Heart Rate - bit worried about mine....Advice pls?
Discussion
Chaps/Chapesses,
Went on first proper outing on new steed yesterday, but for the first time, I actually had visibility of my heart rate whilst exercising (got a bargain Cateye V3 on eBay with built in cadence and HR)
Only a 12mile ride, but first half was pure slog up dual carriageway on those uphill and never ending type gradients that dual carriageways tend to have...and it was into a constant headwind.
Middle section was country lane, far more enjoyable, albeit with some pretty steep, but short, hills.
Last section was again carriageway, but this time with a tail wind
When I got home and played with computer, the results were --->
Max heart rate = 198 (yes, not a typo)
Av HR = 171
Calories = 588
Duration = 1hr
Dist = 12.5 miles
(yes, I know, it was a slow ride!...blooming headwind!)
My resting heartrate is about the 81-82 mark, although it seems to jump very quickly into the low 90's. I've measured this at various points in the day/evening for a couple of days. Whilst sitting watching telly last night (deliberately not moving about) over the half-hour, I did see it dip as low as 75 albeit only for a few secs.
I've had the Cateye for 4 days now, and was concerned that perhaps it was reading high, however, my best mate (6'5" and about 16-17st, but pretty CV fit) said his resting was bout the 55-70 mark, and when exercising about the 140 mark (max 150)....so he put on the monitor, sure enough, in a few secs it was reading 62.
My Dad (slight build but doesnt exercise apart from long walks) measured 71-74
My Wife measured 76'ish
I'm 34 and about 77-78kgs, 6-foot exactly. Had my blood pressure measured the other day by Dr, and that's spot on, blood tests showed that blood sugar is fine, cholestoral is "excellent" at 3.6, and all other things they were testing for were also A-OK (bloods taken for something else, coincidentally)
Do I need to be concerned about the max HR? It seems VERY high to me. (I know exercise is most productive at about 70-80% of max). Also, the average seems way higher than I would expect. Going on hols tomorrow, so no time to book another Dr appointment....
Cheers for any help guys,
S
Went on first proper outing on new steed yesterday, but for the first time, I actually had visibility of my heart rate whilst exercising (got a bargain Cateye V3 on eBay with built in cadence and HR)
Only a 12mile ride, but first half was pure slog up dual carriageway on those uphill and never ending type gradients that dual carriageways tend to have...and it was into a constant headwind.
Middle section was country lane, far more enjoyable, albeit with some pretty steep, but short, hills.
Last section was again carriageway, but this time with a tail wind
When I got home and played with computer, the results were --->
Max heart rate = 198 (yes, not a typo)
Av HR = 171
Calories = 588
Duration = 1hr
Dist = 12.5 miles
(yes, I know, it was a slow ride!...blooming headwind!)
My resting heartrate is about the 81-82 mark, although it seems to jump very quickly into the low 90's. I've measured this at various points in the day/evening for a couple of days. Whilst sitting watching telly last night (deliberately not moving about) over the half-hour, I did see it dip as low as 75 albeit only for a few secs.
I've had the Cateye for 4 days now, and was concerned that perhaps it was reading high, however, my best mate (6'5" and about 16-17st, but pretty CV fit) said his resting was bout the 55-70 mark, and when exercising about the 140 mark (max 150)....so he put on the monitor, sure enough, in a few secs it was reading 62.
My Dad (slight build but doesnt exercise apart from long walks) measured 71-74
My Wife measured 76'ish
I'm 34 and about 77-78kgs, 6-foot exactly. Had my blood pressure measured the other day by Dr, and that's spot on, blood tests showed that blood sugar is fine, cholestoral is "excellent" at 3.6, and all other things they were testing for were also A-OK (bloods taken for something else, coincidentally)
Do I need to be concerned about the max HR? It seems VERY high to me. (I know exercise is most productive at about 70-80% of max). Also, the average seems way higher than I would expect. Going on hols tomorrow, so no time to book another Dr appointment....
Cheers for any help guys,
S
spenny_b said:
Max heart rate = 198 (yes, not a typo)
Av HR = 171
Calories = 588
Duration = 1hr
Dist = 12.5 miles
Sounds like your gadget isn't working correctly - or were you really working *that* hard..?Av HR = 171
Calories = 588
Duration = 1hr
Dist = 12.5 miles
IIRC max ideal heart rate is 220 minus your age.
If you're really concerned, see a Doctor.
The rule of thumb for max HR is 220-age so 186 for you. However, it is only an approximation. Among my friends are two people of roughly your age - one can't get their HR over 170 and the other regularly breaks 200.
