Resting vs. Max heart rate

[ladybug]

Thanks, Chris and Nicole!

Chris:

Great info! My resting O2 is around 96 and has been for years. I think with just walking briskly it can get to around 93, but again, I haven't checked it running. I don't have the "symptoms" of it being low however, as I don't feel light headed, out of breath and can usually chat with people immediately after I stop running (and qucik answers as I am running).

Nicole:

Yes, I've tried xopenex. It didn't work as well for me. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif" border="0"> I really wish it had though, cause albuterol has maken me jittery and giving me a racing pulse for years. Urgh.

Anyway, thanks again everyone. Its good to get some good information that doesn't always follow what I learned in high school gym class... Its also good to know others have this issue as well and aren't too worried about it.

Thanks,

 

[ladybug]

Thanks, Chris and Nicole!

Chris:

Great info! My resting O2 is around 96 and has been for years. I think with just walking briskly it can get to around 93, but again, I haven't checked it running. I don't have the "symptoms" of it being low however, as I don't feel light headed, out of breath and can usually chat with people immediately after I stop running (and qucik answers as I am running).

Nicole:

Yes, I've tried xopenex. It didn't work as well for me. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif" border="0"> I really wish it had though, cause albuterol has maken me jittery and giving me a racing pulse for years. Urgh.

Anyway, thanks again everyone. Its good to get some good information that doesn't always follow what I learned in high school gym class... Its also good to know others have this issue as well and aren't too worried about it.

Thanks,

 

[ladybug]

Hi,

OK, so I took my pulse ox to the gym yesterday and amazingly, for the first time, it seemed to give me a couple of readings while I was running! So, my HR stays around 175 when running about 10-20 minutes. HOWEVER, my O2 sats drop from 95-96 when walking to about 85 when running... Its weird. I don't FEEL that low... I could answer people and read closed captioning on TV and just don't feel bad, like I have before when at rest my O2 has dropped to 85 at high elevations and stuff. SO.... what do you make of this? Should I worry? I know some will suggest oxygen with exercise, but the fact is, within ONE minute of stopping my run and briskly walking uphill my sats went back up to 95! Within a minute! It was crazy!

.... So, is it natural for everyone's sats to drop with heavy aerobic activity?? If its that low, shouldn't I feel it and feel uncomfortable, short of breath, hard to talk, lightheaded, etc.?? I will, of course, ask the docs this and will slow my run (its already super slow) next time and try to get a reading when I'm not pushing myself quite as hard. But, I'm wondering everyone else's experience with this. I've been running for a couple of years now and always feel this same way when I run, so I doubt they've gotten better or worse over this past year, but can't be sure.

Anyway, what do ya'll think??

Thanks,

 

[ladybug]

Hi,

OK, so I took my pulse ox to the gym yesterday and amazingly, for the first time, it seemed to give me a couple of readings while I was running! So, my HR stays around 175 when running about 10-20 minutes. HOWEVER, my O2 sats drop from 95-96 when walking to about 85 when running... Its weird. I don't FEEL that low... I could answer people and read closed captioning on TV and just don't feel bad, like I have before when at rest my O2 has dropped to 85 at high elevations and stuff. SO.... what do you make of this? Should I worry? I know some will suggest oxygen with exercise, but the fact is, within ONE minute of stopping my run and briskly walking uphill my sats went back up to 95! Within a minute! It was crazy!

.... So, is it natural for everyone's sats to drop with heavy aerobic activity?? If its that low, shouldn't I feel it and feel uncomfortable, short of breath, hard to talk, lightheaded, etc.?? I will, of course, ask the docs this and will slow my run (its already super slow) next time and try to get a reading when I'm not pushing myself quite as hard. But, I'm wondering everyone else's experience with this. I've been running for a couple of years now and always feel this same way when I run, so I doubt they've gotten better or worse over this past year, but can't be sure.

Anyway, what do ya'll think??

