About 10 days ago, my resting heart rate shot up 6 to 8 beats (from about 57bpm where it’s been for months to 63+). Also, my heart rate is running high on workouts—even easy ones—although my performance is fine. Last week I was feeling a bit under the weather, but for no clear reason. I had a slightly drippy nose (probably allergies?) and took several COVID tests, all negative. I also had an infected hair follicle in my nostril (that’s cleared up now). Any thoughts?
Could be you are entering overtraining. Has your training volume gone up lately? Take an extra day off and see if it comes back down.
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Before I finished reading the entire message, I was shouting COVID in my head. Sorry to wish it upon you like that. 
RHR spike of 10bpm is what happened to me over two days leading to the positive PCR test, but normalised back down over the following week.
Generally, overtraining and body fighting something off is what’s associated with spikes like that.
Have you changed the RHR device as accuracy and precision varies with different brands?
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No. It actually went down due to family visits.
I suppose it’s possible, but I haven’t had symptoms other than a slightly stuffy nose. And that triggered me to take 3 antigen tests over a few days all of which were negative. Also, no one a spent time with appears to have had COVID either before or after spending time with me.
No. I use several devices (Apple Watch and two chest straps). The watch shows higher RHR. The straps show higher than usual HR for my effort level when I work out.
I guess my main question is whether I need to worry about it. A couple days ago, I had a ten year best on a 2.24 mile segment—only 5 seconds off my 10 years ago time. So my power is okay. But my heart rate was just a couple beats below what I thought my max was—although it didn’t feel that way. On the same ride, I got and sustained for 15 seconds a heart rate almost 15 beats higher than what I though my max was. I suppose strap might have malfunctioned although my heart rate measurement was pretty smooth ( malfunctions are usually jumpy) and my watch and strap were in broad agreement. Weird. I don’t know whether to worry.
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Are you fully hydrated and fueled on your rides?
I think so. I got a bit dehydrated after a hot ride, but that was just once o about a week ago. No fueling issues.
I would imagine this is your answer - there are loads of viruses besides Covid that can hit us and some may seem apparently mild on the surface but that’s enough to change your RHR and performance HR.
Personally I find my RHR quite telling (more so than my HRV) so if it’s staying up and your HR is running high on workouts I would take note of it (without worrying of course 
) - I’d see your GP.
Also, FWIW, I use an app called Heartwatch (through apple watch/ iOS) and it’s superb in that it will show your sedentary/ resting HR, sleep HR, min/ max HR, HRV etc and it’s very easy to see trends. It would be good to see what your sleep HR has been doing and if you download the app now it will load necessary retrospective data from the Apple Health kit.
Take care.
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Thanks. I got the app you suggested. There are three spikes in my sedentary heart rate: late February and March when a combo sinus infection/cold/bronchitis caused me to abandon the TOS; a small one in June at the end of an intense bike trip in Italy; and now (as bad as March). I’ll give it another week and see my doc if it doesn’t get better.
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Glad you’ve already seen some value in it. I find it really good to be able to see those spikes or trends.
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I do know from experience that if you do get dehydrated, that can persist for several days if you are not careful.
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