HR

Mastineo

Hi all
Having decided to try and train 'properly' I've bought and read Joe Friels 'Total Heart Rate Training'. Following his instructions my Lactate Threshold is 188 BPM. Ive done the test three times now with the same result +/- 2 BPM. I've done the tests for longer than the required 20 minutes to try and get an accurate reading.
Thing is I'm 46 years old and weigh 96Kg, and take Amlodopine to control blood pressure!
I feel fine before, during and after the tests, but am a bit concerned that all the max. heartrate predicting formulas I've seen give me a max. of about 174 bpm when according to my Garmin I get over 200 bpm quite often. My highest ever recording is 235 while MTBing in the Peak District but that was due to overheating and I felt really ill.
Does anyone else my age(ish) have similar readings or am I about to have an enormous heart attack?

S'pose the obvious thing would be to see my GP.

danowat

Which just goes to highlight the problems with theoretical MHR calculations, they are way out for many, many people.

TBH, if you are on blood pressure meds, I'd probably mention your training to your GP in passing anyway, but I really wouldn't worry to much about having a naturally high heart rate.

ut_och_cykla

It is possible you have a higher than calculated HR . Mine would be 170 but is actually 187. However apart from feeling really knackered when nearing max I've never felt really ill. perhaps you should get checked out if you're already under heart medication and you're intending to do really tough sessions. However if you're just riding to lose weight, staying under or near your lactate threshhold and feel 'ok' doing so you're probabaly ok. But if you'r e worried - get checked...

danowat

ut_och_cykla wrote:

However apart from feeling really knackered when nearing max I've never felt really ill.

You ain't pushing hard enough then

ut_och_cykla

danowat wrote:

ut_och_cykla wrote:

However apart from feeling really knackered when nearing max I've never felt really ill.

You ain't pushing hard enough then

I've suffered from infection induced heart sac inflammation and know what that feels like. I've had my HR max tested in a lab situation 3 times in the last 18 months, with exhaled air analysis and blood lactate tests during the session and I know what that feels like. I exercised to failure all three times. I was very tired & sore after the test and wasted for 3 days afterwards. I'm pretty sure I tried hard enough

The nature of the beast is that the real pain & suffering doesn't last very long and when you stop things start to feel better immediately. If you make yourself ill from trying too hard for your level of fitness you feel rougher for much longer. If you had a heart /circulatory condition such efforts could cause serious even life threatening damage.

HArd exercise is hard exercise - you should feel fatigued afterwards - but not ill!

danowat

It was a bit of a tongue in cheek post, hence the smilie!.

However, its not uncommon for people who are / have worked at, or very close to, their MHR to vomit 8)

ut_och_cykla

No problem danowat ... but I wouldn't try a max with food in my stomach... if your stomach's empty you much less likely to vomit....

amaferanga

I had my max HR tested in a lab a few years back as part of a study I volunteered for. When I started racing I found that I regularly exceed that maximum by several bpm so my real max is probably more than 10 bpm over the lab test.