Max heart rate question

[Andy_G]

Ive searched for a straight forward answer but i havent found one.
My max HR should be around 180bpm and in two years of riding it hasnt changed, i dont know if thats normal.
I thought that as you get fitter it might go down.

 

[400bhp]

I don't think it moves around generally?

RHR is the one that may go down as you get fitter.

 

[Dan B]

Max HR might go down as you get older (though it's by no means certain). Getting fitter means that you can do more work at a lower %age of Max HR, or that you can sustain greater %age of MHR for longer, but as 400bph says the limit itself doesn't move around

 

[MikeW-71]

If you mean the HR that you record during a ride, it depends how hard you are working and it may not change much. I usually see a highest reading of 164 - 168, BUT that's not my Max HR.

In theory mine should be around 180 (220-age, which is a very rough guess) but I've never done a test to find what it actually is.

 

[Rob3rt]

If you mean the HR that you record during a ride, it depends how hard you are working and it may not change much. I usually see a highest reading of 164 - 168, BUT that's not my Max HR.

In theory mine should be around 180 (220-age, which is a very rough guess) but I've never done a test to find what it actually is and I'm not sure I want to either. The test involves working harder and harder and taking the HR reading just before you collapse/pass out/throw up (or all 3).

No it doesn't.

 

[Dusty Bin]

Ive searched for a straight forward answer but i havent found one.
My max HR should be around 180bpm and in two years of riding it hasnt changed, i dont know if thats normal.
I thought that as you get fitter it might go down.

Your MHR will not reduce with training. Why do you say your MHR 'should' be around 180? Why should it?

 

[MikeW-71]

Hmm, thought that was essentially what it was.. Post corrected to remove bad info

 

[Dusty Bin]

Hmm, thought that was essentially what it was.. Post corrected to remove bad info

You should remove the bit about 220-age - that's bad info as well

 

[MikeW-71]

Yeah, which is why I said it was a very rough guess

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Yeah, which is why I said it was a very rough guess

It's not even that.

 

[Rob3rt]

Not getting into the 220-age thing, simply not interested in this tedious debate, but to elaborate on my comment above (it was late last night and I was a little knocked about from racing in horrific weather so just gave up typing). Generally speaking you will reach your MHR some time before you pass out or collapse etc so there is no need to test until complete failure.

 

[Andy_G]

I'm not taking the whole 220 minus age thing as gospel just a rough guideline.
I just didn't know if my MHR would go down the fitter I became.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

I just didn't know if my MHR would go down the fitter older I became.

Yes it will.

 

[Andy_G]

So after two years my heart rate has stayed the same but I'm fitter and 4 stone lighter.

 

[VamP]

It means nothing.