Thanks,

 

[ladybug]

Hi,

OK, so I took my pulse ox to the gym yesterday and amazingly, for the first time, it seemed to give me a couple of readings while I was running! So, my HR stays around 175 when running about 10-20 minutes. HOWEVER, my O2 sats drop from 95-96 when walking to about 85 when running... Its weird. I don't FEEL that low... I could answer people and read closed captioning on TV and just don't feel bad, like I have before when at rest my O2 has dropped to 85 at high elevations and stuff. SO.... what do you make of this? Should I worry? I know some will suggest oxygen with exercise, but the fact is, within ONE minute of stopping my run and briskly walking uphill my sats went back up to 95! Within a minute! It was crazy!

.... So, is it natural for everyone's sats to drop with heavy aerobic activity?? If its that low, shouldn't I feel it and feel uncomfortable, short of breath, hard to talk, lightheaded, etc.?? I will, of course, ask the docs this and will slow my run (its already super slow) next time and try to get a reading when I'm not pushing myself quite as hard. But, I'm wondering everyone else's experience with this. I've been running for a couple of years now and always feel this same way when I run, so I doubt they've gotten better or worse over this past year, but can't be sure.

Anyway, what do ya'll think??

Thanks,

 

[NoExcuses]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>ladybug</b></i>



Anyway, what do ya'll think??


</end quote></div>


You need O2 while you exercise. I'm glad you took everyone's advice and tested yourself.

Everyone's O2 sats drop while exercising...it's just a matter of how much. CFers - well, many people desat.

But your body will be grateful when you finally give it some O2 while you exercise. Your poor heart will finally not have to work so darn hard.

 

[NoExcuses]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>ladybug</b></i>



Anyway, what do ya'll think??


</end quote></div>


You need O2 while you exercise. I'm glad you took everyone's advice and tested yourself.

Everyone's O2 sats drop while exercising...it's just a matter of how much. CFers - well, many people desat.

But your body will be grateful when you finally give it some O2 while you exercise. Your poor heart will finally not have to work so darn hard.

 

[NoExcuses]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>ladybug</b></i>



Anyway, what do ya'll think??


</end quote></div>


You need O2 while you exercise. I'm glad you took everyone's advice and tested yourself.

Everyone's O2 sats drop while exercising...it's just a matter of how much. CFers - well, many people desat.

But your body will be grateful when you finally give it some O2 while you exercise. Your poor heart will finally not have to work so darn hard.

 

[ladybug]

Thanks for the reply, Amy...

So, if I slow my run and my sats stay in the 90's... then I shouldn't need O2 correct? The issue here is that yes, 85 is low for a strenous aerobic activity, BUT they instantly go up when I'm walking even at an incline, even very briskly... so, I would need O2 for maybe 15-20 minute run and then my own O2 would kick in for after? Seems like the most natural thing would to be slow my run and see if my O2 does better on its own, no? Perhaps I'm just jacking my heart up too much with albuterol, running, heat (its 80 degrees in the gym right now), etc. and with a more appropriate speed my heart and lungs can keep up. No? Otherwise, I'll have O2 on for half of my workout when I'm at 97% sats on my own.

Yes, I'm trying to avoid O2 if possible (I don't workout at a rehab facility... I work out where there are bodybuilders and NO ONE wears O2... I garauntee that if I have to strap on O2 to run, I won't run nearly as often... I know its my own issues, but if it keeps me from the gym that is far more worrisome to me than low sats with a 20 minute run... Sorry, but that's how I feel... call me vain or stupid or whatever. Kudos to those on this site who do it and feel great for it, but I just can't get my mind around it yet. I'm not at that place. I'd feel differently I think if I actually FELT like I needed O2, but I don't at all! Yes, if I were short of breath and felt like crap when I ran, I'd gladly put it on, but I feel GREAT when I run... GREAT!)

I will have my DH wear the monitor tomorrow when he does his (gulp) 7 mile run on the treadmill and have him check his own O2 to see what he gets just to compare with a very very healthy male putting about as much exertion on his body (if there is any comparison... I'm not male and I'm not very very healthy... LOL). I am curious how low a non-CFer gets while doing a very strenuous aerobic activity.

