Maximum heart rate

[Curlygurly2]

I recently took part in some medical research which included wearing a heart rate monitor and movement detector for 6 days. I was surprised to see in my results that during what was fairly easy running my heart rate gets up to about 164 BPM. Does this seem a bit high?

[ViaM]

Not to me, that's my hear rate when I run at an easy pace too, it goes up to 175+ when I go up a hill.

[Curlygurly2 Graduate10 in reply to ViaM]

Thanks, that's good to hear I thought the formula was 220 minus your age, then you don't want to exceed 80% of that figure...that would be around 130 for me....

[ViaM in reply to Curlygurly2]

Have a read: runnersworld.com/ask-the-sp... - I think we might be the "older subjects" in the study mentioned?

I have given up with my HR monitor, it tells me to stop moving and go and sit on the sofa or else my heart will blow up

[Rainbowsmurf in reply to ViaM]

The machines in the gym do that to me too.

Hasn't happened so far.

[ju-ju- Graduate10 in reply to Curlygurly2]

I've never been that on a run!!!

[dagshar]

Sounds ok to me. On an easyish run my average is between 150-155 and max HR between 160-165. On a hard run like some of my trail events in the autumn, my average was 160-165 and max was 171-176. I always used to get my heart rate up and get out if breath really quickly, but I know it has improved a lot over the past year. I would like to get the average on a slow run to below 150 though as those runs should still be slower too.

[AdamB Graduate10]

Seems fine to me. On an easy run this morning I averaged 130 and peaked at 158. On my last parkrun I averaged 165 and peaked at 178. According to the formulas my max HR ought to be 158 or 164 (depends which formula you choose). The point is, the formulas are only typical and we are all individuals. The formula covers such a wide age range too. I suspect that it's a little simplistic. To get your own individual maximum heart rate accurately, you should really go and have a stress test. These tend to cost money though and also really take it out of you (I know of someone who had their heart attack during the stress test...)

I've given up worrying about my heart rate. I feel fine when I'm supposed to be over my maximum. What's of more concern though is when my HRM keeps telling me that I've snuffed it. I just can't work out why I'm still walking around when the electronics assures me that I've had a zero heart rate for the past 30 minutes

[Curlygurly2 Graduate10 in reply to AdamB]

What is a stress test? I Googled it and the answers I got were all to do with anxiety...As part of this research I had to walk then run on a treadmill where the speed and incline gradually increased. Then I had to sprint for 30 seconds. I was scared I'd fall off, I don't like treadmills since I trod on my shoe lace and went flying years ago...I got a printout of the results of that test but have no idea how to interpret it.

Sadly the research to place when I was still suffering that lurgy so I expect the results are a bit skewed.

I feel fine when I'm running so I shall not worry about it.

I did get my VO2 Max fitness level - 34.0 Any idea if that's good or bad?

OOH! I just Googled, for my age anything over 31 is excellent!

[AdamB Graduate10 in reply to Curlygurly2]

Sorry - I was using stress test as shorthand for a "maximal aerobic fitness test", which is one way of getting your VO2max. Basically, they get you to run on a treadmill and keep upping the speed until you are going flat out for 4 to 6 minutes and then fall over. There are other ways of doing it using a sub-maximal heart rate and then estimating, which are probably safer.

Just make sure that the lab has a defibrillator handy if you want to go the maximal aerobic fitness route. Things don't go wrong usually, but have been known to. It's for the same reason that I'm vary wary about how hard I push myself on a beep test.

[Curlygurly2 Graduate10 in reply to AdamB]

Ah yes, they told me about these when I was doing the research. They do them with the runner in a harness attached to the ceiling! They did mine by getting me to rest under a special hood that measures your resting use of oxygen. Then I had to run on a treadmill until I reached my maximum heart rate. I'm going to email them to ask them how to interpret my result. I know I had to run longer and faster than my husband to get my rate up.

[AnnieW55]

I gave up worrying a long time ago as mine has always been high. This to the point that being a few weeks away from riding Le Etape du Tour, after months of training on my bike and in the gym, my gym reckoned I was as fit as a couch potato based on my heart rate from some tests they ran. My absolute maximum, based on age, should be 159 but I've often been up at 180+ without feeling as though I'm overdoing it (I don't look at my monitor until I upload onto my computer - and don't wear it very often anyway).

[AncientMum Graduate10]

How interesting to have that sort of information, Sarah. Think I may have to go on the treadmill at the gym when my asthma's better to get an idea of my heart rate. Have absolutely no idea what mine is. I know my resting blood pressure is very low for my age but don't know how that affects exercise heart rate. Do you know your resting bp and heart rate?

[Curlygurly2 Graduate10 in reply to AncientMum]

My resting heart rate is abut 66, they didn't do the BP test properly and it came out as 117/84, I'm usually a bit lower than that. I was not supposed to move or speak during the test but my top was tight so I had to take it off - then the male researcher came in to ask a question lol!

[davelinks Graduate10]

Resting hr on waking is 52bpm, On my easy run which is about 1.6k downhill, and the rest flat to 5k I average 133bpm then peaks at 142bpm, so, ticking over for me. Club runs a tad more strenuous, it goes well into the 150s..😅 this is what c25k has done for me, and still room for gradual improvement, would like to get back into some swimming curly, so that swimming website you put on will come in handy. Thanks

[ju-ju- Graduate10]

Mine does the same!!!