is my heart rate ok?

inaperfectworld · January 2009

i've never bothered to measure this before but as i have a trek incite ach with a heart monitor i tried it yesterday.i am 54 mostly recreational and did 2500 miles last year incl a trip to the alps. the terrain round here is nowhere flat with some short pulls at least 10% and lots of tedious long drags. if the readings are right then the av. over a 15 mile ride yeaterday was 123, but was a bit scared at the max. of 196. i never saw this figure on the computer and after honking up hill the maximum i saw was 150, so i do also have doubts about the computer readings particularly as the computer is complete junk, so bad that i have bought another and treating this as a heart monitor only. is 106 asuuming it's right ok

bombdogs · January 2009

To be honest, you've got me worried now - my max hr the other day was 220, but that was full pelt, uphill and against gale-force wind. Nearly fell off at the top cos I was so shattered.
According to my stats, my max should only be about 196 as well, but there are quite a few people on this forum - most fitter than me - whose hr go to that quite often.
I usually train to my heartrate using a polar watch, but don't treat it as being precisely accurate - just round about - and always with a pinch of salt.
196 is fine. Just always remember to ride or train to how you're feeling.
Computers and the likes don't take into consideration that we're all human after all.

ugo.santalucia · January 2009

Yes you are OK, maybe a bit hypocondriac...

196 would be great, but I don't think you can go that high up at your age... 170 is more like it

robmanic1 · January 2009

From my limited knowledge on the subject, heart rate is a personal thing, there is no right or wrong. Many top cyclists were rumoured to have very low MRI's (Armstrong, Induraine), but were undoubtedly fit buggers.

You need to find your MRI and work your training around it, there's plenty of good advice all over the t'internet.

cookiemonster · January 2009

No right or wrong, but spurious readings are fairly common - I've seen 250 on my polar and 230 on my Garmin (tested max is 189)

Easiest thing to do it do a max test and then you know... (and you know what it feels like - if you're at your max hr you've probably got tunnel vision and the world is going red and wavey

)

careful · January 2009

My HR regularly exceeds 210 when climbing etc. It has done this for ever since I started using a HR monitor. As I am 62 this well exceeds the usual formula for max HR of 220 minus your age. At rest my HR is only 50. I was worried at first and had extensive investigations by a cardiologist to ensure there were no underlying problems. It was finally diagnosed as exercise induced tachycardia (not sure about the spelling here). I had the choice of a minor op to burn away some of the nerves in the heart that give my heart effectively 2 sets of signals (kind of double pulse). My choice though was to control it with very low strength beta blocker drugs. This has worked fine although if I was younger I would probably have the op. I am not suggesting that you have this condition - just confirming that high Max HR is not necessarily a serious problem.

jimycooper · January 2009

just taken my resting HR and its 68, it this all healthy?
sorry for very stuped question but i have no idea?

garetjax · January 2009

I agree that spurious readings are common.
My Polar often states max HR after a ride as around 220, even though after a steady ride. My max is more like 184. I don't know why/how the Polar gives these odd readings.

Bronzie · January 2009

jimycooper wrote:

just taken my resting HR and its 68, it this all healthy?

Yes - average adult resting HR is around 70............although many reasonably fit cyclists may well report figures as low as low 30's. Mine is around 39 (but that doesn't mean I'm fitter than you). As with max HR, there is little you can read into your resting HR compared to others.

Comparing changes in your resting HR over time can be useful (it can reduce with increases in fitness, or increase when you are over-tired or coming down with a bug).

Your high maximum reading is due to one of three things:
- false reading from HRM (due to interference etc)
- you have a naturally high max HR (when compared to statistical average provided by the "220-age" guideline)
- a spike or double-beat in your heart rate that was picked up by your HRM

The last one is the least likely I think, but perhaps worth noting that Popette who posts on here picked up that she had a heart rhythm problem from unusual HR readings when she started using an HRM, but I think this was on a regular basis rather than the odd occassion.

Try not to worry about it - you'll make your heart race

Old Tuggo · January 2009

careful wrote:

My HR regularly exceeds 210 when climbing etc. It has done this for ever since I started using a HR monitor. As I am 62 this well exceeds the usual formula for max HR of 220 minus your age. At rest my HR is only 50. I was worried at first and had extensive investigations by a cardiologist to ensure there were no underlying problems. It was finally diagnosed as exercise induced tachycardia (not sure about the spelling here). I had the choice of a minor op to burn away some of the nerves in the heart that give my heart effectively 2 sets of signals (kind of double pulse). My choice though was to control it with very low strength beta blocker drugs. This has worked fine although if I was younger I would probably have the op. I am not suggesting that you have this condition - just confirming that high Max HR is not necessarily a serious problem.

I know of a number of people who suffer from this problem - they have all been life long cyclists or runners. Some of them have had this operation but it has not cured the problem, however all of them are still cycling but do not push themselves as hard as they used to i.e when thier BPM shoots up they ease up.
As I am now 70 it does cross my mind whether riding at a constant 165 bpm in a '10 ' could have an adverse affect on my heart.

V-twin · January 2009

I had high readings on my Polar and they only came up for a matter of seconds but there you are, you have a new HRmax! I narrowed it down to interference (or whatever) from high voltage cables I cycled under on one particular route. It didn't always affect the Polar but most times it did.

I seem to remember there is something in their manual about this sort of field upsetting the readings.

That's what Im chosing to believe, anyway (La-la-la-la-la....)

ThreeLionsBrian · January 2009

I have a max around 186 orthats as far as i dare push it on the TT. But i'm so unfit i'm into the 140's on my warm up. On a undulating day ride my ave is usually around 150.

Chaz.Harding · January 2009

Im 20, and a pretty fit guy - I train extensively running, cycling, swimming (when I remember my goggles

) and weights. I can get my hear rate to around 150 with ease, but after that, it's bloody difficult to raise any more. 170 is tremendously difficult, and at 180, I'm almost collapsing.

Heart rate varies wildy from person to person, depending on fitness, build, age, and predominant muscle types (type I and II)

Anonymous · January 2009

I'm 19 and I went out one day, did about 80 miles I think, anyway my max heartrate was about 189, I found if I kept my Heart Rate under 150 I would never get tired out no matter what I was doing, anything over 150 and I could feel the lactic building up in my muscles, or whatever it was making them feel tired out.

is my heart rate ok?

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