Anyone else check a non-CFer or know of literature that shows how low is too low for O2 sats with exercise for a CFer or non-CFer.

 

[ladybug]

Thanks for the reply, Amy...

So, if I slow my run and my sats stay in the 90's... then I shouldn't need O2 correct? The issue here is that yes, 85 is low for a strenous aerobic activity, BUT they instantly go up when I'm walking even at an incline, even very briskly... so, I would need O2 for maybe 15-20 minute run and then my own O2 would kick in for after? Seems like the most natural thing would to be slow my run and see if my O2 does better on its own, no? Perhaps I'm just jacking my heart up too much with albuterol, running, heat (its 80 degrees in the gym right now), etc. and with a more appropriate speed my heart and lungs can keep up. No? Otherwise, I'll have O2 on for half of my workout when I'm at 97% sats on my own.

Yes, I'm trying to avoid O2 if possible (I don't workout at a rehab facility... I work out where there are bodybuilders and NO ONE wears O2... I garauntee that if I have to strap on O2 to run, I won't run nearly as often... I know its my own issues, but if it keeps me from the gym that is far more worrisome to me than low sats with a 20 minute run... Sorry, but that's how I feel... call me vain or stupid or whatever. Kudos to those on this site who do it and feel great for it, but I just can't get my mind around it yet. I'm not at that place. I'd feel differently I think if I actually FELT like I needed O2, but I don't at all! Yes, if I were short of breath and felt like crap when I ran, I'd gladly put it on, but I feel GREAT when I run... GREAT!)

I will have my DH wear the monitor tomorrow when he does his (gulp) 7 mile run on the treadmill and have him check his own O2 to see what he gets just to compare with a very very healthy male putting about as much exertion on his body (if there is any comparison... I'm not male and I'm not very very healthy... LOL). I am curious how low a non-CFer gets while doing a very strenuous aerobic activity.

Anyone else check a non-CFer or know of literature that shows how low is too low for O2 sats with exercise for a CFer or non-CFer.

 

[ladybug]

Thanks for the reply, Amy...

So, if I slow my run and my sats stay in the 90's... then I shouldn't need O2 correct? The issue here is that yes, 85 is low for a strenous aerobic activity, BUT they instantly go up when I'm walking even at an incline, even very briskly... so, I would need O2 for maybe 15-20 minute run and then my own O2 would kick in for after? Seems like the most natural thing would to be slow my run and see if my O2 does better on its own, no? Perhaps I'm just jacking my heart up too much with albuterol, running, heat (its 80 degrees in the gym right now), etc. and with a more appropriate speed my heart and lungs can keep up. No? Otherwise, I'll have O2 on for half of my workout when I'm at 97% sats on my own.

Yes, I'm trying to avoid O2 if possible (I don't workout at a rehab facility... I work out where there are bodybuilders and NO ONE wears O2... I garauntee that if I have to strap on O2 to run, I won't run nearly as often... I know its my own issues, but if it keeps me from the gym that is far more worrisome to me than low sats with a 20 minute run... Sorry, but that's how I feel... call me vain or stupid or whatever. Kudos to those on this site who do it and feel great for it, but I just can't get my mind around it yet. I'm not at that place. I'd feel differently I think if I actually FELT like I needed O2, but I don't at all! Yes, if I were short of breath and felt like crap when I ran, I'd gladly put it on, but I feel GREAT when I run... GREAT!)

I will have my DH wear the monitor tomorrow when he does his (gulp) 7 mile run on the treadmill and have him check his own O2 to see what he gets just to compare with a very very healthy male putting about as much exertion on his body (if there is any comparison... I'm not male and I'm not very very healthy... LOL). I am curious how low a non-CFer gets while doing a very strenuous aerobic activity.

Anyone else check a non-CFer or know of literature that shows how low is too low for O2 sats with exercise for a CFer or non-CFer.

 

[NoExcuses]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>ladybug</b></i>


Anyone else check a non-CFer or know of literature that shows how low is too low for O2 sats with exercise for a CFer or non-CFer.</end quote></div>


You shouldn't de-sat whether you're a CFer or a non-CFer. The de-sat number doesn't vary. <90% is considered hypoxia.

