Is my HRM working correctly?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by lostmyshape
a little background: i'm 25 and 6', 200 lbs and just started to seriously ride this fall. since it's just too darn cold to ride outside here in pittsburgh, i'm working on the trainer. specifically, i'm going through arnie baker's smart cycling 12 week trainer program. i'm in week 5 and definately seeing improvements in endurance, strength and HR.

now to the HRM... i just got a cheap one and started monitoring 3 weeks ago. i'm average around 147 for the entire 1 hr workout, most prolonged hard efforts i'm in the 165-175 range. i'm able to maintain about 182 when really spinning for a few minutes, but never go above 186 on a longer effort. when i am doing intervals though, i spike at around 206 for a few seconds every once in a while. but weirdly, i never see a reading in the 190's. it's just 186, 204 for 5-10 seconds, then back to 184.

when i do HR calculations i usually come up with a maxHR of between 192 and 196, but i realize that this may not be the best way to get maxHR. is the 206 peak accurate? or is my HRM not reading correctly? is this max HR unusually high for me? is there a good, accurate way to find my maxHR?

thanks!

an accurate and safe way to get a HRmax reading is to get tested at an exercise physiology lab or with a sports sceintist.

The high reading of 206 b/min if it jumps quite a bit is likely to be a normal 'problem' that happens with all HR monitors (interference, loss of contact against the skin, etc)

The equations that are available for calculating HRmax usually have a standard deviation of 15 b/min.

Additionally, if you thought there was something wrong with your heart that was causing the HR to jump to 206 b/min and/or you noted that your heart rate *was* that fast (when you weren't exercising intensely) or you have any concerns about your health then you should visit your doctor immediately

ric