High heart rate at 1st km of cold wheather barefoot running

Einar · Apr 30, 2016

If its colder then 5-7 Celsius, often my heart rate going high till i get first signs of sweat. Than heart rate drops down to normal in seconds.
When minus or close to it, im running some kms with vff, then barefoot. Such situation heart rate not jumping up.
Im 50 years old whithout any heart problem before.
Are anyone else has same?
Attached 2 screenshots with extreme - both around 2 Celsius and barefoot from 1st meters. Both times also running west was not warm enough for weather.

DNEchris · Apr 30, 2016

Now you point it out I think I've had the same sort of issue.
If I run early in the morning I've noticed a spike for the first km or so (this is also slightly uphill) and my HR reduces to normal levels once the trail levels off. If I run the same route in the afternoon, at the same pace, I do not get the HR spike. I've not related it to temperature but was, instead, relating it to electrical interference from a sub-station I have to run past and had decided there was more load on it in the morning than later in the day. I feel the same during all my runs so, having made the observations, I didn't really pay any attention to it.
Good luck getting a resolution to your issue.

Jaqa · May 1, 2016

This is pretty normal, especially in the morning if you have not done a warm up. I have noticed that as I get fitter my pulse rate reacts even faster, but also drops faster to the baseline.
The attached screen shot was of a flat early morning run, just the usual Singapore humidity and heat.

skedaddle · May 1, 2016

From what i've read it's quite normal, it takes a while for your body to adjust to the new workload and 'warmup'. Wetting the sensors on your HRM prior to running can also help.
Mine spikes for the first mile then settles as others have mentioned. Worried me at first.

Jaqa · May 1, 2016

skedaddle said:
From what i've read it's quite normal, it takes a while for your body to adjust to the new workload and 'warmup'. Wetting the sensors on your HRM prior to running can also help.
Mine spikes for the first mile then settles as others have mentioned. Worried me at first.

"Wetting the sensors" how does that help? Flatten out the spike?
I noticed while running the other day my heart rate spiked to 191 at 5 minutes. I was feeling perfectly fine and normal. Gave me a bit of fright though.

skedaddle · May 1, 2016

Jaqa said:
"Wetting the sensors" how does that help? Flatten out the spike?
I noticed while running the other day my heart rate spiked to 191 at 5 minutes. I was feeling perfectly fine and normal. Gave me a bit of fright though.

This may explain better than me.

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2010/04/troubleshooting-your-heart-rate.html

Jaqa · May 1, 2016

Thanks skedaddle! That explains a lot.

Einar · May 1, 2016

Thanks for answers. Next time i will measure HR with hand to see is its HR monitor fale.

Tristan · May 2, 2016

Mine often does the same thing because the contacts are dry. Once you start sweating of course it makes a better contact, but when I see my heart rate spike over 160 just during my warmup I'll stop and wet the contacts with water and it'll usually drop right down to where it should be (130ish).