Can Your Max HR Increase?

CleeRider

I've never actually measured my max heart rate but my Bryton Rider 40 uses one of the usual calculations and came up with 180.
I've just climbed a hill and hit 183 having never actually exceeded 180 in the past 2 months since getting the Bryton.

Is it possible for your Max HR to increase as you get fitter? Or is it more likely to be an inaccuracy in the calculation (when applied to me personally) or the heart rate monitor itself?

Just curious as I have never exceeded my 180 perceived maximum in the past 2 months of cycling with a monitor.

jibberjim

Depends what you mean by max HR, but yes the number you see can change.

amaferanga

Your Bryton will presumably be using the guessing algorithm 220-age.

If you hit 183bpm and didn't have to stop and lay on the ground for a bit then that's probably not your max HR anyway.

danowat

No, your MHR can't change, however, it's possible for you to not be able to reach your true MHR when untrained, but get closer to it when you are trained

gloomyandy

Pretty sure your MHR can change, it will normally get lower as you age... But as others have said you probably did not have an accurate value for it to begin with.

danowat

gloomyandy wrote:

Pretty sure your MHR can change, it will normally get lower as you age... But as others have said you probably did not have an accurate value for it to begin with.

Yes, you are quite correct, circa 1 bpm a year is banded around

elderone

danowat wrote:

gloomyandy wrote:

Pretty sure your MHR can change, it will normally get lower as you age... But as others have said you probably did not have an accurate value for it to begin with.

Yes, you are quite correct, circa 1 bpm a year is banded around

So that would tie in with the 220- age theory then.

danowat

Which is why I said "circa" and "banded around", as like the 220-age theory, it's no doubt wrong for many

Bobbinogs

From wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_rate

Various formulas are used to estimate individual maximum heart rates, based on age, but maximum heart rates vary significantly between individuals. Even within a single elite sports team, such as Olympic rowers in their 20s, maximum heart rates can vary from 160 to 220.This variation is as large as a 60 or 90 year age gap by the linear equations given below, and indicates the extreme variation about these average figures.

The most common formula encountered, with no indication of standard deviation, is:
HRmax = 220 − age

The formula has been attributed to various sources, but is widely thought to have been devised in 1970 by Dr. William Haskell and Dr. Samuel Fox. Inquiry into the history of this formula reveals that it was not developed from original research, but resulted from observation based on data from approximately 11 references consisting of published research or unpublished scientific compilations. It gained widespread use through being used by Polar Electro in its heart rate monitors, which Dr. Haskell has "laughed about", as it "was never supposed to be an absolute guide to rule people's training."

Back to the OP, I have seen others mention an increase in the MHR but mine has been pretty stable (no movement up or down) over the last few years despite training quite a lot. It remains quite low when compared to the 220-age calc but I get by

uberkraaft

My 'achievable' MHR has gone up by by about 6 in the last year (182 to 188) - not sure what it means but I figured it went hand in hand with an increase in fitness :?

gavbarron

The 'calculation' used by your Bryton will as said simply be 220 - your age. This is only a loose guess and is rarely correct. The only real way to ascertain your max hr is to do a max hr test. My calculated max is 189 yet during a max hr test I hit 204 so there is quite a margin of error. You may hit another hill in the future and get an even higher hr, more likely if doing hill reps as a one off hill rarely takes you to max hr

Kingsmill1

I'm 44 so using the scale my MHR is 176 and I've done 194 bpm on serious climbs and this has gone up from 191 to 194 over the past few months, I use a suunto m3 watch which records when I reach a nex max heart rate. Also the m3 has a training program which states which days I have to work at a certain MHR which somedays is 30 mins at 170 odd the fact the watch has recorded a new MHR does this mean you can achieve it I don't know you would have to ask the guys at sunnto or polar who make the dam things

TakeTurns

I'm 18, so technically should have a high MHR. Highest I've hit is 187 when I was banging out a hill. Recently did another hard effort on the same hill, the outcome was a lower 181 H/R and faster time.

greensum

danowat

greensum wrote:

. Max HR- does not decline with age.
. Max HR- only declines with age in sedentary individuals.
. Max HR- tends to be higher in women than men.

Citations please

Brommers76

I can categorically say that my max hr has gone up by at least 10bpm in the space of 6 months. Although the increase did involve replacing one of the valves in my heart :?

kevin69

the max hr i recorded in my first 6 months of using a hrm was 186, then about 6 months later i recorded a 192.
my heart rate on the flat is at least 10bpm below that when climbing, and i can get higher heart rates again when running.

but... i don't think max hr is very interesting.
the max hr that you can sustain is more relevant to cycling performance (imho),
so a lactate threshold test or just your highest average over 20 mins is probably more useful for training
or estimating fitness.

mhj999

greensum wrote:

It is one of the first questions when you start training with a heart rate monitor , "How do I determine my Max HR?" Your maximum heart rate is the basis for all of Heart Zone Training because it's the anchor point around which you set your heart zones.

. Max HR- is genetically determined; in other words, you're born with it.
. Max HR- is a biomarker, it's your individual number.
. Max HR- does not reflect your level of fitness
. Max HR- is sensitive to certain variables such as altitude, drugs, medication.
. Max HR- is a fixed number, unless you become unfit.
. Max HR- cannot be increased by training.
. Max HR- does not decline with age.
. Max HR- only declines with age in sedentary individuals.
. Max HR- tends to be higher in women than men.
. Max HRs- that are high do not predict better athletic performance.
. Max HRs- that are low do not predict worse athletic performance.
. Max HR- has great variability among people of the same age.
. Max HR- for children is frequently measured at over 200 bpm.
. Max HR- cannot be accurately predicted by any mathematic formula.
. Max HR- does not vary from day to day, but it is test-day sensitive.
. Max HR- testing requires the person to be fully rested.
. Max HR- testing needs to be done multiple times to determine the exact number.

Maybe I dont 'get it' but there seem to be a lot of contradictions in here.
Not just being picky as I have a new GPS/HRM/Cadence on order and want to start to look at these things.

markos1963

Your max heart rate doesn't change that much until you are older and it declines slowly. What fools people is that when they start to try and measure it they aren't fit enough to reach it during tests so as they get fitter they think their max hr is increasing.