If you feel OK, you should be OK. If you don't feel OK, go to see a doctor.
If you feel OK, you should be OK. If you don't feel OK, go to see a doctor.
Ok thanks guys,
Yes - at some points I was working *that* hard, BUT, I have to say, my recovery at the end of the ride was very good. Certainly wasn't doubled over, in fact, not *that* out of breath, and didn't feel ill/uncomfortable in any way.
Exercise up until now - erm, not good really...lots of walking with the family, and cycling too, but it is at "family pace" (my Wife has the joy of having our 2.5yr old on the back of her bike, as my MTB is full susp).
Apart from that, no time in gym or even time out fo myself from work/family commitments to run or work out (this purchase is my cunning plan to create time for something I actually enjoy doing). Work is very stressful at the moment, and in fact, a lifestyle (ie, job) change is number 1 topic whilst on hols.
Encouraging to hear that there are others who regularly breaking the 200 BPM mark. Not overly concerned that HRM is faulty, as it was spot on what my mate predicted his should be (he uses Polar HRM's in his gym on a reg basis)
Maybe I'll make best use of the company's private health scheme to get a CV assessment done before I execute any changes....?
Yes - at some points I was working *that* hard, BUT, I have to say, my recovery at the end of the ride was very good. Certainly wasn't doubled over, in fact, not *that* out of breath, and didn't feel ill/uncomfortable in any way.
Exercise up until now - erm, not good really...lots of walking with the family, and cycling too, but it is at "family pace" (my Wife has the joy of having our 2.5yr old on the back of her bike, as my MTB is full susp).
Apart from that, no time in gym or even time out fo myself from work/family commitments to run or work out (this purchase is my cunning plan to create time for something I actually enjoy doing). Work is very stressful at the moment, and in fact, a lifestyle (ie, job) change is number 1 topic whilst on hols.
Encouraging to hear that there are others who regularly breaking the 200 BPM mark. Not overly concerned that HRM is faulty, as it was spot on what my mate predicted his should be (he uses Polar HRM's in his gym on a reg basis)
Maybe I'll make best use of the company's private health scheme to get a CV assessment done before I execute any changes....?
ewenm said:
The rule of thumb for max HR is 220-age so 186 for you. However, it is only an approximation. Among my friends are two people of roughly your age - one can't get their HR over 170 and the other regularly breaks 200.
If you feel OK, you should be OK. If you don't feel OK, go to see a doctor.
I'd echo that.If you feel OK, you should be OK. If you don't feel OK, go to see a doctor.
I'm 31 and I can get 200-205 on demand if I large it doing sprints.
I wouldn't worry so much - everyones different, and sounds like your'e ok.
Its the recovery rate which is the TRUE indicator, in my eyes, of your fitness and state of health.
Interestingly, was speaking to a friend/colleague of mine earlier, telling him my concerns, etc. He's a very keen runner (now in his early 50's), and in his prime, ran alongside the like of Cram, Coe and Ovett (albeit at club level)...a pretty accomplished runner.
He was more concerned about the resting HR, not at all concerned about the max HR - about 20yrs ago, he did one particular 5km run with a HRM attached, which showed he also went v close to 200bpm. In the debrief afterwards, the doctors/physicians described this *sort* of high HR as indicative of being "Chronically Fit"...bizarre, eh?....apparently (paraphrased) the ability of the body to rapidly rise to these sort of pumping levels. Whether in the intervening years the description or condition is now seen differently with advances in medicine and technology, but certainly a good pub brag!!
He said the same as above, generally speaking, the rate of recovery is as good an indicator as anything.
He was more concerned about the resting HR, not at all concerned about the max HR - about 20yrs ago, he did one particular 5km run with a HRM attached, which showed he also went v close to 200bpm. In the debrief afterwards, the doctors/physicians described this *sort* of high HR as indicative of being "Chronically Fit"...bizarre, eh?....apparently (paraphrased) the ability of the body to rapidly rise to these sort of pumping levels. Whether in the intervening years the description or condition is now seen differently with advances in medicine and technology, but certainly a good pub brag!!
He said the same as above, generally speaking, the rate of recovery is as good an indicator as anything.
I got a heart rate monitor and was also out testing it at the weekend. I managed a slightly lower max and about the same average. According to the monitor I was in the top of three zones which is 156-max for 1h 36mins of the 1h 40mins I was out. The instructions said that you should not be in this zone for too long. Im not sure I put much stock in that as I didn't feeel bad at all. I got lost at one point and was dawdling looking for signs and drifted to 156 and didn't feel like I was putting in any effort at all. I figure just watching it and keeping a log will soon show whats normal for me.
