Max heart rate

Steelride

Can anyone tell me why I can't seem to get my max heart rate much above 160? I am 34 yrs old and my rest heart rate is 55. I've tried on both the road and turbo trainer. My attempts have all been very similar - build up slowly to around 140, then blast it to 160. I reckon if I 'held out' for another 30 secs, I could get it to 165.

Am I right in thinking that it should be more like 180? Is there something wrong with me? Am I just not trying?

One more thing my father's rest HR was 38! Maybe this has something to do with it?

Thanks,

Steelride.

off the back

First off - I would not going loosing my hair just yet. You will often hear the saying that it is 220-age , but that is a complete rule of thumb and I even heard said that it is so loose it prob came from two cardiologists who met on a plane!

By all accounts it is low as goes a max but the real question is do you have difficulty in going fast. i.e. It could be that your heart can pump all the necessary blood (oxygen) it needs with 160/165bpm while someone else needs more pumps.

If you are concerned I would recommend a discussion with your GP and ask about getting some tests done - ECG, Stress ECG, and Echo graph.

ut_och_cykla

Were you near to puke level when you saw 160? Could be you're just a 'low' beater.
Medicines?
Could be you don't have enough musculature/fitness in proportion to your heart's inherent ability - maybe.
But as 'off the back' says - are you flying at 160 - if so don't worry!
I'd see your doctor if you're worried but its probabaly just the way you are

popette

Steelride wrote:

Can anyone tell me why I can't seem to get my max heart rate much above 160? I am 34 yrs old and my rest heart rate is 55. I've tried on both the road and turbo trainer. My attempts have all been very similar - build up slowly to around 140, then blast it to 160. I reckon if I 'held out' for another 30 secs, I could get it to 165.

Am I right in thinking that it should be more like 180? Is there something wrong with me? Am I just not trying?

One more thing my father's rest HR was 38! Maybe this has something to do with it?

Thanks,

Steelride.

Hiya, I'm similar. I've never seen my max heart rate over 163, even when i'm on 25%, sucking in clouds, shaking and about to puke. I've did a lactate threshold test which put it around 145 and I did a resting heart rate in bed the other morning and it was 40.
Not helpful but you're not alone!

pedylan

The test needs to build you up to an all out effort leaving you close to exhaustion. One of my training books says something to the effect that (at the end of the test) when the red mist clears, the number you see on the monitor is your HR. So if you weren't exhausted it wasn't your max.

A structured approach on your turbo would be : warm up 15 mins. Then do 1 minute runs keeping effort steady but changing up one gear every minute. When (if) you run out of gears then increase resistance every minute. When you can't sustain the increased effort for the full minute then sprint flat out until you have to stop. That should give you a good indication of HR.

The 200 minus age is of little use so ignore it of this is why you think your value so far is inaccurate. My HR max when I tested it as above was 195 which is 20 beats above my 220-age.

Similarly Popette looks like she tested at exhaustion and unless she's 57 ( ) then the formula is again pretty useless to the individual.

oldwelshman

Mine is also very low.
It is not a problem, how fast you can go on the bike at that HR is more important
I once coached an elite junior sqush player and when he was tested , hi hr rest was 35 and his hr max never got above 120 and he was only 18 !!
When we tested him playing he realrey got near 120.
Hos father also had very low rates, even though you could not describe him as an athlete
Off the back suggests heart tests end ecg and echo.
I have no idea why as they are only useful in identifying defects, none of which have anything to do with low HR max.

Bronzie

oldwelshman wrote:

Mine is also very low.
It is not a problem, how fast you can go on the bike at that HR is more important

Welshie, I can confirm that for a "slow beater" you go a damn sight faster than I can!

Bronzie

pedylan wrote:

The test needs to build you up to an all out effort leaving you close to exhaustion.

There is a suggested MHR cycle test here:
http://www.timetrialtraining.co.uk/S6Ma ... eTests.htm

Steelride

Thanks for all your replies. Some interesting comments. My comments in return are:

It seems that my legs give up before anything else which relates to the muscular fitness comment.

I too play squash twice a week.

When I hit 160 HR on the road I'm flying past all but one in my local club.

I'm not on any medicines, just wine

I've not made myself sick yet but will work on it!

oldwelshman

Steelride wrote:

Thanks for all your replies. Some interesting comments. My comments in return are:

It seems that my legs give up before anything else which relates to the muscular fitness comment.

I too play squash twice a week.

When I hit 160 HR on the road I'm flying past all but one in my local club.

I'm not on any medicines, just wine

I've not made myself sick yet but will work on it!

Maybe we should meet up for a game and compare heart rates

I do not play as much as I used to, I do not play in county leagues any more as it was too hard on my knees.
You can have a higher Max HR for different sports also just to confuse things

oldwelshman

Bronzie wrote:

oldwelshman wrote:

Mine is also very low.
It is not a problem, how fast you can go on the bike at that HR is more important

Welshie, I can confirm that for a "slow beater" you go a damn sight faster than I can!

Well if the weather stays like this I will soon slow down :-)
I ended up out on my own last sunday de to son's football, but will try to get out with you lot the next dry sunday.
If your interested, I might go down to Calshot on Sunday to race on track just to get some miles in
Forecast is dreadful.

SteveR_100Milers

I got 161 again 3 times at the velodrome in the one lap sprint races. I use 165 as a max for HR training zone calcs, but I have only ever seen 161 flat out. Wasnt close to puking, but I couldn't have gone any faster. Dind't get passed either for a change so something's working....

BeaconRuth

Steelride wrote:

I too play squash twice a week.

I wonder why it is that so many cyclists are (or were) keen squash players? I was completely fanatical about the sport for 3 or 4 years and played in 3 seperate county leagues at the same time at one point. It's a fantastic sport. At my club's dinner last week I sat down next to a couple of guys who told me they're keen squash players, too, to add to the other clubmate who I know plays. Carole Gandy, the British BAR in 2004 is also a keen player.

Unfortunately, from what I hear, the sport is in decline. Is that other people's perception?

Ruth

oldwelshman

BeaconRuth wrote:

Steelride wrote:

I too play squash twice a week.

I wonder why it is that so many cyclists are (or were) keen squash players? I was completely fanatical about the sport for 3 or 4 years and played in 3 seperate county leagues at the same time at one point. It's a fantastic sport. At my club's dinner last week I sat down next to a couple of guys who told me they're keen squash players, too, to add to the other clubmate who I know plays. Carole Gandy, the British BAR in 2004 is also a keen player.

Unfortunately, from what I hear, the sport is in decline. Is that other people's perception?

Ruth

No Ruth it is not in decline far from it.
With squash you will find it may get stronger in some regions and weaker in other, it seems to go in cycles.
I coached for a few years in a leisure centre and started with 8 juniors and ended uo having to decline new ones as we got to 60 juniors.
So in Wales it is currently very strong.
It is the same as most sports, you need people to commit to organising and coaching, when you do not get them, the sport goes into decline.
I was lucky enough to get a good guy to take over from me when I emigrated to England from Wales
They are now very strong with several international juniors and a team in the top League in wales.
Unfortunately it is a sport that is very wearing on the knees and a sport where your standard naturally drops once you get to 40

Mike Willcox

My son plays 3 x times a week. He's still yet to beat the old man though. He'll get another chance over Christmas.