Your heart rate will naturally rise with exercise, but a sharp and rapid spike in heart rate is called tachycardia, and it can last for a few beats or for an extended period of time. Some people experience sudden jumps in their heart rate and are never aware of it, while others may feel their heart racing. It can be an unsettling feeling and is worth reporting to your doctor, especially if you have other risk factors, such as high blood pressure or heart disease.
Your Heart and Exercise
As you exert your body in any type of physical activity, your heart rate increases to meet the increased demand for oxygen and fuel throughout your body. By beating faster, your heart speeds up circulation and keeps cells in your organs and muscles well-supplied with oxygen and nutrients. Your average maximum heart rate during exercise should be between 150 and 200 beats per minute, depending on your age, according to the American Heart Association. A healthy 20-year-old, for example should have a maximum heart rate of about 200 beats per minute, while a 70-year-old would have a maximum rate closer to 150.
Heart Rate Spikes
Usually, your heart rate will climb steadily as you exercise. But a sudden jump in your heart rate may be the result of heart valve problems or other heart disease-related causes. However, palpitations can result from stress, caffeine, certain medications, dehydration, fever, thyroid problems and conditions such as anemia.
Considerations
If you experience heart rate spikes or palpitations, be prepared to tell your doctor how often they occur, how long they last, what makes them subside, whether they are accompanied by light headedness or chest pain, and how fast the rate gets. You can measure your rate by checking your pulse and counting the number of beats you feel in 15 seconds and then multiplying that number by four to get the number of beats per minute. Your doctor may do an exam to check for underlying heart disease problems. If you have heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure or a history of heart attack or stroke and you have symptoms such as a a heart rate spike and chest pains while exercising you should call 911.
Some Spikes Safe
If you have no heart disease history or risk factors, sudden exercise-induced heart rate spikes don't mean you'll have an increased risk of sudden cardiac death, according to a Johns Hopkins University study presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in 2009. Researchers found that there is no cause for alarm for people who experience bouts of tachycardia but that if it happens frequently, the spikes are worth reporting to your doctor.
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