Is my max heart rate too high

Harry B

According to a number of sources the average max heart rate should be 200 - your age. I'm 45 so that makes mine approximately 175 bpm. My actual measured rate is 195 :shock: I'm relatively fit and been cycling for a couple of years. I eat pretty poorly and probably drink a bit too much (beer, not spirits). Anyone out there reckon this is a bit high? If so any guesses as to why??

Fanx in advance

redddraggon

There's probably nothing wrong with your maxHR as 220-age is bollocks. But probably best seeing a doctor if you are worried.

Infamous

ignore the 220 minus your age nonsense.

Also, it doesn't really mean anything anyway, a high max HR doesn't mean you're going to be faster or slower. You just use it to work out HR zones.

Harry B

redddraggon wrote:

There's probably nothing wrong with your maxHR as 220-age is bollocks. But probably best seeing a doctor if you are worried.

I'm not worried just curious. How does this compare with others?

antfly

That`s pretty high,are you sure it wasn`t just a spike,hrm readings can jump about a bit at the beginning of a ride or things can intefere with them.

Bronzie

"Seek, and ye shall find".......................
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12602488

Brian123

Hi

I'm 62 and my max heart rate is 185 as seen in road race sprint finish. This isn't a spike in the readings as I've seen 183/182 many times over the past few years. My average in a 10 mile time trial is 166 with a max of 173/4.

Max hr is a gentic endowment and as such is individual. The 220 minus age is a generalisation that tends to err on the safe side for general consumption.

Hope this helps

Brian

doyler78

You are by no means unique.See this thread:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=15122277

Frank the tank

Surely it's your resting heart rate which is more important regarding your general health.

I'm 47, and the last time I measured my MHR it was 173bpm my resting HR is 50bpm.

I sometimes feel too much emphasis is put on scientific data etc. While I appreciate it's helpful for elite athletes and serious racers etc most of us cycle to keep generally fit and for enjoyment and there's no point in getting to "bogged down" in HR this, VO2 max whatever. I'm not knocking anyone who is that into all this info but I think people can worry unnecessarily when all they need to really bother about is enjoying riding their bikes.

IanTrcp

Nothing to worry about at all.

As your post correctly states, the AVERAGE max hr is 220-age. Some will be higher (you and I), some will be lower. The average height for a UK male is 5'9". Would you be worried if you were shorter than that???

FWIW, I'm 41 years old and regularly see 192/193bpm when pushing hard. Trying VERY hard to ride my fixie up a long hill after I buckled a wheel on my geared bike I once managed 197bpm.

Doesn't mean a thing!

garmin

im 45 and i regulary see 183/185 bpm my resting being 45 bpm.

kozzo

I'm 39, measured max. hr 203 bpm. (over 10 years on the racing bike)
Av. over 100 km 167 bpm. (around 160 I feel the best on the bike)
It is pretty individual aspect and one doctor said: "Stop it, you will die!"
other specialized in sport said: "And what's the problem?"
So I left HR monitor in the box at home and concentrated on training.
In fact just HR is not enough to get a picture of your physical shape;
there are many other important factors.
We have different bodies, different hearts.

If it would be one standard factor no any race would be necessary; just HR (or anything else) comparision instead .

kettrinboy

i,m 46 and my highest is 180 and resting is 39/40 my bro in law is 43 4 stone overweight and just started running and regularly sees over 200 on his HRM his resting HR is 65

pbt150

220 - age is rubbish. Repeat 100 times. We should get this as 'sticky' in the training forum. It's not even the most accurate rubbish way to predict your max hr!

Your Max HR is your Max HR. It's determined by a wide range of physiological parameters far more complex than how long ago you were born. Whatever you've recoded/had it measured at, use this as your basis for how hard to push during different types of training. Don't worry if a formula tells you your something that you're not seeing on the bike, just trust what you're seeing and take it from there.

SteveR_100Milers

well, mine's so low I'm actually dead.

My observed max seen during some flat out sprintervals at the track is 166!

blackhands

Brian123 wrote:

Hi

I'm 62 and my max heart rate is 185 as seen in road race sprint finish. This isn't a spike in the readings as I've seen 183/182 many times over the past few years. My average in a 10 mile time trial is 166 with a max of 173/4.

Max hr is a gentic endowment and as such is individual. The 220 minus age is a generalisation that tends to err on the safe side for general consumption.

Hope this helps

Brian

Yep, mine is 182 (measured properly in the lab) and I'm 66.

I take issue with your word endowment as it implies that there is a better or preferable HRmax which of course is not true.

SteveR_100Milers

(n.) That which is given or bestowed upon the person or mind; gift of nature; accomplishment; natural capacity; talents; -- usually in the plural.

so its perfectly reasonbale word to use, context - we are all endowed with whatever characteristics we have as individuals.

Bludgeon

I'm glad i stumbled on this.... I have the opposite "problem". The bollock-rough-guide formula says my max HR should be 174.

I was on an excersise bike following a ride program designed to get the heart to reach the maxand i couldn't get my heart over 155! I concluded that I have either:
a) got the heart of a 110 year old or
b) the gym bike simply wasn't hard enough on me even though ot was on the highest setting and i was pedalling at 100rpm.

Is there a c)?

My HR at rest is 54.

Am I heading for an early grave? ;-)

Andrew.

slunker

I can't get mine above 170.

psiturbo

Is it hard to go above 170 even with fresh strong legs?

When this happens to me its when my legs are burned out etc...

SteveR_100Milers

Bludgeon wrote:

I'm glad i stumbled on this.... I have the opposite "problem". The bollock-rough-guide formula says my max HR should be 174.

I was on an excersise bike following a ride program designed to get the heart to reach the maxand i couldn't get my heart over 155! I concluded that I have either:
a) got the heart of a 110 year old or
b) the gym bike simply wasn't hard enough on me even though ot was on the highest setting and i was pedalling at 100rpm.

Is there a c)?

My HR at rest is 54.

Am I heading for an early grave? ;-)

Andrew.

Aren't you dead yet??

I guess the c) is that simply that is your max HR, why worry about as its almost totally irrelevant other than a reference point to set up heart rate training zones.