Re: Max heart rate

Zen Cohen wrote:
I used to run a lot in my 30s and my heart rate would normally reach somewhere in the 180-200 BPM range.

Was this your max heart rate or easy effort (can talk in complete sentences) or comfortably hard (talk in phrases) or ...?

I laid off for a few years bc of a bad knee, gained too much weight, and now cycle for cardio.

Many (most?) people usually have a lower max hr for cycling vs running (at least by usual protocols). (I used to be able to hit close to the same readings for mtn biking on steep hills and running.)


At first, I could only reach about 150 BPM before getting exhausted. Six months later, and much more fit, I get to about 173 for intervals and average about 155-160 for the entire session. Still nowhere close to where I was before but definitely have improved.

What I'm wondering is whether, at age 48, this is about all I can expect (charts say max HR at this age is in the 170s)

Most stuff that I've seen assume a drop of about 1 bpm per year, but if you exercise, that drop will be less.


or can I keep getting to higher max HR if I keep pushing.

Are you only using cycling to test for max HR? Have you tested for a running max hr? What protocols are you using? Some people can raise their max hr through lots of exercise, but these are usually elite level or those with similar levels of training (always some exceptions). And this is usually on the order of a few bpm, iirc (could be wrong, but at most 10bpm probably), which may be "noise."


Also I've heard that I should exercise at about 80% of max HR and that going above that for sustained periods can be detrimental. I prefer to exercise as intensely as I can stand it and usually get into 90%-plus of my presumptive max HR.

What are your goals? To be "fit," to lose weight, to win ag in races, ....? (ok, you explain goals later)

FWIW, I tend to do most of my running at about 65% hrr (75% max hr). When I push, I go to 80-85% hrr (85-92% max hr). For *my* purposes, I rarely go above that (except in race), since I'm mostly interested in aerobic benefits. YMMV.


Anybody know of any good research that addresses this?

I like the chart that Martin and Coe have in their book on "Better Training for Distance Runners." It shows the benefits to exercising in the various heart rate zones - capillaries, mitochondria, stroke volume, etc. It's better documented than most treatments of heart rate zones, i.e. may address your question of "research." (too big a table to insert here)


For a simple online table, I like the following
http://ipb001.ipagedemo.com/users/28255/downloads/135%20Table%20A.pdf
which has related information on this page
http://www.coachbenson.com/m_47.asp

I match the "% of effort" column (Karvonen, heart rate reserve) with the "Perceived Exertion" column. Better yet, just match the "Perceived Exertion" with the "Reasons" column.



Am I focusing too much on heart rate? My goal is not higher max HR but to go faster/farther. Still, seems they're interrelated. Comments/thoughts, esp from middle-agers, appreciated.

Yes. Heart rate is one tool to monitor intensity, but you can probably use breathing just as easily - maybe more easily (see chart above). You really need to understand the role that efforts in the various ranges provide (see above book). That is, you need to build aerobic base first (can you talk?). Yes, lower efforts can provide more of certain benefits than higher efforts. Higher efforts have their benefits. There's a gradient of benefits which peak at various intensities, so all intensities have benefits.

You could use a training pgm built on time and intensity (breathing) to go farther then faster.

By "faster", are you looking to be age-group competitive and "farther" are you thinking like 10k's, marathons, or ultras, ...? Since you posted this in a running newsgroup, I'm assuming you're asking about running, even though your current exercise seems to be cycling (stationary?) - or maybe I missed something. Or are you asking about cycling?

Here's a couple other hr pages that might provide more information than Benson's for some things:
http://www.brianmac.demon.co.uk/hrm1.htm
http://www.runningforfitness.org/calc/hrzones.php?
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=176


I was older than you are now when I started (mid 50s), so I'm not sure any changes I've seen would be relevant to your question.;) (Actually, I'm still using the same max hr as I did 6 yr ago when I started, but it's much harder to get close to max or I'm getting lazy or both, so it might be a little lower now or underestimated then, but negligible effect on "zones." I have lowered my "easy" zone as I've gotten more economic and can run at lower hr now.)

I hope that helps some.

Dot

--
"The goal is training and adaptation, not destruction and injury."
- John Hardy
http://www.mountainrunning.coolrunning.com.au/misc/training.shtml

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Training intensity - Fat burn 65% of max heart rate ???
    ... max heart rate with Cardio as 80% of max heart rate. ... Question is:- Is this really the best rate to exercise at to burn ... Intensity as measured by heart rate isn't ... non-stop kettlebell snatches with 24 kg. ...
    (misc.fitness.weights)
  • Re: different definitions of intensity with respect to exercise?
    ... the percentage of maximum heart rate, ... aerobics is a low intensity exercise ... That can't be using "intensity" the same way, since aerobics makes ...
    (sci.med.nutrition)
  • Re: Training intensity - Fat burn 65% of max heart rate ???
    ... max heart rate with Cardio as 80% of max heart rate. ... Question is:- Is this really the best rate to exercise at to burn ... rate am I burning less fat then? ... Intensity as measured by heart rate isn't ...
    (misc.fitness.weights)
  • Re: Training intensity - Fat burn 65% of max heart rate ???
    ... max heart rate with Cardio as 80% of max heart rate. ... Question is:- Is this really the best rate to exercise at to burn ... rate am I burning less fat then? ... Intensity as measured by heart rate isn't ...
    (misc.fitness.weights)
  • Re: Heart rate
    ... three minutes than test my heart rate over 1 minute immediatly afterwards. ... The type of exercise is a critical factor. ... Runners and other endurance athletes often track their heart rate for ... bpm may expect his heart rate to drop to 100 to 120 bpm in two or three ...
    (sci.med.cardiology)
Loading