If you aren't interested in wearing O2, then you need to calm down the exercising to avoid hypoxia. It's as simple as that.

I know you're trying to come up with other ideas as to why you're de-satting. And some don't feel the effects of desaturation. So the fact that you're not "feeling it" doesn't take away from the facts. You could be causing yourself heart damage and if it goes too low, brain damage.

I have a pulse ox and i exercise very strenously for almost 30 minutes on my eliptical. My O2 never goes below 95%.

So two choices : 1. suck it up and get some O2 2. don't exercise to the point where you dip below 90%

Good luck. And congrats on exercising. <img src="">

 

[NoExcuses]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>ladybug</b></i>


Anyone else check a non-CFer or know of literature that shows how low is too low for O2 sats with exercise for a CFer or non-CFer.</end quote></div>


You shouldn't de-sat whether you're a CFer or a non-CFer. The de-sat number doesn't vary. <90% is considered hypoxia.

If you aren't interested in wearing O2, then you need to calm down the exercising to avoid hypoxia. It's as simple as that.

I know you're trying to come up with other ideas as to why you're de-satting. And some don't feel the effects of desaturation. So the fact that you're not "feeling it" doesn't take away from the facts. You could be causing yourself heart damage and if it goes too low, brain damage.

I have a pulse ox and i exercise very strenously for almost 30 minutes on my eliptical. My O2 never goes below 95%.

So two choices : 1. suck it up and get some O2 2. don't exercise to the point where you dip below 90%

Good luck. And congrats on exercising. <img src="">

 

[NoExcuses]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>ladybug</b></i>


Anyone else check a non-CFer or know of literature that shows how low is too low for O2 sats with exercise for a CFer or non-CFer.</end quote></div>


You shouldn't de-sat whether you're a CFer or a non-CFer. The de-sat number doesn't vary. <90% is considered hypoxia.

If you aren't interested in wearing O2, then you need to calm down the exercising to avoid hypoxia. It's as simple as that.

I know you're trying to come up with other ideas as to why you're de-satting. And some don't feel the effects of desaturation. So the fact that you're not "feeling it" doesn't take away from the facts. You could be causing yourself heart damage and if it goes too low, brain damage.

I have a pulse ox and i exercise very strenously for almost 30 minutes on my eliptical. My O2 never goes below 95%.

So two choices : 1. suck it up and get some O2 2. don't exercise to the point where you dip below 90%

Good luck. And congrats on exercising. <img src="">

 

[kybert]

ditto to what amy said. id personally just back off with the fast running. by the sounds of things you dont really need o2, you just need to slow down. everyone has to slow down at some stage and pushing yourself too hard might be harmful. you arent going to miss out on anything by doing a slow run or even cutting out running altogether and replacing it with other exercises.

 

[kybert]

ditto to what amy said. id personally just back off with the fast running. by the sounds of things you dont really need o2, you just need to slow down. everyone has to slow down at some stage and pushing yourself too hard might be harmful. you arent going to miss out on anything by doing a slow run or even cutting out running altogether and replacing it with other exercises.

 

[kybert]

ditto to what amy said. id personally just back off with the fast running. by the sounds of things you dont really need o2, you just need to slow down. everyone has to slow down at some stage and pushing yourself too hard might be harmful. you arent going to miss out on anything by doing a slow run or even cutting out running altogether and replacing it with other exercises.

 

[ladybug]

Thanks, Kylie and Amy...

I actually spoke to a nurse tonight regarding this. She works at a med/surg. floor and does a lot of O2 saturation tests on people recovery from surgery or other illnesses and works a lot with asthmatics. When talking to her I told her of my 84% O2 WHILE running. Immediately she told me that's "not abnormal" and that many of her asthmatic patients do dip that low if tested during exercise, even though they shoudln't be.... She says first of all to NOT take an O2 while running. Tests are not done while running or walking fast for that matter at her hospital on anyone. She said it is totally normal for someone's O2 to dip 10-12% with very hard exercise and she's not at all alarmed. If your O2 didn't dip and place some burden on your heart, aterties, lungs, etc. it wouldn't be considered aerobic exercise. That is exactly what SHOULD happen during exercise (although not all people dip that low depending on how hard they're working). Though 10% is about the lowest you want to drop, she said this is not enough to alarm her or the docs she works with.

