Possible silly question re heart rate

martylurgan
martylurgan Posts: 5
edited February 2014 in Road beginners
Hi guys, I hope you guys can maybe help me with a question regarding heart rate. While I was going up a fairly steep hill today my heart rate rose to 96%. It didnt take long for it to drop back down again afterwards but I was kind of worried that this might be dangerous?

Comments

  • freezing77
    freezing77 Posts: 731
    martylurgan wrote:
    Hi guys, I hope you guys can maybe help me with a question regarding heart rate. While I was going up a fairly steep hill today my heart rate rose to 96%. It didnt take long for it to drop back down again afterwards but I was kind of worried that this might be dangerous?

    96% of what?
  • martylurgan
    martylurgan Posts: 5
    96% of what my monitor has worked out to be my max heart rate
  • freezing77
    freezing77 Posts: 731
    martylurgan wrote:
    96% of what my monitor has worked out to be my max heart rate

    Do you know how this was acheived, what exercise protocol did you follow to monitor and record your maximum.

    Something like this?
    A graded treadmill run to establish MHR. The speed of the track is gradually increased until you can no longer keep up, and your heart rate at this point is assumed to be your MHR.

    However findings from Oslo have suggested that a combination of short runs will give you higher readings still, and this would seem to be your best option. Run as fast as you can evenly for three minutes (ideally on a treadmill), rest with two or three minutes gentle running, and then repeat your three-minute maximal run. During the second run you should get a higher MHR value than with any other method, though use your monitor to take readings throughout it, as your heart rate may peak before the end (see below). Shorter, faster bursts dont appear to work, as the leg muscles then become exhausted before the cardio-respiratory system.
  • Cygnus
    Cygnus Posts: 1,879
    The fact that you're still here proves you have nothing to worry about, you'll know when you're over doing it.
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    martylurgan wrote:
    Hi guys, I hope you guys can maybe help me with a question regarding heart rate. While I was going up a fairly steep hill today my heart rate rose to 96%. It didnt take long for it to drop back down again afterwards but I was kind of worried that this might be dangerous?
    Where you pretty much flat out with ragged breathing?
    If so then you were probably close to max HR.
    If you were surprised to see your HR that high because you weren't going all out then chances are the HR monitor was incorrect. It does happen. Mine is generally very consistent and seems reliable but I did once get a reading just under 240 BPM when I expected about 180. They can get the pattern recognition wrong occasionally.

    If you were going flat out and got a near max HR then that's to be expected and I would think that should only be dangerous if you have a heart problem. My max is about 195 on the bike and I'll occasionally hit 190+ in a hard sprint against friends. If it was sitting up there for the rest of the cycle or if it didn't recover fairly quickly I'd be worried but it's not unexpected that your heart will be beating hard when you're working hard.
  • g00se
    g00se Posts: 2,221
    Also, if your max heart rate was calculated by the device as a sum based on your sex and age, then it's likely to be well out. To get an accurate max heart rate, you need to do a max test. Alternatively, if you train in zones, try based on your functional threshold heartrate (rather than max) which is arguably easier to establish and should give you training zones less skewed by errors and which will vary depending on your level of fitness.
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    Agreed, if you haven't tested your max HR and are using a formula such as 220-age then it may be way off.
    Most formulas put mine around 182 but as I mentioned it's actually about 195 on the bike and can get close to 200 running. The formulas just give an approximate HR based on population average corrected for age.
  • Tjgoodhew
    Tjgoodhew Posts: 628
    I wouldnt worry,

