What Are The Dangers Of A High Heart Rate During Exercise?

A healthy heart rate is important during any exercise. Working too hard will lead to overexertion, which can cause injury, and in worst cases, heart problems. After determining what your maximum heart rate should be, it is important to maintain a consistent heart rate in a safe range in order to get the most out of any exercise session.

Keep a Healthy Heart Rate

During exercise it is important to keep the maximum BPM, or beats per minute, of your heart at a safe and consistent level. Depending on the intended level of exertion, a safe target is usually around 50 to 60 percent of your maximum heart rate for moderate exercise and up to 80 to 85 percent for more intense sessions. An easy (although not totally accurate) way to determine your maximum heart rate is to subtract your age from 220. This formula is often seen on posters in gyms and is used to determine a general number.

General Dangers

Pushing your heart rate beyond 85 percent of its max will lead to overexertion as your body begins to exercise anaerobically (without oxygen). Although many people can work beyond this level of overexertion and not suffer from any major health concerns, it can still lead to muscle, bone and joint injury. Therefore, during a vigorous workout session, it is important to find a rate of exercise that is challenging but comfortable to perform for prolonged periods in order to prevent injury.

Ventricular Tachycardia

Overexertion for people with heart problems can lead to an unhealthy state of accelerated heart rate called ventricular tachycardia. This occurs when the ventricles of the heart contract before they fill with enough blood, due to the abnormally high speed of the beating heart. Symptoms of ventricular tachycardia typically include lightheadedness, dizziness, unconsciousness, and in worst cases, heart attack.

Recommendations

Monitor your heart rate during exercise to keep track of how hard you need to work in order to achieve a healthy balance between cardiovascular fitness and overexertion. Consult a fitness instructor to determine your exact maximum heart rate, or use the general guideline (220 minus your age) in order to maintain a safe and healthy heart rate during exercise. Scale back the intensity of your exercise if you find your heart rate is above your target zone.