Max heart query

tozi1

Just started recording my h.r.-I am 60,overweight but not too unfit-regular hard swims and bike 20 miles 2-3 times a week.
My max h.r. should be 160 plus by any reckoning,but I'm nearly expiring at 152 on a steep hill!

So I was wondering if this will change as I (hopefully) get fitter or is it sort of fixed-and is it a limiting factor on how hard I can ultimately work/push myself?

craker

<not an expert>
Your Max HR is your Max HR, it doesn't change with training. It may however decrease with age. Whatever your Max HR /should/ be (says who?) it doesn't matter.

You need to do something like a ramp test to really determine what your Max HR is. Joe Friel gets quoted alot on here, take a look at http://www.trainingbible.com/bkp-all/documents/UsingHeartRate-Power-Pace.pdf

tozi1

Thanks cr. I'll check out the link.

mattbabs

Your max HR isn't always 220-age but it won't be far off. 152 is going to be close to your max (it's 95% of 160). If you are really fit your hearts and lungs work more efficiently so you can get up those hills at a relatively low HR and not get knackered. Even a pro will tire if they are near their maximum heart rate, although they train to do it a bit longer. Losing weight is the key to getting up hills more easily

imposter2.0

mattbabs wrote:

Your max HR isn't always 220-age but it won't be far off.

Depends what you mean by "won't be far off" - my own true max HR is 15bpm higher than the bullsh*t '220-age' formula suggests. That's the equivalent of an entire training zone in some coaching plans.

If you are serious about training by HR, then don't rely on formulas.

tangled_metal

There's also VO2 max measure to think about. This is a measure of how much oxygen you can take in. It's a good indicator of fitness. Google Rockport walking test for this measure. It supposedly gives a reasonable estimation. IIRC you.can use this to adjust your hr.
Also there are pace timings I've seen for runners that involve you timing over a certain distance I think. Based on that you get tables giving you what to adjust your max hr. 220-age is only a start, you need to do tests on performance to adjust it up or down. I once got my cardiosport hrm and reached 100% of my max. This should not be possible to achieve. Think I my max hr worked out to be 20bpm above the 220-age formula. I was fit back then without realising it. My VO2 max was rated at excellent, resting rate was a little under 50bpm and my recovery was very quick. It all meant I adjusted max rate by a lot. Some things really are down to your genes. My gran for example had a set of lungs a lot bigger than normal, took 2 x-rays to catch it all. She was a good runner in her day. That is down to her genes.

imposter2.0

Tangled Metal wrote:

I once got my cardiosport hrm and reached 100% of my max. This should not be possible to achieve.

Of course reaching 100% MHR is possible. It should be impossible to reach 101% though, if that's what you meant.

JayKosta

Don't worry about your max heart rate number - except as a guide for training zones.
With endurance training, the max HR can decrease due to the increase in size and 'stroke volume' of the heart muscle.

I don't measure HR while road riding, but fitness center has exercise bikes that display HR and power - I find that to be interesting and a good indicator of my 'fitness' at the time.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

tozi1

thanks for all the info.I suspect loosing 20kg or so will help!