A few years ago I did a max heart rate test for running by doing hill repeats, and came up with a maximum of 187. Never having tested on the bike I just assumed the normal 8-10 bpm less for the bike.
During yesterdays ride a buddy and I had a short sprint to try and hurt each other. When uploading the ride from my Edge to Motionbased, I noticed I had recored a max of 187. I double checked the data to make sure it wasnt a glitch, and sure enough it recorded a steady rise into the 180’s and maxing at 187.
Now obviously I need to recheck my run max as things may have changed, or my earlier test may have been flawed. However in the mean time, I’m curious if anyone has found their run max and bike max heart rate to be the same? Is this unusual? Or would an early assumption be my run max is higher than 187.
Your max is your max…Only variable is whether you can achieve it in a given sport or not. If you can hit 187 on the run, then you can theoretically hit it on the bike and swim…If you can’t, it is usually because of a lack of strenght in that sport. There are bikers that hit higher HR’s on the bike than they do running. IF you can hit your max in both, then you are equally trained in the two sports more than likely. I remember Kenny Souza would hold straight lines on his HR graphs, in his duathlons, and you couldn’t tell if he was running or biking. You should be happy of where you are at, some never get there…
I am not understanding. Are you saying the more well trained you are in a sport the higher you max heart rate will be?
If so I have to disagree. I can’t run worth a darn but compared to others I do very well on the bike. My run max HR is quite a bit above my bike HR. I can go out and do a slow run and my heart rate goes well over BPM which I would have to be KILLING myself to reach on the bike.
I am not understanding. Are you saying the more well trained you are in a sport the higher you max heart rate will be?
No I’m not saying that. WHat I’m saying is that you have one heart, and it has one max…The variables are in which sports you can achieve your hearts max. Typically, the sport in which you came from, you will be able to reach closer to that max. You compare yourself to others, and say you do very well on the bike, but I’m guesing you were not an elite bike racer. I’m talking about elite athletes as a model here, so somewhere in the 53 minute or less 40k bike. I only use elites because that is what most of us strive towards. You may never get there, but it is a good goal to get as close as you can…Typically most people can get higher rates on the run, doesn’t matter if you ar slow or not. You fight gravity and don’t have the mechanical advantage of the bike… It is much rarer that someone gets higher HR’s on the bike, but it happens to some pure cyclists…They have built up over the years the strenght to push themselves to the hearts maxium…The real elite can get to their max racing paces in all the sports, which just means that they have trained well in the 3 sports…
I have hit 195 bpm on both bike and run. Slightly higher on the run by a beat or two.
But my LTHR for run is about 11 bpm higher than on the bike.
Using the Friel method of average HR over the last 20 minutes of an all out 30 minute effort for both bike and run I have the following:
Bike 180 avg.
Run 191 avg.
I also had a VO2 test done a month or so ago on the bike and according to the equipment my bike LTHR was also 180 bpm. So I think the Friel method in my case was pretty accurate.
So the adage of training zones for bike being about 10 bpm lower than run holds true for me, but my MAX hr for both is basically the same.
Keeping my heart rate in the 160-165 range for me on the run is tough, but doing that on the bike is nothing. I can usually maintain 170-174 on the bike for a sustained effort and be OK. On the run and I would be hurting pretty badly, but still running. Also, I’m a much better biker than I am a runner so that says a lot. My most recent max heart rate is 184 which I saw on the bike about 3 months ago. I saw it around 188 but that was 3 years ago.
I wouldnt consider my self a stong cyclist. However, it is my strongest of the 3 disciplines. Usually ride above midpack and run just below. Depending on the field of course. I took up cycling and running together, so it makes sense I am not more dominant is one sport.
I did do a Friel test, recording the last 20 minutes heart rate and came up with 165 average. I really didnt give it much weight as I did it over the Winter on a Computrainer and it was brutal. Knowing I can hold that heart rate much easier outside.
So i’m wondering if using max heart rate is not a good way to calculate my training zones then. I’m currently using the Supercoach program that does most workouts based around heart rate to prepare for Tri101 Woodlands. And then plan on using it again or Coeur D’alene 08.
I found that I can hold about 7 bpm higher in ‘real world’ outside tests than I can on a trainer. Over the winter I did the Friel test and always came up around 172-173 for the bike LTHR. A few weeks after my last winter trainer test I did an outside test and was at 180. A few weeks later did a 29 minute time trial and again was at 181. Then had my VO2 test done and it was at 180.