Max Heart Rate for Exercise on 1.25mg of Bisoprolol

[EDAVEX]

I've just reduce my Bisoprolol to 1.25mg because 2.5mg was causing me to faint. Avg BPR now risen from 50 to 53 and no longer getting faint. Since my heart attack I've become fitter than I've been in 20 years, lost 4.5 stone and doing lots of cardio. I feel great but I'm never sure now what my maximum heart rate should be when I mountain bike (which pushes my heart the most). I'm getting my heart into the 150 beats/min range on the big hills. Is this safe/ok? At 52 my max heart rate would be 168 but I know you need to reduce for the beta blocker. On 1.25mg of Bisoprolol how much should I reduce the 168 by and is 158 (10 less) ok?

[Hidden]

My cardiologist told me to stop checking HR and to use RPE (Rate of perceived exertion), basically if I feel ok keep going.

My HR got up to low 160’s when I was on 10mg Bisoprolol, reduced to 5mg in May & reduced to 3.75 today! Still been getting to low 160’s but feels easier and I can push harder before I run out of steam!

I’m 63 and have always exercised, I use 211-(.64 x age) to calc max HR as a guide, as I do still keep an eye on HR but purely to monitor fitness gains.

[EDAVEX in reply to Hidden]

ok many thanks

[gsw5700]

My cardiologist told me to use the following

Max HR (220-age) * 80%

I'm 58, so max heart rate is (220-58)*0.8=130

When I'm biking, I keep my phone mounted to my handlebars so I don't go over 130 ( I occasionally goto 135) but I slow down until it drops. Think of it as your red line !

[Hidden in reply to gsw5700]

Cardio re-hab told me a similar calc (220-age)*75%, cardiologist said that's the standard recommendation, fine during early recovery, but does not take into account prior fitness and current fitness and improvements etc.

As always, we are all different, in what we have experienced and what caused us to be on our meds and should liaise with our own GP's/Cardiologists and take the advice given by them, as they know us as individuals, hopefully!!

[EDAVEX in reply to gsw5700]

thanks

[Chappychap]

I'm 63 and on 2.5Mg of Bisoprolol. I exercise on a cross trainer and will regularly get into the range of 135-140.

I also do a fair amount of resistance training with weights and callisthenics. But even after quite intense sessions, such as two minutes of high intensity squats or 100 press-ups, I won't get over 120 BPM.

On 3.0-3.5mph pace walks in moderately hilly locations I'll also top out at 120 BPM.

I've shared all this with my GP and he's relaxed about it.

Congratulations on the weight loss by the way, that's a serious achievement!

[EDAVEX in reply to Chappychap]

Thanks - the scare of Covid/Heart attack has enabled me to have a laser focus on my health. Not touched meat or dairy or any rubbish since the day and now its become habit. I'm also amazed (being a previous lover of steak and desserts) how I don't miss any of it and love my Vegan food. The weight loss and fitness gained makes me feel great so acts as ongoing motivation.

[Zzr93]

First of all, bloody well done for losing that amount of weight that’s a great achievement. Your question is really good for me!!!! I had to have a triple bypass 12 weeks ago and I asked about max heart rate. The nurse at the cardi dept just said 220 - age (58).= 162.

I’m on 1.25 of Bisoprolol, I’ve just started to do some brisk walking (2miles a day).

Do you mind if I ask how long since your Heart attack?

I’ve not even started the rehabilitation course yet as it’s been cancelled till next month.

I absolutely want to get fitter again as that’s what the surgeon said saved me.

Wish you well with all your training.

Paul.

[EDAVEX in reply to Zzr93]

Hi Paul, thanks - yes I'm pleased to have lost so much weight. I should have done it years ago but it takes a kick up the arse to get you focused!! Thinking I was going to die is a great motivation, and now I'm motivated by the result as I've need been so health. I had my heart attack on 2nd April this year so 7.5 months ago. I obviously took it very easy for the first few months as the doctors and hospital said no more than 120-130 whilst I got back into exercise and ensured my heart was resting. As I've lost the weight and got fitter I've increased everything I'm doing. I always loved mountain biking but bought an electric mountain bike after my heart attack and rode this for 5 months as it meant I could moderate my heart. Now I'm back on my normal mountain bike and the big hills will get the heart pumping and into the 150 range. My sense is that its ok because I'm recovered now and feeling fitter than I have for years.

