Heart thumping

[MikeB18]

As the title suggests I need some help with my heart rate. After about 20-30 minutes of off road riding my heart is thumping quite strongly, I can feel it in my throat and makes riding any further quite uncomfortable and sometimes painful especially in my throat.

I only get to ride properly once a week but I am fairly active in my job 5 days a week. It's getting to the point where I don't want to ride because of it. When riding on the road I am fine for atleast 45 minutes but any longer and it starts.

I don't want to push it for fear of overworking my heart. I know I am unfit and also being underweight definitely makes it harder (22 yrs old, 5ft 7 tall and weigh 8.5 stone) Is it just a case of getting on the bike more often or is there more to it? I do have a turbo trainer that I don't really use, would it help having a spin on that and getting a heart rate monitor?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated

 

[Fab Foodie]

Hi
Just a few thoughts .....
Are you out of breath/breathing hard?
Are you starting nice and slowly to give your cardiovascular system time to warm up? I mean 15 minutes gentle spinning along?
Are you pedalling a nice gentle gear and not overdoing it?
How is the terrain?
Are you on any medication like Beta-blockers?

2 things .... firstly speak with your doctor just to be safe and secondly just take it gently at first - by which I mean relax and ride at a pace where you can still hold a conversation, it takes time to build up .... but fortunately, not long!

 

[Racing roadkill]

Learn to sword swallow. Failing that, back the effort off a bit.

 

[Citius]

Google some definitions of 'thumping heart' (your description) - and then make an appointment with your GP. He/she will probably tell you not to worry, but you should hear it from your GP, not from some random stranger on the internet.

 

[Tin Pot]

As others have said, if you're really worried see a GP.

Once that's sorted, a HRM helps you excercise at the right pace, and that'll reassure you that your heart rate is within the range you're expecting.

 

[fossyant]

Sounds normal. Your heart is meant to thump.

Go to GP. It's normal but we have no idea of your medical history. So off to the docs.

Once the all clear get training. Then get a HR monitor and see how high it can go on a climb.

 

[Crandoggler]

I dunno. I only really feel my heart when resting, or when working to as close as possible to my maximum heart rate.

When out on a jaunt, I don't really feel anything much, unless on a climb.

I'd hazard a guess that you're

A.) fine.
B.) not fine.
C.) unfit.

See your GP mate. We know nothing. He/she does.

 

[midlife]

Carotid Artery thumping away in response to what you are doing.... Need to go to docs for double check, sorry to repeat advice above. At 22 years old without demonstrable pathology you can basically throw whatever at your cardiovascular system without much risk, unlike my 55 year old kit!

Shaun

 

[raleighnut]

Go to the Doc.

 

[Colin_P]

As people have said, go to the doctor and get checked out.

 

[digit]

As a youngster .... many years ago, I took up swimming once a week, 2 hour sessions. Had similar symptoms.
Doc's turned round and said stop or do at least 3 sessions a week to spread the exertion (tooo much in 1 go)
Ended up doing 5 x 1 hour morning sessions and 4 x 3 hour evening sessions .... talk about knackered
but no issues with heart work.

Cheers

 

[MikeB18]

Think I agree with the post above that I am doing too much at once. I'm hoping to get my turbo trainer back out and use 2 or 3 times a week along with my weekly ride and see how that goes.

I am interested in a HRM to keep track of it and make sure I don't over do it, would you say this is a good idea or are they really for those trying to reach their targets or with training programs? I ride for fun, not bothered about being the fastest or riding the furthest, just don't want to ruin my body whilst doing it

 

[ColinJ]

I am interested in a HRM to keep track of it and make sure I don't over do it, would you say this is a good idea or are they really for those trying to reach their targets or with training programs? I ride for fun, not bothered about being the fastest or riding the furthest, just don't want to ruin my body whilst doing it

If your doctor gives you the ok, you should be clear to pretty much do what you want and not worry about it. Honestly, people make huge efforts for hours at a time with no ill effects. I have done 5 hour rides wearing a HRM and my heart rate only dropped below 150 bpm when I was freewheeling on descents!

If you are not ill, and not training for maximum fitness, I can't see the point of the HRM - just do rides that you enjoy and if you think you are trying too hard, then back off a bit.

 

[Mr_Grieve]

Exercise induced chest/neck pain needs investigated. If you were 30 years older I'd worried you had angina/ischaemic heart disease but given your age I suspect its benign and due to lack of fitness. As others have said you need to speak to your GP. COI - medically qualified.

 

[Joshua Plumtree]

If your doctor gives you the ok, you should be clear to pretty much do what you want and not worry about it. Honestly, people make huge efforts for hours at a time with no ill effects. I have done 5 hour rides wearing a HRM and my heart rate only dropped below 150 bpm when I was freewheeling on descents!

If you are not ill, and not training for maximum fitness, I can't see the point of the HRM - just do rides that you enjoy and if you think you are trying too hard, then back off a bit.

+1

If you're puffing like a proverbial billy goat, then your heart's somewhere near maximum, if you're not, then it isn't.

Added to which , cheep HRM monitors can put the wind up you. I've had Argos specials that have shown a heart rate up in the 220's before I've even sat on the saddle or, conversely, had me peddling along at 35 bpm!