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Heartrate While Swimming

usasportstrain's picture
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670 days
started by usasportstrain on March 21, 2008

I've noticed that my heart rate tends to be much higher when swimming (for a similar level of effort) than cycling and running.

Perhaps it's an anxiety thing, since I've never developed a good level of comfort in the water.

The problem is that I think it handicaps me for the bike and run, as my heart rate doesn't come back down that much.

Your thoughts and experiences?

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Iron Dan's picture
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428 days
Iron Dan posted 16 weeks ago.

My heartrate has typically been much lower during swimming than during biking and running. My heartrate is in the 120-130 range while I am swimming compared to 150-165 range while cycling or running.

tsilcyc's picture
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tsilcyc posted 16 weeks ago.

Anxiety is a possibility. If you slow down, does your heart rate go down? How are you breathing? Are you gasping for air? Bilateral breathing or to one side? And then there's the possibility that you're just going to hard.

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TryScott's picture
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348 days
TryScott posted 16 weeks ago.

I've never worn a HRM while swimming in practice or race, but I have checked my pulse while swimming laps, and it's usually 120-130 range. I'm 140+ for cycling and 160+ for running.

You're probably at least partially right about anxiety. The more comfortable in the water you are, obviously the better.

jsk85's picture
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jsk85 posted 16 weeks ago.

TryScott wrote:
I've never worn a HRM while swimming in practice or race, but I have checked my pulse while swimming laps, and it's usually 120-130 range. I'm 140+ for cycling and 160+ for running.

I use a HR monitor and see very similar results

TriSooner's picture
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TriSooner posted 16 weeks ago.

usasportstrain wrote:
Perhaps it's an anxiety thing, since I've never developed a good level of comfort in the water.
When I first started racing, my HR would skyrocket at the start of a race and I couldn't bilateral breathe anymore. As I got better, I relaxed and my HR is probably low 100s on the swim. You are right: you want to get out of the water relaxed before you get on the bike.

So 325 hours a year of training and a 13hr finish gets you into the 16th percentile at Ironman Germany? Dude, wait, what?

Lukester's picture
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140 days
Lukester posted 16 weeks ago.

I wear a basic polar HM. Can they be used in the water? or do you have to buy an upgraded HM?

Nobody's picture
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563 days
Nobody posted 16 weeks ago.

Everyone is different for every kind of sport/activity. Take someone who's got a bpm of 140 at 21mph and put them on a punching bag for 30 seconds and their heartrate will be 180....take a boxer who can do 12 rounds and put them on a bike and, well, you get the picture.

Best way to get your heart rate down in any given activity is to do that particular activity more. And, maybe it's also a good idea to not care so much about BPM. I threw my polar watch/hr strap away and don't regret it a bit.

Greatness is only achieved by those who perpetually raise the expectations of themselves to the point where it ruins their life.