Is it safe to exceed maximum heart rate?

[grog]

Hi, I'm 72, pretty fit, bit over weight (BMI 27.4), been doing parkruns for over a year with a PB of 30:48 but my fitbit on these runs regularly shows a heart rate around 170bpm - 22 above my MHR calculation. Is this dangerous?

[benwill Graduate10]

I wouldn't worry about it. I would worry if you have a run that is a lot higher then you are normally. But if each run is about the same then i would suggest that this is your normal HR.

But I am not a doctor and not medically trained so if you would like to be sure go see your doc.

[SlowLoris]

The calculation of 220-age was based on younger athletes. In any case every person is different and will have a different MHR. I agree with benwill. Don't worry about it.

[grog in reply to SlowLoris]

Thanks, I am feeling so fit and well since running ver past year, I wasn't particularly worried, more puzzled by the maximum heart rate idea.

[Bazza1234 Graduate10]

The standard formula 220-age is now fairly well discredited - not because it is incorrect , but it was only ever meant to be an average assessment. For example, 50% of people are of below average intelligence and 50% are above it! I am of similar age, BMI and 5K PB to you and my recorded peak HR at the end of hard parkruns where I really go all out over the last 200 metres are all around 164. My supposed maxHR as calculated by my Doctor is 149 I have run 10K races at an average HR of 149 for over an hour. So obviously my max HR is much more than 149!!

[grog in reply to Bazza1234]

Cheers Bazza1234, it's good to hear of someone with the same stats and you have explained a lot. Happy running.

[martinhermanus]

I had the same question the correct answer is ... heart rate is not the main concern but the rate at which the heart rate falls is the issue ... I read somewhere that your heart rate needs to fall by 20 beats in the first minute after stopping exercise. The issue is the decline in your heart rate. Check that it does not stay at 170 bpm. My max heart rate on a 5 km for the last 100 m is 189 ... I try and keep it below 185 ... my average park run the previous week was 168. I am 54 year old male. I heard that one should train around 180 less age which for me would be 126

[hicorrie]

Here’s a link to a good short piece on old vs new heart rate caculcations. A better calc is 211 - .64 x age. I’m 51 and that one gets me within a point of the heart rate I’ve experienced maxing out to during a very hard training.

The NYT article: well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014...