite young) and while 260 bpm is high I wouldn't be worried about it at all. Young people usualy have very high HR following all exercise and the exercise you did sounds maximal and stressful.

I'd take a second look at how you measured your pulse...

How did you work out your HR? Did you count it using your thumb? Did you tell the second person what your pulse was before they checked it?

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From what you've said, I detect a sense of panic here (I'm not trying to be funny, when I say this).
You had one reading of 260 and you're asking us do we think you need to see a cardiologist.

What I suggest that you do is, if you are worried, consult your local doctor.
In all probability he will put you through a series of tests, after which your HR will be recorded, to see if there is a problem.
If he decides that your heart rate is unusual - he'll refer you to a cardiologist.

Alternatively (and this is what I would do) is take a series of readings yourself, after you've done some physically demanding tasks.
Relying on one reading at one point in time is not reliable.
If your readings are very high, I would bring this data to your doctor, tell him your concerns and then let him take it from there.

The main thing though is not to read too much in to one singularly reading.

It sounds like you had something like "paroxysmal atrial tachycardia".
Did you feel at all light-headed or more-than-expectedly short of breath?
Did you feel your heart rate going at a regular or irregular rhythm?
Did your heart rate drop back to a more 'normal' rate all of a sudden?
Had you had more caffiene prior to this event?
Yes you should see a doctor to have an ECG/EKG and an echocardiogram.

G'day,

I saw this thread yesterday & couldn't work out whether it was serious or not!. HR @260, resting HR @ 110????. Hopefully (for the thread starter),these numbers are wildly inaccurate. If you're serious see a doctor,

cheers,

Hitchy

Being one in the medical field one must understand this is a one time occurence. My question to you is this;

1) Did you experience any chest pain with this episode.

2) Did you pass out or feel faint.

3) Did you have any difficulty breathing during the episode.

4) Do you have any medical history that would lead to believe that you have a congenital heart disease.

5) Are you currently taking any medication.

6) After such experience have you tried attempting it again.

Once you answer these questions I can guide you better. Finally include age.

Disclaimer; I'm not suggesting any concrete medical advice but giving you direction for what happen to you. If you feel strongly as to what happen to you I would strongly recommend you tell your parents right away as to what happen and consult your primary medical physician.

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Ride for your life today because tomorrow no one knows what will bring...(CARPE DIEM)

Was most likly interferance from somthing making the hrt monitor give you false reading.