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HR and bp meds (Read 448 times)

    Over the weekend I overheard the owner of the local running store saying that if you were on BP meds for hypertension that a HR monitor would not be accurate. That's the first I've ever heard of that. Anyone else been told this?
      hmmm...I wonder why? why would lower blood pressure affect a HR monitor...I will be interested in the answers to this one....
        It doesn't make sense to me either. I know certain bp meds can effect heart rate, but as for influencing the accuracy of the monitor it doesn't make any sense. She was telling a beginner to not get an HR monitor if they were on bp meds because the monitor wouldn't show their true heart rate...it'd either be way high or low. I think she's misinformed.
          Hr monitor would still be accurate but training by hr would be off if you are on betablockers. I was on betablockers and it lowered my max hr to around 153 while after really lowering my dose(almost off now) I see up around 185 now. If you are on betablockers and want to eventually race for the best times you should ask your doctor if there is alternatives to betablockers you could try. Betablockers seriously lessen your exercise tolerance and will negatively effect your times in races. Luckily also all the weight I've lost and running I have been doing has helped me to almost totally be off of all the meds I was taking.
            When I was on beta blockers I could work at a percieved really hard effort on an excercise bike and it would take about 20 minutes to get my HR over 120 and then I couldn't get it to go up. Running it would only get up to about 130 even when I was really working. as for a HR monitor it will be accurate but it will be of little use because the BP meds are slowing things down... so the information will not be accurate based on a formula of what your max HR should be... the information will not tell you too much...