She did say this: When they do saturation testing at their hospital, they walk a patient or have them do something strenuous and then IMMEDIATELY AFTER they stop walking/moving, etc., they take their O2. If it is low at THAT time, there is reason for concern. The idea is that your O2 level should pop right back up almost immediately after strenuous exercise. If it does that, she said they consider their patients in good shape. If it does not come back above 90 within 30 seconds to 1 minute tops, you have reason to worry.

She also mentioned regaring the HR (my original question on this thread... LOL) that really an increase of 60-75 beats with strenuous exercise is considered normal. She said since my resting HR is high and does go up about 60 beats, that is about as high as I'd want to let it get and make sure with my doc that it isn't too high, but she said the "rule of thumb" at the hospital is that 60-75 beats above your starting exercise HR is normal. Interesting.

She said that unless CF patients have different criteria to follow than the general public as far as how much to push their hearts/lungs (i.e. if we are told to do LESS to put less pressure on our hearts and lungs). she wouldn't worry about this with either the O2 OR the HR. I don't think we're supposed to push ourselve less because of having CF are we? I mean, is it more dangerous to us than someone else to really workout hard simply because we have CF? Are we more frail as a population with regard to exercise?

..... So... that is what she said. She has been a nurse on that floor for about 25 years now so I do trust her medical advice, however will still make sure with my CF doc.

I agree I should maybe cut back the run a bit, so will attempt to do that this week and see what happens. I know that if I go slower I won't feel as good after the run, cause whenever I slow down or walk briskly or do something liek that I just don't have that great feeling like I really "worked" myself. I'm sometimes barely sweating and don't cough at all when I don't give it a hard run. But, we'll see.

Thanks everyone for your honset answers. And, thanks Amy for appreciating what I'm trying to do here. LOL... I've always sung the praises of exercise on the boards and feel amazing when I do it and can even feel it after just ONE day of not doing it, so I know it has some pretty awesome benefits!!

 

[ladybug]

Thanks, Kylie and Amy...

I actually spoke to a nurse tonight regarding this. She works at a med/surg. floor and does a lot of O2 saturation tests on people recovery from surgery or other illnesses and works a lot with asthmatics. When talking to her I told her of my 84% O2 WHILE running. Immediately she told me that's "not abnormal" and that many of her asthmatic patients do dip that low if tested during exercise, even though they shoudln't be.... She says first of all to NOT take an O2 while running. Tests are not done while running or walking fast for that matter at her hospital on anyone. She said it is totally normal for someone's O2 to dip 10-12% with very hard exercise and she's not at all alarmed. If your O2 didn't dip and place some burden on your heart, aterties, lungs, etc. it wouldn't be considered aerobic exercise. That is exactly what SHOULD happen during exercise (although not all people dip that low depending on how hard they're working). Though 10% is about the lowest you want to drop, she said this is not enough to alarm her or the docs she works with.

She did say this: When they do saturation testing at their hospital, they walk a patient or have them do something strenuous and then IMMEDIATELY AFTER they stop walking/moving, etc., they take their O2. If it is low at THAT time, there is reason for concern. The idea is that your O2 level should pop right back up almost immediately after strenuous exercise. If it does that, she said they consider their patients in good shape. If it does not come back above 90 within 30 seconds to 1 minute tops, you have reason to worry.

She also mentioned regaring the HR (my original question on this thread... LOL) that really an increase of 60-75 beats with strenuous exercise is considered normal. She said since my resting HR is high and does go up about 60 beats, that is about as high as I'd want to let it get and make sure with my doc that it isn't too high, but she said the "rule of thumb" at the hospital is that 60-75 beats above your starting exercise HR is normal. Interesting.