[EDAVEX]

Thanks - I'm obviously working hard when in the 150 range but it all feels normal and comfortable. thanks for your feedback.

[Zzr93]

Yeah, hats off to you. I guess like a lot of things in life it’s being focused on what you want to achieve. I’ve put a few pounds on since leaving hospital, but I know it’s important to do something about it. My motivation is I say to my self” a lot of people worked really hard to save my life so I owe it to them to make sure I don’t waste it.

Priory to all this I had done 6 London to Brighton’s for the BHF!!!!! So I will do the 2022 run. Enjoy your cycling and I wish you all the best.

Regards

Paul.

[EDAVEX]

Thanks Paul - all the best to you also.

[Jonathan6766]

Im on 1.25 mg too. Was advised to use the max cardio bpm formula 220- age * .80 as a general guide to exercise. To do 30-40 minutes cardio at the top end of the scale 3 times a week not including warm up and cool down.

[EDAVEX in reply to Jonathan6766]

Thanks Jonathan - that would limit me to about 134bpm - I'd never be able to mountain bike if that was my limit as it will normally stay at that for most of ride and then peaks to about 150.

[Jennyhenry]

Hello, well done on weight loss btw!! Is Bisophorol coming in making people feel light headed or dizzy? My dad had a heart attack 4 days ago and had 3 stents fitted- he feels great but gets occasional light headedness? Just wondering if his case was similar to yours

[EDAVEX in reply to Jennyhenry]

Hi Jenny - thanks. Glad your Dad is doing well. I was not dizzy till recently - I was fine on Bisoprolol for 6 months - my heart rate kept dropping over the 6 months slowly probably as I got fitter and lost weight and then started to get dizzy so went from 2.5mg/day to 1.25/mg day. Its stopped now as my heart rate gone up a few beats. He is probably just getting familiar with the lower heart rate I expect as I assume its much lower than before. Another chap who had a heart attack with me was dizzy in the first few months but is ok now.

[fixedrider]

This is really helpful. I had a double bypass last summer (2019), and I'm on 1.25mg Bisoprolol. I'm a lifelong club and utility cyclist, now aged 61, but was still not as active as I could/should have been. Since the operation, I've lost 2 stone (to be fair, quite a bit of that in hospital, as I was kept in with an infection for several months).

The cardio nurses were a bit concerned when I started pushing my heart rate up around 130, but the consultant who discharged me wasn't bothered at all. I think my heart rate has always been quite low. I get some dizziness standing up from chairs sometimes, but otherwise I'm OK, and my HR drops quickly back to the 80s at least after exercise of whatever level.

With restrictions and lockdowns, I've done a lot of Zwift cycling and do tend to push myself a bit on that - it's included some virtual racing for my club - but no formal training. But I've never been able to get beyond about 140, and that very rarely. 130s I can manage. In view of the formulae above, that sounds about right.

[EDAVEX in reply to fixedrider]

Thanks and well done on your progress - losing 2 stone is great. I do find that i can't get my heart rate to even 130 on my indoor cycle - its only on my mountain bike that I can do this on the really hard stuff.

[Gambalunga]

I'm a bit in the dark about this too. Two years after my cardiac arrest I've recently returned to cycling.

My Bisporolol was only ever 2.5 but recently it's been reduced by my GP to 1.25 and I feel much more alive.

I do use a Polar H10 which is great for monitoring the rides and it seems to take a lot to get my heart rate up, occasionally 145 or so but that's with a short climb. I try to be mindful of the Borg scale bit cycling along talking to myself doesn't come easy!

There seems very little tangible information about how the lower doses of Bisoprolol affect max heart rate, and of course we will all be affected differently.

A massive well done with the weight loss, I'm a bit older than you and certainly have it to lose!