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Max Heart Rate

mcgowanc

Monkey
Jan 22, 2004
202
0
Boulder CO
I just got a new polar heart rate monitor/computer for my bike. I didnt have all the sensors installed on my bike - but I wore the heart rate monitor .. I went on mtb ride, pushed myself a bit but nothing crazy, never felt like I was going to puke or anything. When I got home I was checking out the details - Max heart rate = 232 ... seems a little high ... does anyone else see max heart rates that high?
 

chicodude

The Spooninator
Mar 28, 2004
1,054
2
Paradise
mcgowanc said:
I just got a new polar heart rate monitor/computer for my bike. I didnt have all the sensors installed on my bike - but I wore the heart rate monitor .. I went on mtb ride, pushed myself a bit but nothing crazy, never felt like I was going to puke or anything. When I got home I was checking out the details - Max heart rate = 232 ... seems a little high ... does anyone else see max heart rates that high?

That's pretty damn high. Like, unhealthy type high.

I hit 210 once and I about passed out.
 

Heidi

Der hund ist laut und braun
Aug 22, 2001
10,184
797
Bend, Oregon
You probably got interferance with something. That used to happen to me in the same spot when I'd ride around Fiesta Island in San Diego.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,232
20,015
Sleazattle
My HR monitor goes nuts when the air is dry and my shirt is all staticy. A little sweat cures that problem.
 

SK6

Turbo Monkey
Jul 10, 2001
7,586
0
Shut up and ride...
mcgowanc said:
I just got a new polar heart rate monitor/computer for my bike. I didnt have all the sensors installed on my bike - but I wore the heart rate monitor .. I went on mtb ride, pushed myself a bit but nothing crazy, never felt like I was going to puke or anything. When I got home I was checking out the details - Max heart rate = 232 ... seems a little high ... does anyone else see max heart rates that high?
You should call a doctor, and have them test your heart. before I started working out, I was hugely out of shape with BAD cholesterol and high BP, and mine NEVER got THAT high....

You need to have it seriously looked at.
 

douglas

Chocolate Milk Doug
May 15, 2002
9,887
6
Shut up and Ride
my heart would explode @ 232.......actually it's pretty close to exploding @ 180

mine came w/a little rubber handle bar mount thingy so I constantly can see how lazy I am
 

narlus

Eastcoast Softcore
Staff member
Nov 7, 2001
24,658
63
behind the viewfinder
Westy said:
My HR monitor goes nuts when the air is dry and my shirt is all staticy. A little sweat cures that problem.
maybe silk isn't the best option for a riding shirt fabric.

a max rate of 232 is definitely electrical interference. unless you are a hummingbird w/ a crack habit.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,232
20,015
Sleazattle
narlus said:
maybe silk isn't the best option for a riding shirt fabric.

a max rate of 232 is definitely electrical interference. unless you are a hummingbird w/ a crack habit.

Not silk but velvet. I ride exclusively ensconced in velvet.
 

mcgowanc

Monkey
Jan 22, 2004
202
0
Boulder CO
Westy said:
Not silk but velvet. I ride exclusively ensconced in velvet.
mmmmm velvet :)) seems like the perfect active fabric..

my heart does weird things once in a while .. so it could have been that ... does more of a triple beat kinda thing ... but hopefully it was interference :)
 

narlus

Eastcoast Softcore
Staff member
Nov 7, 2001
24,658
63
behind the viewfinder
i wonder what the highest measured heart rate is? i've dropped a few beats...about ten years ago i think i got to 190, now the highest i've managed is 182.
 

WarEagle2K

Chimp
Feb 28, 2005
92
0
Tucson, AZ
I don't know if that number is a default when the connection goes away. But on a lot of my rides, when I check the data, it sometimes says my max hr is 233. I have never been about 207 and if I did, I don't think I would have been standing.
 

mcgowanc

Monkey
Jan 22, 2004
202
0
Boulder CO
douglas said:
my heart would explode @ 232.......actually it's pretty close to exploding @ 180

mine came w/a little rubber handle bar mount thingy so I constantly can see how lazy I am
haha yeah - mine has a mount - but I installed it on my road bike - thinking I would be riding it more than the mtb .. so I just grabbed the computer part and threw it in my back pocket. -- Waiting to get the extra harness/cad/speed stuff to come in .. then I can see how far i have gone .. I dont know if that is a good thing or not :))
 

mcgowanc

Monkey
Jan 22, 2004
202
0
Boulder CO
mcgowanc said:
mmmmm velvet :)) seems like the perfect active fabric..

my heart does weird things once in a while .. so it could have been that ... does more of a triple beat kinda thing ... but hopefully it was interference :)
I think I have managed 190ish .. aside from yesterday's ride :))
but I do not regualarly ride with a monitor .. I think I am hooked
 

narlus

Eastcoast Softcore
Staff member
Nov 7, 2001
24,658
63
behind the viewfinder
ok...during the spin classes i've done for the past couple of months or so, i haev found it increasingly difficult to get my heart rate to it's previous maximum...the highest i've seen is 182, but usually it is in the 176-178 range as a max.

