Info please

Hi,I`m 52 year old male and active all my life and like riding my bike.I`ve been fitted with PM about 3 months ago and have the PM set at 50-175 BPM with rate response switched on.When exercising(bike/run) I cannot get HR passed 138 BPM on the road and indoors.Anyone out there with same problem?And how can I get a better response out of PM?

Thanks a lot

9 Comments

Hi Charlie

by IAN MC - 2014-05-08 09:05:11

I have the same PM as you, the Medtronic Advisa, and have rate response switched on. Mine is set at 55 - 165.

I find that I can easily get my HR up above 150bpm when I run, but cycling does not get my max much above 135 bpm .This is because the rate response mode in the Medtronic Advisa depends on an accelerometer sensor which sends your HR up in response to movement in the upper body. The rougher the road, the higher my HR goes

If you try tapping the PM site when you hit 138 you may get it higher but it's not that easy to do while you're cycling !

When you cycle , your upper body is relatively stationary and you are experiencing the limitations of the Medtronic RR function.

Tell your story to whoever alters your PM settings and they may make your PM more sensitive to movement .

Best of luck

Ian

Charlie

by IAN MC - 2014-05-08 10:05:25

No they don't unfortunately have minute ventilation sensors , just an accelerometer !

Ian

Info please

by Charliepro - 2014-05-08 10:05:29

Hi Ian,

Thanks,do our machines have a minute ventilation setting perhaps?

Info please

by Charliepro - 2014-05-08 10:05:50

Ian,

Is it a good thing by tapping on PM site?I would really like to push the pace a bit on the bike...

Charlie

by IAN MC - 2014-05-08 11:05:24

I can understand your frustration at wanting to push the pace on your bike but your PM will only put in extra heartbeats if it receives a signal telling it to do so !

Normally your sinus node would send out these signals , but if it isn't working properly then you have to rely on a 2nd best compromise which is the accelerometer in your PM.

Only your PM guru will know how compromised your sinus node is and whether or not you are totally reliant on Rate Response to increase your heart rate.

As an example, my sinus node got me up to 90 bpm with RR switched off so they gave me a setting where the RR only kicked in at 90. We are all different though !

I do think that the movement created by tapping the site may give you a few extra bpm but probably not enough for your requirements. Try it while you're cycling and see what happens !

Let us know if any settings changes are of help.

Cheers

Ian

NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT

by pete - 2014-05-08 12:05:32

I would be worried if my heart beat at 175 BPM. It would probably give me heart failure. Mine never reches the max BPM settingTake it easy.

Bikes and PMs

by philip.thecyclist - 2014-05-09 03:05:30

Hello Charlie,

My first PM was a Medtronic with an accelerometer-based sensor, and I experienced the same response you have described. It may be possible to set your PM to a higher sensitivity so you get a higher pulse when cycling, but you will then probably get uncomfortbly high pulse rates at other times when you don't want or need them. Like Pete, I would say that 175 BPM is pretty high. I now have a PM with minute ventilation and achieve an upper rate of 160, Considering my age (70) and my heart condition (AF + LV ejection fraction 38%), even this is quite high. If you can get to 150 BPM with cycling, you might find this adequate. Remeber that the higher the pulse, the less efficient the heart's pumping capacity, so there may be a compromise to be had.

Best wishes, Philip

Upper rate

by IAN MC - 2014-05-09 04:05:30

I didn't read that Charlie wants to hit 175 bpm necessarily but one thing for certain is that a max of 138 is inadequate for a 52 yr old fit guy !

As I'm sure you know, Drs work out acceptable max HR's from various formulae along the lines of 220 minus your age ( in Charlie's case this would work out at 168 bpm ) but those guidelines are for the average guy in the street, not for someone who runs and cycles.

Philip's comments make me regret that I don't have a PM with minute ventilation sensors although for my main activities of running, tennis and golf I can get by with the Medtronic accelerometer. if I were you, Charlie I would certainly get one next time !

Cheers

Ian

Upper rate - comment

by philip.thecyclist - 2014-05-10 03:05:38

I do know about the 220-age rule of thumb, but the point I was trying to make, perhaps poorly, is that we know PMs do not necessarily give the appropriate response for a given level of activity.I was suggesting that having a PM response a lot higher than the "appropriate" one could cause the HR to be pumping less effieciently. If Charlie's PM was adjusted to achieve a higher rate when cycling then he would probably then be achieving an even higher rate when running. Hence my comment about compromise.

One other point about MV sensors - they need to be blended with standard sensors so that the HR rate can respond to immediate demands where respiration rate may not be much affected.

Philip

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