MHR - Tips & Suggestions...

[sTrongFuse]

OK, so I am aware that unless I'm prepared to go and get it scientifically measured, my "Maximum" heart rate is always going to be a bit of a least worst estimate.

Two of the more common measures give me the following theoretical maximums:

220 - age = 172 (although getting closer to 171)

211 - (age x 65%) = 180

The maximum my Garmin vivoactive 3 has clocked me at in the last 12 months is 191 and the average maximum I've achieved is 185.

Now, the actual maximum is not something I'm hung up on, we are all unique and generic statistic isn't going to give me more than a ball park. What would help though, is trying to tweak my HR Zones.

The image shows a fairly typical display for one of my runs. My watch calculates HR zones based on the 220-age=172 MHR score. Clearly, I am not actually doing the majority of my running in the 90%-100% (and sometimes higher) zone, as I could carry on a conversation for most of the time I'm running, so can anyone suggest what I might be reasonable zone settings that I should set?

[Sarigne Graduate]

I think I'll have the same question tomorrow. It'll be my first run with the same Garmin, and my heart rate has always been fast for my fitness level (if that makes sense), even when I was a kid and fit. I'm imagining my chart will look similar, despite being able to carry on a conversation through most of it. I'm following this post!

[MarkyD Graduate]

Well if your VivoActive has recorded 191 (and you believe it) then you could try setting that as your maximum heart-rate. The watch will then adjust the other zones. MHR is determined in a lab by getting you to work at increasingly hard levels (normally on a bike or treadmill). At some point you'll be unable to increase the exertion further, and this will be your maximum (sustainable) heartrate. It's a bit like the maximum speed on your car - it may have a 190 mph indicator on the speedo, but in practice at some lower speed the car just won't go any faster, however much you press the accelerator.

[sTrongFuse Graduate in reply to MarkyD]

at's kind of what I've been thinking. I know there's the variant of going flat out for 3 minutes, slowing down to a comfortable pace for three and then go flat out for a final three at which point you should probably reach your maximum but it seems like a bit too much effort to go to just to satisfy a casual curiosity.

The readings that I get may not be entirely accurate but they are pretty consistent from one run to another, so even if my displayed HR isn't my true HR the inaccuracy is a "stable" one, so perhaps a Garmin MHR of 191 equals a "real world" MHR of 171.

[John_W Graduate]

Sounds like a typical glitch for a wrist-based optical HR sensor ... it's called 'cadence lock' and occurs when your watch loses the pulse signal and instead locks onto your cadence and reads that instead.... so something around the 160-190 mark. If that was your HR, then for fit healthy 45-50 yr old (I'm 50) you'd be working VERY hard indeed and probably sprinting ...

You say you were doing a conversational pace? In which case your HR was most likely in the 130-150 bpm range and your reading is almost certainly false. I've had this issue with both my old TomTom Cardio Runner and now my Garmin FR235. And so I've bought a chest strap HR monitor .....

How to rectify? Put the watch slightly higher up (only a cm or inch), go a bit tighter, and wear for 10 mins before starting.

Hope that helps.

[sTrongFuse Graduate in reply to John_W]

I'd considered that but my running cadence is only about 165-170spm and on a typical run, my HR tends to climb quickly to about that level. Mind you, this is the same watch that tells me I have a fitness age of 79, so I'm not losing any sleep over it (not that the watch's sleep monitor would notice if I was losing sleep, but that's another topic for another post...)

The 191 reading did occur during a rugby match, and probably coincided with me having to change direction to keep up with long clearance kick, so it may have been a very short sprint, while I tried to get myself level with play.