It is not necessarily that a heart rate, or the number of times your heart beats each minute, of 230 is abnormal during treadmill running, but it is a bit high. Maximum heart rate, or MHR, is a calculation based on your age. For most people, a healthy MHR falls somewhere between 150 and 200. Therefore, even if you are very young, a heart rate of 230 while running may be pushing the limits of safe aerobic exercise.
Exceeding your MHR
Treadmill running at an intensity level that pushes your heart rate above your MHR, particularly for a sustained period of time, places you at increased risk for both cardiovascular and orthopedic injury. Continuing to push yourself at such a pace can put a great deal of strain on your heart and body. Once your heart rate exceeds MHR, it cannot pump blood effectively enough to restore oxygen levels throughout your body, which leads to an anaerobic state. And while there are benefits to anaerobic exercise, it is unhealthy and unsafe to run anaerobically for extended durations.
Calculating MHR
Your predicted MHR is the result of a calculation based on your age. Specifically, it is 220 minus your age in years. So, for example, if you are 20 years old, your predicted MHR is 200. If you are 50, your predicted MHR is 170. Regardless of your age, there is no way to manipulate the equation to produce an MHR of 230, which is an indication that this exercise heart rate is too high for you, or anyone else, for that matter.
Target Heart Rate Zone
To reap maximum aerobic benefit from running on a treadmill, it is important to understand and to train within a healthy heart rate range, also called your target heart rate, or THR, zone. Your MHR is the starting point for calculating your THR. A safe and healthy THR range is 60 to 80 percent of your MHR. Therefore, if you are 20 years old, and your MHR is 200, the lower end of your THR range is 120 and the higher end is 160. It is by exercising within the heart rate range of 120 to 160 that you and your heart will benefit most. Exceeding that range and approaching or exceeding your MHR may put you at risk for exercise injury.
Symptoms of a Rapid Heart Rate
There are any number of factors that can affect your heart rate, both during rest and while exercising. Particularly if 230 is a higher exercise heart rate than what you normally experience, you may want to pay close attention to your body and observe for symptoms of underlying causes. Symptoms of a rapid heart rate include feeling short of breath or even faint. You may also notice that you feel dizzy or lightheaded. You may also feel heart palpitations or chest pain.
Potential Causes of a Rapid Heart Rate
A rapid heart rate, or tachycardia, and its associated symptoms, may be a red flag for any number of underlying causes. If you are generally healthy, it could just be that your body is fighting off an infection. Or if you have recently had a fever, vomiting or diarrhea, you could simply be dehydrated. Dehydration is a common cause of tachycardia. An increase in everyday stress can lead to anxiety, one of the manifestations of which is a rapid heart rate. Over consumption of stimulants, such as caffeine, especially before exercise can lead to tachycardia. If you notice a high exercise heart rate during several workouts, take a day or two to take care of yourself before getting back on the treadmill. If your exercise heart rate continues to be too high, talk to your doctor, as there are more severe conditions of which tachycardia is an early symptom. These conditions include thyroid disease, anemia and even heart disease and failure.
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