Worrying heart rate?

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gavintc

Guru
Location
Southsea
BIGSESAL said:
Right, so the biology teacher shall be getting some abuse tomorrow. Perhaps the PE teachers can enlighten me. haha. Is there any truth in the 220-age theory? I would suspect that max bpm would deminish by age but perhaps not in this way.

Nope, no one I know works to this simple equation. Personally, I am 51 and my MHR is 190. Resting 45.

My wife is 47 and has a MHR of 180. Not too accurate methinks.
 
As already mentioned a few times in this thread, 220-age is only a very rough and I mean rough guide, but one that should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Just do a search on here for Max heart rates and you'll find loads of proof that 220-age is a mile off

Don't worry about teachers, they are there to teach you what they are told to, not what is always correct, they have way too much paperwork to do to spend time doing the research needed to tell you what really is the case.
 
i'm 50 and had 205 climbing a hill out of kendal. got fed up of hrm's shortly after and went back to riding off feel and breathing.
 

Blott's Mate

New Member
Location
Suffolk
High HRs at the start can be an artifact from poor chest strap contact. Goes down if you sweat a bit. I spit on mine before I put it on. That works most times. Not nice when its cold though
 

Mr Creosote

Senior Member
As others have noted on here, your max HR is lagely genetically determined.

The 220 - age formula have been arrived at by taking the average of a huge population sample thus including the very fit and the very unfit and it only works in the general case and gives you a good [sic] starting point.

Another couple of thins to bear in mind:

Your MHR is sport specific

The only way to establish your MHR is to take a maximal stress test for that particular sport. Having done one I can tell you it hurts but also makes you realise that even if you think you are pushing your body to the max you very probably aren't.
 

yenrod

Guest
If you dont get any pain and enjoy it and you feel ok - don't worry.

Years back I once went to 230bpm...straight up (honest) !

Made me wonder - after I done an extra turn on the front when out rding with a mate.

Get a check. The stupid thing about the health serviec is that it serves the fat overwight fat bastards who sit on their arse in tail backs all their lives in cars.

All the Dr's are trained for this.

Not to check out / have knowledge of fit atheltic people !!!!

Remember that when you talking to your Dr !
 
Well after a rather hard club ride, where over the last 11 miles we averaged 26.7mph and it was lumpy too I knew I was pushing the limit, especially when I was lagging behind on one long slope, so I nailed it on the flat to get back on a wheel.

When I was home I downloaded the log from the garmin, that extra effort included 32mph and a max HR of 199 for 11 seconds, my last max on a similar effort only hit 196. But as soon as I got back to the wheels I was able to recover and then push to the front to take my turn and held 195 for a while without any pain, so now I'm of the opinion that a max HR is only what you decide to stop at.
 

earth

Well-Known Member
I have CS200 as well. They do misread. 220 seems to be their limit because mine hits that sometimes and I feel fine I have never seen above 220. Once it hits 220 it does not recover and I have to stop, take it off mess around etc. In fact they are unreliable alot of the time. I always rince the belt and transmitor after each use or the sweat begins to corrode the contacts. Sometimes it just doesn't read anything.
 
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