anyway, even under heavy effort, i've found that my rate wants to stay in the 160s; it takes a big big effort to get it in the 170s and i find my legs are the limiting factor at that point.

any thoughts on this? is it normal? Should i be doing/trying anything different?
 

geargrrl

Turbo Monkey
May 2, 2002
2,379
1
pnw -dry side
one thing I've just found out about HRMs is that sometimes you have to override the factory settings. When you set it up - you know how you enter age, weight, sex and it establishes your zone percentages? Those settings are typically for out of shape people.

I just replaced my batteries and I was getting all sorts of wacked out numbers - how could I possibley be at 93% and I wasn't working that hard? I had a long talk with the trainer at the gym, and he's saying I need to establish my personal threshold and then do custom settings.

Not sure what this has to do with super high readings, but I thought it was interesting.

geargrrl
 

narlus

Eastcoast Softcore
Staff member
Nov 7, 2001
24,658
63
behind the viewfinder
geargrrl said:
one thing I've just found out about HRMs is that sometimes you have to override the factory settings. When you set it up - you know how you enter age, weight, sex and it establishes your zone percentages? Those settings are typically for out of shape people.
first off. i *am* out of shape (although not as bad as i was two months ago). 2nd, i've got no settings to program. my HRM is basic. just HR read out in real time, total exercise time, and avg HR.
 

Cant Climb

Turbo Monkey
May 9, 2004
2,683
10
narlus said:
anyway, even under heavy effort, i've found that my rate wants to stay in the 160s; it takes a big big effort to get it in the 170s and i find my legs are the limiting factor at that point.

any thoughts on this? is it normal? Should i be doing/trying anything different?

it sounds like your tired........if you have been doing alot of hard efforts, which most spinning classes are, than you could be suffering from muscalar fatigue. This time of year your should be doing almost all LSD (long slow distance) work just focusing on stamina and increasing the capilary growth in your muscles. If you do intervals i would only do them once per week, you could do that at your spinning class......

if you want to keep doing the spinning classes focus more on very high resistances - this will work you pedalling muscles and strenghten them but do them in a reasonable aerobic HR. To get speed work do sprint for no more than 20 seconds at time.....this should keep you muscles from getting flooded with lactic acid......
 

Bikecrasher

Monkey
Sep 24, 2002
127
0
Tacoma, Wa
Max HR is different for everyone, although that seems a bit high (232). If used correctly, a HR monitor can be the best investment for fitness (not including a bike) for the price.
Pick up "The Heart Rate Monitor Book for Cyclist" by Sally Edwards for a good intro. Kinda boring, but worth the $18 to use your HR monitor correctly. I think the max I've pegged my HR is 201, across the finish line at Durango (DH) a couple years back.
 

mistermoto

Chimp
Feb 7, 2006
9
0
arizona
was 203 after a wicked fast climby ride on my SS a couple of months ago. Usually though my max for most rides is about 185 or so.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,031
7,549
Bikecrasher said:
Max HR is different for everyone, although that seems a bit high (232)
it could be normal for him.

take this, for example: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=99308 . study population is similar to ridemonkey, i bet (recreational hockey players), and in this study 75% of the subjects had maximum heart heart rates greater than that predicted by their age (roughly 220-age).

to the original poster: what's your resting heart rate?
 

GrapeApe79

Monkey
Sep 22, 2005
338
0
Issaquah, WA
narlus said:
ok...during the spin classes i've done for the past couple of months or so, i haev found it increasingly difficult to get my heart rate to it's previous maximum...the highest i've seen is 182, but usually it is in the 176-178 range as a max.

anyway, even under heavy effort, i've found that my rate wants to stay in the 160s; it takes a big big effort to get it in the 170s and i find my legs are the limiting factor at that point.

any thoughts on this? is it normal? Should i be doing/trying anything different?
This is actually a good thing and is a sign of you getting in better shape. Your maximum may have changed and the only way to really figure out your TRUE maximum is to go get a VO2 MAX test. You can sign up for one at most health clubs and some physical therapy clinics.
 

Zilla

Chimp
Aug 20, 2004
55
0
Dreaming
When I first started monitoring my heart rate, I was at the gym and my heart rate was well off of the chart, so I went to a cardiologist. Other than running on the treadmill without a bra, the test was fairly simple and painless! And I left with the assurance that despite my unusually high heartrate during exercise, my heart was beating correctly and I was in relatively good shape. After that I had no excuses!!!

