Maximum heart rate

giantAstax

Im 52 and have been working on the basis of a measured 170bpm max heart rate during the past 12 months or so. I reagularly hit 165 to 167 when exercising very hard but only occasionally reach 170 and it's pretty horrible when I get up there. Then yesterday riding in Swinley forest on a big steep climb I feel like I'm gonna die as I reach the top, heart pounding, feeling sick temple vein feels like its gonna pop - not a nice feeling. Anyway when I upload the data I see 172 as the MHR for the first time.

So was I just mistaken with what I though was my MHR, has it just gone up or is the some other explanation?

R8JimBob88

170 obviosuly wasnt your max!

Your max is what you can acheive whilst giving it 110%, if only for a few seconds. I have only ever hit my max HR once and that was when I was trying to discover what my max HR actually is/was.

njee20

It can go up, consider 172 your new max and train based on that. Mine dropped reasonably significantly (went from hitting 206-208 to barely hitting 200) in a fairly short space of time, couldn't work out why, didn't come with a drop in performance or power or anything. Was a bit weird really!

RandG

I'd suggest you hit it, but I doubt if it will go any higher from now, being the age you are, it will only get lower, although, you may reach a higher rate if running, but you mtb'ing MHR is now that figure.

pilch

Yeah, mines just gone up, bizarre...

On Sat I hit 103% max and averaged 97% for 1hr 45, odd, can't be right, that would have me anaerobic for the whole race - historically I have been maxing @ 98% with the odd blip over 100% and averaging 94% during races all season...

Think I need a re-zone

davidof

All this heart rate stuff is a bit confusing.

I'm 48. I normally climb with a heart rate around the 175-178, this is reasonably comfortable. Today I did a little training climb that is almost identical in length, vertical and profile to l'Alpe d'Huez. I was pushing things a bit more but not totally in the red with a heart rate in the 180+ range. Last year my heart rate would go to 192 on the same climb but I'm fitter and a bit lighter now so don't go there. 190+ for me is unpleasant... too long and I get an arrhytmia type response, a bit like a car stalling.

So I assume my max heart rate is something like 190-192bpm. Certainly way off the calculations for my age (btw if I stop posting it is probably because I'm dead ). Certainly the 130-150 fat burning heart rate (60-70%) training zone is pretty comfortable for me to roll along at.

Manc33

I am 35 so mine "should" be 185.

A few weeks ago I watched a Horizon documentary about HIIT so gave it a go, cycling up a really steep hill (20% in parts) near my house... its the "quasi-countryside".

HEART RATES:

First time - 183 (about a week ago)
Second time - 185 (the very next day, when I didn't realize you shouldn't do HIIT every day lol)
Today - 189 (long break - about 5 days later)

I made my HR monitor beep at me today hehe. 101% of max oops. :oops:

So as I do the HIIT more, it seems to add 2 or 3 to my max each time.

Yeah there will be a plateau where the MHR cannot go any higher for me personally, but when?

Someone that is 35 could I guess get past 190 but isn't this really high even for the most elite athletes? For example I never heard of anyone over 200 (regardless of age) but then I have not spent any time studying this much.

If I have got it from 183 > 185 > 189 in three training sessions is that a good sign?

But if that is already +5 on the normal estimation, isn't that quite dangerous?

If you really want to get fitter, I think danger kinda has to be your middle name, to a certain degree.

I mean some people will do HIIT type of training and say "thats enough" whereas others will keep going until they are literally nearly feeling sick and wobbling on the bike.

Compared to "long" rides (over 25 miles or, over 2 hours) this HIIT is making me feel a lot better than those long rides ever did. Fatigue isn't as high and yet I feel as though I have "done" more, used more energy in less time, this way it feels like I am actually getting somewhere, forcing myself to get fitter as opposed to aimlessly averaging 12.5MPH for hours on end, like it says in the Horizon programme that might work for some but for others you need to do drastic stuff, but then those types might also benefit even more from that than the people riding 2+ hours at a time are benefiting.

Programme said it takes 6 weeks (3x a week) with HIIT as opposed to 2 weeks if you do longer "easier" rides. The thing is after the 6 weeks, you're on a level playing field and the progress between HIIT and normal cardio is about equal, its just that HIIT takes 4 more weeks to get into that mode, I guess because at the end of the day you're riding only 4 or 5 miles and taking 18 minutes to do it (15 miles a week tops) as opposed to 25 miles and taking 2 hours (75 miles a week).

Exercise is bizarre and really complicated if you let it be. :roll:

njee20

Someone that is 35 could I guess get past 190 but isn't this really high even for the most elite athletes? For example I never heard of anyone over 200 (regardless of age) but then I have not spent any time studying this much.

I do, used to very regularly, in fact I've averaged 198bpm for 2 hour races.

robertpb

The calculation systems for working out maximum HR are only ball park figures for the average person.

Various calculations put my maximum at the age of 62 at 158 to 170, it's realy 186.

As for riding with maximum oxygen deprivation latest research says most of it is to do with our genes. Some can cope quite easily others just have to give up.

.blitz

Manc33 wrote:

Someone that is 35 could I guess get past 190 but isn't this really high even for the most elite athletes? For example I never heard of anyone over 200 (regardless of age) but then I have not spent any time studying this much.

Used to hit 210 or more for several mins back in the day in my 30s. Averages of 180+ were fairly normal. It wasn't uncomfortable it was just worrying to see the figures.

Was concerned enough to see the doc about it. He more or less said we're all different.

davidof

Manc33 wrote:

I am 35 so mine "should" be 185.

A few weeks ago I watched a Horizon documentary about HIIT

Interesting documentary. I'm going to try the Special High Intensity Training.

surfgod

When I used to wear a polar hrm over ten years ago now, my max heart used to be 210bpm. I could only hit this figure at full gas while sprinting up a very steep hill. Used to ride regularly with a guy who only had a max heart rate of 140, and I could drop him quite easily...Don't get too hung up on max heart rate because everyone has their own personal maximum.

njee20

Max of 140? Doubt that, unless he had a serious medical problem.