She said that unless CF patients have different criteria to follow than the general public as far as how much to push their hearts/lungs (i.e. if we are told to do LESS to put less pressure on our hearts and lungs). she wouldn't worry about this with either the O2 OR the HR. I don't think we're supposed to push ourselve less because of having CF are we? I mean, is it more dangerous to us than someone else to really workout hard simply because we have CF? Are we more frail as a population with regard to exercise?

..... So... that is what she said. She has been a nurse on that floor for about 25 years now so I do trust her medical advice, however will still make sure with my CF doc.

I agree I should maybe cut back the run a bit, so will attempt to do that this week and see what happens. I know that if I go slower I won't feel as good after the run, cause whenever I slow down or walk briskly or do something liek that I just don't have that great feeling like I really "worked" myself. I'm sometimes barely sweating and don't cough at all when I don't give it a hard run. But, we'll see.

Thanks everyone for your honset answers. And, thanks Amy for appreciating what I'm trying to do here. LOL... I've always sung the praises of exercise on the boards and feel amazing when I do it and can even feel it after just ONE day of not doing it, so I know it has some pretty awesome benefits!!

 

[ladybug]

Thanks, Kylie and Amy...

I actually spoke to a nurse tonight regarding this. She works at a med/surg. floor and does a lot of O2 saturation tests on people recovery from surgery or other illnesses and works a lot with asthmatics. When talking to her I told her of my 84% O2 WHILE running. Immediately she told me that's "not abnormal" and that many of her asthmatic patients do dip that low if tested during exercise, even though they shoudln't be.... She says first of all to NOT take an O2 while running. Tests are not done while running or walking fast for that matter at her hospital on anyone. She said it is totally normal for someone's O2 to dip 10-12% with very hard exercise and she's not at all alarmed. If your O2 didn't dip and place some burden on your heart, aterties, lungs, etc. it wouldn't be considered aerobic exercise. That is exactly what SHOULD happen during exercise (although not all people dip that low depending on how hard they're working). Though 10% is about the lowest you want to drop, she said this is not enough to alarm her or the docs she works with.

She did say this: When they do saturation testing at their hospital, they walk a patient or have them do something strenuous and then IMMEDIATELY AFTER they stop walking/moving, etc., they take their O2. If it is low at THAT time, there is reason for concern. The idea is that your O2 level should pop right back up almost immediately after strenuous exercise. If it does that, she said they consider their patients in good shape. If it does not come back above 90 within 30 seconds to 1 minute tops, you have reason to worry.

She also mentioned regaring the HR (my original question on this thread... LOL) that really an increase of 60-75 beats with strenuous exercise is considered normal. She said since my resting HR is high and does go up about 60 beats, that is about as high as I'd want to let it get and make sure with my doc that it isn't too high, but she said the "rule of thumb" at the hospital is that 60-75 beats above your starting exercise HR is normal. Interesting.

She said that unless CF patients have different criteria to follow than the general public as far as how much to push their hearts/lungs (i.e. if we are told to do LESS to put less pressure on our hearts and lungs). she wouldn't worry about this with either the O2 OR the HR. I don't think we're supposed to push ourselve less because of having CF are we? I mean, is it more dangerous to us than someone else to really workout hard simply because we have CF? Are we more frail as a population with regard to exercise?

..... So... that is what she said. She has been a nurse on that floor for about 25 years now so I do trust her medical advice, however will still make sure with my CF doc.

I agree I should maybe cut back the run a bit, so will attempt to do that this week and see what happens. I know that if I go slower I won't feel as good after the run, cause whenever I slow down or walk briskly or do something liek that I just don't have that great feeling like I really "worked" myself. I'm sometimes barely sweating and don't cough at all when I don't give it a hard run. But, we'll see.

Thanks everyone for your honset answers. And, thanks Amy for appreciating what I'm trying to do here. LOL... I've always sung the praises of exercise on the boards and feel amazing when I do it and can even feel it after just ONE day of not doing it, so I know it has some pretty awesome benefits!!