When I got my Polor (725i?) heartrate monitor, sometimes the readings were very whacky. I called Polar customer service, and they were able to explain the causes for the problems. Basically, it was user error! I would definately recommend both getting an exam by a cardiologist and calling Polar. You don't want to take any chances with your heart :-)
 

mcgowanc

Monkey
Jan 22, 2004
202
0
Boulder CO
Toshi said:
it could be normal for him.

take this, for example: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=99308 . study population is similar to ridemonkey, i bet (recreational hockey players), and in this study 75% of the subjects had maximum heart heart rates greater than that predicted by their age (roughly 220-age).

to the original poster: what's your resting heart rate?
I think it is about somewhere between 58 - 60. But I have never done the full, sleep with the heart rate monitor and check it as soon as I wake up method.
 

douglas

Chocolate Milk Doug
May 15, 2002
9,887
6
Shut up and Ride
narlus said:
ok...during the spin classes i've done for the past couple of months or so, i haev found it increasingly difficult to get my heart rate to it's previous maximum...the highest i've seen is 182, but usually it is in the 176-178 range as a max.

anyway, even under heavy effort, i've found that my rate wants to stay in the 160s; it takes a big big effort to get it in the 170s and i find my legs are the limiting factor at that point.
Hmm, sounds just like me. Sometimes I wonder if I just cant push myself enough??

but.....I always do the elipitical at the gym, and I also always look at the peoples machines next to me, and I have yet to see someone match my calories (burned) so I cant totally suck
 

geargrrl

Turbo Monkey
May 2, 2002
2,379
1
pnw -dry side
I just did a worthwhile hr seminar at our gym last night. One of the things they brought up is "adaptation" that being when you adapt to the level of effort, and then you have to ramp up your effort in order to achieve that level of exertion in order to progress. Sounds like you've "adapted". It's the same idea as if you are doing weights and you have to increase your work load as your muscles develop.
 

stephanie

Monkey
Dec 7, 2005
308
0
East County via East Coast
this could just be me, but....

i received a polar hr monitor (the smaller, female version) for christmas, and it was reading my heart rate as about 20 bpm too high. the old take-your-wrist-pulse confirmed that (now, i know that's not the most accurate method, but still).

i brought it back and exchanged it for a nike hr monitor, and now it's much more realistic. i really don't think that 232 is accurate.
 

Wumpus

makes avatars better
Dec 25, 2003
8,161
153
Six Shooter Junction
stephanie said:
oh, and having your max hr decrease over time is actually good

Do you have some research to back that up? Staying fit slows the age induced decline of your maximum heart rate.

Maximum Heart Rate (also called MHR, or HRmax) is the maximum heart rate that a person can achieve during maximal physical exertion. Research indicates it is most closely linked to a person's age; a person's HRmax will decline as they age. Some research indicates the speed at which it declines over time is related to fitness - the more fit a person is, the slower it declines as they age.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_rate#Maximum_Heart_Rate_.28MHR.2C_HRmax.29
CALCULATING YOUR MAXIMUM HEART RATE (MHR)

Interest in the MHR is based on the fact that it is a readily available surrogate for VO2max, the gold standard for assessing exercise capacity and designing training programs.

Just as we all vary in height and body habitus, everyone has their own personal maximum heart rate genetically "hardwired". Our maximum heart rate also decreases approximately one bpm (beat per minute) per year. The average MHR of a teenager is 220 beats per minute, but this may vary +/- 11 beats from the average (209-231 bpm). For example, a 40 year old who would be expected to have a MHR of 180 (220-40) could vary from 169 to 191 for his or her own personal MHR.

Another key point is maximum heart rates are "sport specific" i.e. they vary from one sport to another. For a given rate of oxygen consumption, weight bearing activities such as running raise the heart rate more than cycling (part of your weight is supported by the bike). So you cannot use your maximum heart rate from running to plan a cycling training program without risking overtraining.

One of the following two approaches can be used to determine your MHR for cycling. The first is more accurate and the one I prefer. There can be marked discrepancies between the estimated MHR and real life results (up to 5% of the population can have heart rates 20 beats above or below the ESTIMATED figure). And if you are in shape, the typical decline of one beat per minute per year doesn't always hold.


*Warm up thoroughly. On a long, steady hill increase effort every minute for at least 5 minutes until you can't go any faster. Then sprint for 15 seconds. Check your heart rate at its maximum for a full 30 seconds and double the number. Similar results can be obtained on a stationary trainer.

*220 minus your age in years. A rough figure and much less accurate than the on bike approach.

The only limit to the length of time one can ride at 100% of their MHR is personal discomfort. This level of activity does not "strain" the heart muscle or have other harmful effects on the heart itself. Although this level of activity might be considered in a competitive race or event for a short sprint, maximizing the benefits of a training program is the result of a mixture of recovery and hard days (see below). As the time you can hold 100% MHR is considerably shorter than the time you can ride at 84-90% MHR, the art of racing is finding the right mix to get you to the finish line first. Most competitive athletes train at their lactate threshold (84-90% of their MHR).