It's not unusual for you to feel your heart beat during a workout -- a fast, pounding heart rate usually indicates that you're exercising hard enough for you to improve your level of fitness. But if you feel random heart tremors while you exercise, perhaps the sensation of your heart fluttering or even skipping beats, talk to your doctor about it. Your heart tremors might represent a serious health problem you can't ignore.
Normal Heartbeat
When you're at rest, your heart normally beats between 60 and 100 times each minute, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. When you work out, your heartbeat will rise to around 140 to 180 beats per minute. This is normal, but it's not normal for your heart to beat faster than 200 beats per minute, nor is it normal for it to skip beats or beat irregularly.
Heart Tremor Causes
Several serious conditions, including cardiovascular disease and a malfunctioning heart valve, can cause heart palpitations or heart tremors during your workouts, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. In addition, numerous less-serious conditions, including anxiety, an overactive thyroid and even too much coffee, can lead to the feelings you have of heart tremors during your workouts. You can try simple fixes like cutting out caffeine, but if the problem doesn't resolve in a few days you should see your doctor for testing.
Medical Testing
If you have a leaky heart valve that's causing your random heart tremors during workouts, your physician probably will be able to hear it as a heart murmur during a physical exam, according to Harvard Medical School. Your doctor also might ask you to take a medical test called an electrocardiogram, which will provide a printout of your heart's electrical activity for analysis. In addition, a test called a stress test, in which you work out on a treadmill while technicians record your heartbeat, can help pinpoint the problem leading to your heart tremors.
Recommendations
If your medical testing identifies cardiovascular disease or a problem with one of your heart valves, your physician might prescribe medication or recommend another treatment. Your doctor also can advise you on how to handle your workouts to avoid further problems with random heart tremors. If, however, medical testing doesn't turn up any problems, don't worry: Exercise itself can bring on the feeling of heart tremors or palpitations. You might need to moderate your workout in order to avoid the problem.
Member Comments