I have never actually gotten around to trying to find out what my max heart rate is until last weekend when we went to the mountains(4500ft). There were a ton of good hills so I decided to give it a whirl and find out. Best I could manage was 172. At 31 the 220-age puts me at 189. What gives? I know it's not all that accurate of a formula but 17 bpm is a huge spread. Is it possible that something is wrong with me or is this kind of spread not uncommon? For what it's worth I was difinately not tired or overtrained before the test if anything it would be the opposite. I have never seen my heart rate get out of the 160's before but I just thought it was because I was not trying to find out what my max was. Anyone have any thoughts?
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Re: My max heart rate is scary low [weak]
[ In reply to ]
I would say don't worry about it. Some people have a higher MHR than others. I believe that it is Spencer Smith who also has a relatively low one. He has done OK with it, hasn't he?
Re: My max heart rate is scary low [weak]
[ In reply to ]
certainly at the low end, but by itself not much to worry about. Standard deviation of HR max is +/- 15, which means that 2/3 of the population are withing 220 - age +/- 15, with the rest being outside of that. You're certainly close to that.
Of course, make sure you did hit your 'true' max. How'd ya do it?
Josef
Josef
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blog
Of course, make sure you did hit your 'true' max. How'd ya do it?
Josef
Josef
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blog
Re: My max heart rate is scary low [weak]
[ In reply to ]
Re: My max heart rate is scary low [jonny dough]
[ In reply to ]
Ahhhh a new formula...that's just as wrong as the original formula but for a different set of people.
~Matt
~Matt
Re: My max heart rate is scary low [MJuric]
[ In reply to ]
can you explain? i know that the formulas are only estimates and you would have to do testing to actually get your max but you said that both formula produce the wrong answers, so besides testing what should we be using?
ishi no ue ni san nen | Perseverance will win in the end. | Blog | @nebmot | Strava | Instagram |
ishi no ue ni san nen | Perseverance will win in the end. | Blog | @nebmot | Strava | Instagram |
Re: My max heart rate is scary low [JoB]
[ In reply to ]
I ran up a long hill as fast as I could until I had to stop and walk. Basically it was up and down non stop for about 4.5 miles and I pushed as hard as I could.
Re: My max heart rate is scary low [weak]
[ In reply to ]
first of all, 4500' is not mountains and at that altitude it will not impact anything. As for the low max heart rate, is not that important. Its all about VO2 max and LT. My MHR is 145. Its funny to see when I'm at the club pounding away at a 7:00 minute mile on the treadmill and my heart rate is 130-133. People think I must be really fast but a 7:00 minute mile is a really good effort.
Re: My max heart rate is scary low [summitt]
[ In reply to ]
It's mountains when you live at 500 ft. The reason I posted the altitude was so no one would think I was running in Denver or somewhere high enough that the o2 would actually be a factor. Don't know why it bothers me but for some reason I feel like a wimp with my low max hr
Re: My max heart rate is scary low [weak]
[ In reply to ]
I bet in a competitive situation you could top that...
Re: My max heart rate is scary low [weak]
[ In reply to ]
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Re: My max heart rate is scary low [ms6073]
[ In reply to ]
Re: My max heart rate is scary low [ms6073]
[ In reply to ]
i'd say don't worry much about it. i kinda freaked when i found my hr was a bit higher than normal...205. but there's really nothing you can do about it. it's genetic.
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70.3 is the cousin to OD........ Ironman has no relatives! -Simon Lessing
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70.3 is the cousin to OD........ Ironman has no relatives! -Simon Lessing
Re: My max heart rate is scary low [jonny dough]
[ In reply to ]
Both poduce wrong answers for a different people. IOW one formula might work for one group and the other formula may work for another. Neither will work for everyone.
"so besides testing what should we be using? "
IMO nothing. The ONLY accurate method is testing. Sure 220-Age or 205- (1/2 age) may be accurate enough (I was going to put work here but it really doesn't work for anyone just is less off for some than others) for 75% of the population, but what happens if you're in the 25%. You won't know until you test.
I happen to be in the 25%, 36 yrs old and have seen HR as high as 201-203 as recent as last year. One formula would put me at 187 the other at 184. Doing a track workout the other day I hit 192 at something less than 100% effort. It was HOT though.
~Matt
"so besides testing what should we be using? "
IMO nothing. The ONLY accurate method is testing. Sure 220-Age or 205- (1/2 age) may be accurate enough (I was going to put work here but it really doesn't work for anyone just is less off for some than others) for 75% of the population, but what happens if you're in the 25%. You won't know until you test.
I happen to be in the 25%, 36 yrs old and have seen HR as high as 201-203 as recent as last year. One formula would put me at 187 the other at 184. Doing a track workout the other day I hit 192 at something less than 100% effort. It was HOT though.
~Matt
Re: My max heart rate is scary low [weak]
[ In reply to ]
Heart rate does not matter. The power you produce aty any given heart rate is what matters.
I have a low heart rate too. The older I get, the more it drops. I am pretty sure that my current max is 173-174 (I am 41). I am going pretty darn hard in the 150's and about as hard as I can go in the mid 160's. It might take the top of a hard climb on a hot day to find that 173-174.
I have a low heart rate too. The older I get, the more it drops. I am pretty sure that my current max is 173-174 (I am 41). I am going pretty darn hard in the 150's and about as hard as I can go in the mid 160's. It might take the top of a hard climb on a hot day to find that 173-174.
So what's the best way for test? Doing stress tests? My hr on the run is ~200 and on the bike it's 190. So what methods do you use to estimate zones? Percentages of of max hr? I calculated my lthr to be ~ 164bpm but I don't put much credance towards to that. I w/flower my avg hr was 166bpm with no problems.