    Using online calculators my max HR should be quite a bit lower than what it actually is. I should be around 188 however i regularly hit mid 190's and have registered 200 before. Im still here and other than blowing out of my ar5e for a few seconds there were no adverse effects
    Cannondale Caad8
    Canyon Aeroad 8.0

    http://www.strava.com/athletes/goodhewt
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    I've never heard anyone say you shouldn't reach your max heart rate from time to time. I think a lot of training regimes will require that you do just that in order to increase maximum power ability.
  • The Mechanic
    The Mechanic Posts: 1,277
    This is an interesting post. My heart rate regularly tops 180 and I am 60 years old. According to the boffins, when you reach max heart rate your are likely to become faint, dizzy and fall over. The old adage 220-age makes mine 160. Obviously rubbish. I have never been in remotely that situation even when my HR is up at 175-182 so I guess that must mean that my HRmax is above that level. Bottom line, unless you end up in A&E, don't worry.
    I have only two things to say to that; Bo***cks
  • charlie_potatoes
    charlie_potatoes Posts: 1,921
    More of a worry is if it gets down to Zero :shock:
    This happened to me once. Luckily it was a faulty strap :D
    "You really think you can burn off sugar with exercise?" downhill paul
  • martylurgan
    martylurgan Posts: 5
    Thanks for your help guys. I'm completely new (and pretty clueless) to using a heart rate monitor and I just kind of assumed that the calculations made by the computer would be correct. Although I've never been diagnosed, heart problems do run in my family so this is why I was concerned. I think for a while I'm going to leave the chest strap at home and just go out and enjoy the ride
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Your really need to test yourself to find your upper limit, otherwise you're not going to get any benefit from using a HRM. 220 minus age calcs are intended for average people who don't exercise.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
    Ditch the heart rate monitor, it's a distraction and doesn't serve any useful purpose.
    In no time you will learn to ride within your aerobic threshold and to ride out of it for short bursts without bonking. Without proper rigorous tests, like those PRO do frequently, it is just misleading and doesn't give you any useful information
    left the forum March 2023
  • taon24
    taon24 Posts: 185
    Heart rate monitors can give you an idea of a few things.
    1) When you can dig a bit deeper.
    2) When you are getting fitter.
    3) How hard you are working on average.

    You need to know what you can do. I'm sure you can find various test procedures online. I don't bother. I ride and look at my logs afterwards, and compare it with how I felt. I know that my HR range of 140-160 represents the transition from pleasantly working out, to unpleasantly sustainable (I.e. for hours). Beyond that I know that I'm in my anaerobic system.

    As I get fitter I go faster at the same heartrate. Other variables make a difference (route, windspeed, rest etc.) but I can see the trend.

    If you ride and go up a few steep ramps you remember them. You may or may not remember the kms of flat terrain in between, when your HR was 120 and you were relaxed. An average heart rate is a reasonable record of a session intensity, but clearly varies person to person.

    My advice, put the heart rate monitor on, enjoy the ride. Build up some data, and then try and use it more scientifically based on what you have found over weeks and weeks, rather than the guidebook. Not using it will make it less useful. Just don't read too much into/stress too much about the data from each session.
  • ai_1
    ai_1 Posts: 3,060
    taon24 wrote:
    Heart rate monitors can give you an idea of a few things.
    1) When you can dig a bit deeper.
    2) When you are getting fitter.
    3) How hard you are working on average.

    You need to know what you can do. I'm sure you can find various test procedures online. I don't bother. I ride and look at my logs afterwards, and compare it with how I felt. I know that my HR range of 140-160 represents the transition from pleasantly working out, to unpleasantly sustainable (I.e. for hours). Beyond that I know that I'm in my anaerobic system.

    As I get fitter I go faster at the same heartrate. Other variables make a difference (route, windspeed, rest etc.) but I can see the trend.

    If you ride and go up a few steep ramps you remember them. You may or may not remember the kms of flat terrain in between, when your HR was 120 and you were relaxed. An average heart rate is a reasonable record of a session intensity, but clearly varies person to person.

    My advice, put the heart rate monitor on, enjoy the ride. Build up some data, and then try and use it more scientifically based on what you have found over weeks and weeks, rather than the guidebook. Not using it will make it less useful. Just don't read too much into/stress too much about the data from each session.
    Agreed

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