Hear Rate .... how accurate

[Vetseun]

I started a new program, yesterday I had to do an interval session. Had to be @ 80% of max heart rate. Problem is at 80% of my calculated heart rate I was cruising.Intervals should hurt, this was a joke. Could have stayed in that zone for hours. I used the 220 minus your age calculation to determine my max, I now seriously doubt if it is accurate.

Some opinions would be greatly appreciated

[River Rat]

Sorry what was that?

[rouxtjie]

Depends, for basic endurance...80% is right, but for threshold endurance intervals(to increase aerobic capacity )....you are off

 

What interval type were you doing?

[AfreekduSoet]

If you have to guesstimate a max hr, there is another formula...

 

MaxHR = 208 - Age * 0.7

[River Rat]

Here's another one:

 

New Mathematical Formula Age/Weight Predicted Maximum Heart Rate

Males: 210 minus 1/2 your age minus 5% of your body weight + 4

Females: 210 minus - 1/2 your age minus 1% of your body weight + 0

 

Let me give you an example. I am 50 years old and weight 130 pounds. My arithmetic formula then would be as follows:

 

210 - 25 (50% x 50 years) minus 1.3 + 0 (female) = Max HR of 183 bpm

 

That's fairly close (within 10 beats) of my actually tested maximum heart rate which is 193 bpm.

 

If you ever go to an athletic club or gym and see the Max HR charts you have to be cautious. They aren't very accurate. Maximum heart rate is genetically determined, it simply isn't going to decrease according to those charts.

 

 

A few tips about Max HR which you may be curious about. It's altitude sensitive and increases as you go higher and it also is affected by drugs such as beta blocks and even antihistamines. It cannot be increased by training and a high Max HR does not predict better performance.

 

Extract from http://www.howtobefit.com/five-heart-rate-zones.htm

Edited January 6, 2011 by River Rat

[Vetseun]

Pyramid, 1 min at 80% 1 min rest, 2 min at 80%, 1 min rest 3 min at 80% then recover.

I have always always owned a HR Monitor but have never approached training with it. Our cycling coach used to moer us with a cane he didnt believe in HR training, but thats probably why he died of old age.

Depends, for basic endurance...80% is right, but for threshold endurance intervals(to increase aerobic capacity )....you are off

 

What interval type were you doing?

[Vetseun]

Brilliant thanks

Here's another one:

 

New Mathematical Formula Age/Weight Predicted Maximum Heart Rate

Males: 210 minus 1/2 your age minus 5% of your body weight + 4

Females: 210 minus - 1/2 your age minus 1% of your body weight + 0

 

Let me give you an example. I am 50 years old and weight 130 pounds. My arithmetic formula then would be as follows:

 

210 - 25 (50% x 50 years) minus 1.3 + 0 (female) = Max HR of 183 bpm

 

That's fairly close (within 10 beats) of my actually tested maximum heart rate which is 193 bpm.

 

If you ever go to an athletic club or gym and see the Max HR charts you have to be cautious. They aren't very accurate. Maximum heart rate is genetically determined, it simply isn't going to decrease according to those charts.

 

 

A few tips about Max HR which you may be curious about. It's altitude sensitive and increases as you go higher and it also is affected by drugs such as beta blocks and even antihistamines. It cannot be increased by training and a high Max HR does not predict better performance.

 

Extract from http://www.howtobefit.com/five-heart-rate-zones.htm

[SeaBee]

Age-based formulas (whichever one you use) are useless.

 

My max according to that lies somewhere in my upper zone 3 for my measured max.

[The Guy in Pink]

I started a new program, yesterday I had to do an interval session. Had to be @ 80% of max heart rate. Problem is at 80% of my calculated heart rate I was cruising.Intervals should hurt, this was a joke. Could have stayed in that zone for hours. I used the 220 minus your age calculation to determine my max, I now seriously doubt if it is accurate.

Some opinions would be greatly appreciated

The formula 220 - age is OK for those who have lead sedantary lives.

I was tested at Crown mines Human Research lab in 1970 Max HR then 188bpm

To day I still get over 180Bpm in training if the motivation is right and 190bpm in races.

So in 40 years my max has stayed much the same. But then I have trained for most of those years.

If you use it you don't lose it.

[SwissVan]

Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....

 

At the risk of repeating what may have already been said.

 

DETERMINING MAX HR FROM A FORMULA CAN BE INACCURATE.

 

TO BE 100% SURE YOU SHOULD DETERMINE YOUR MAX HR YOU SHOULD DO A MAX HR TEST.

 

Or you could do LT test and base your training zones around that, this method is a little less stressful on your gaskets.

[rouxtjie]

Pyramid, 1 min at 80% 1 min rest, 2 min at 80%, 1 min rest 3 min at 80% then recover.

I have always always owned a HR Monitor but have never approached training with it. Our cycling coach used to moer us with a cane he didnt believe in HR training, but thats probably why he died of old age.

I normally do pyramids for threshold endurance intervals(85-89% of max), then you cough copper blood...trust me

 

The HR level you are doing there = basic endurance, and yes it should feel like you are cruising(75-85% of max)

 

And then i also do overload endurance and lactate production intervals(90-100%) which is where i want to slip into a coma but that's another story

Edited January 6, 2011 by rouxtjie

[cosborne]

Bloody Agent that 80% thing seems a bit dodge- that would make my heart rate far too low as well.

[Spinnekop]

Agree with all above.

Age rated is crap.

 

Go test yourself.....do some searches and have a look at how to determine your MaxHR yourself!

 

Good luck.

 

[rouxtjie]

I dont think there is anything wrong with your max hr calculation, dont expect to train aerobic capacity at 80%, you looking at between 85 and 89%...that is where the fun starts

[Vetseun]

Now that sounds eina

I dont think there is anything wrong with your max hr calculation, dont expect to train aerobic capacity at 80%, you looking at between 85 and 89%...that is where the fun starts

[MTB_Roadie]

I been told by some elites....how you determine your max Heartrate, you cycle as fast as possible up a steep climb till you can't anymore, at that moment you stop....then that is your max Heart Rate....

 

Formulas don't work, according to cualculations mine is around 193...i can go way over if I push myself hard up a hill or a sprint

Edited January 6, 2011 by MTB_Roadie