The resting heart rate seems like it should be more of a big deal for fitness so I googled about and found this:
http://www.netfit.co.uk/fitness/test/resting-heart...
I tried to see how low I could get by relaxing and thinking about it and went as low as 47 but mostly I am drifting 52 to 61 sitting down but have gone up to 70. It doesnt seem like much of a big thing if you can pick your lowest score over your average but if the chart is to be believed you are average to above average for your age.
The resting heart rate seems like it should be more of a big deal for fitness so I googled about and found this:
http://www.netfit.co.uk/fitness/test/resting-heart...
I tried to see how low I could get by relaxing and thinking about it and went as low as 47 but mostly I am drifting 52 to 61 sitting down but have gone up to 70. It doesnt seem like much of a big thing if you can pick your lowest score over your average but if the chart is to be believed you are average to above average for your age.
Buzz word said:
The resting heart rate seems like it should be more of a big deal for fitness
fitness is normally measured in the time taken for your heart rate to drop back to its resting level following exercise. A crude, but useful measure to assess progress.Be careful on 220-age as a max measure. Works for a subset of the population. Don't want people going tachycardiac now....
Your max HR is nothing to worry about. My friend who I ride with is 45 and a very fit rider and he can hit 194 bpm. I'm the same age as you but only have a max of 188. However my resting HR is lower, around 60.
As you become fitter your resting HR will drop quite a bit and you will also notice your recovery after a hard effort will be a lot quicker. ie. the amount of time it takes your HR to drop back below 100 after near flat out. Your max HR should stay the same, though you'll be working harder to reach it!
I would say for your current level of fitness you are running a bit hard. You would see quicker gains by trying to keep your pace a bit lower, around 160 or even 150 bpm.
As you become fitter your resting HR will drop quite a bit and you will also notice your recovery after a hard effort will be a lot quicker. ie. the amount of time it takes your HR to drop back below 100 after near flat out. Your max HR should stay the same, though you'll be working harder to reach it!
I would say for your current level of fitness you are running a bit hard. You would see quicker gains by trying to keep your pace a bit lower, around 160 or even 150 bpm.
Your resting heart rate is very high. Mines only 55 and max's at around 197. Average over a 20 mile ride is 160.
Tell me, do you find it hard to keep weight on.
I had similar problems a few years ago and I was loosing weight each week, even though I was eating like a pig.
It turned out to be an over active thyroid gland.
I would get yourself checked out by your GP a bit more. He may then want to refer you to a cardiologist (sp).
Tell me, do you find it hard to keep weight on.
I had similar problems a few years ago and I was loosing weight each week, even though I was eating like a pig.
It turned out to be an over active thyroid gland.
I would get yourself checked out by your GP a bit more. He may then want to refer you to a cardiologist (sp).
Edited by westy04 on Tuesday 1st July 08:53
How was your breathing / sweating / vision through the ride. Did you "feel" like you were overworking yourself?
Another one to recommend a GP if you are that bothered, however one specialising in sports science (instead of just writing sick notes for work shy benifit scum, and prescriptions for pensioners) would be benificial.
Another one to recommend a GP if you are that bothered, however one specialising in sports science (instead of just writing sick notes for work shy benifit scum, and prescriptions for pensioners) would be benificial.
Hi guys, sorry for not replying earlier, been on jols for a fortnight.
I actually had a full range of blood tests done a few weeks ago and thyroid was one of them (along with blood/sugar, cholestoral, etc), nothing abnormal and in fact, chol was "excellent" at 3.6.
Sweating - I'm not a "leaker" anyway, but in this ride, certainly nothing abnormal...."glowing" perhaps.
Vision - Yep, fine...the proportion of tarmac versus scenery wasnt as I like it, but hey!
I took my HRM on hols with me (we were doing some family cycling anyway, but actually wanted to see what resting HR was after a good 5/6 days away from the work environment)...Wife went off in despair!
Wait for it...I actually did see it settle between 60 and 70 quite regularly in the evenings (reading a book when fam were in bed). Deliberately didnt have a beer beforehand. I even saw it dip to 55 at one point....What does that tell me I wonder! (being rhetoric)
westy04 said:
Tell me, do you find it hard to keep weight on.
I had similar problems a few years ago and I was loosing weight each week, even though I was eating like a pig.
It turned out to be an over active thyroid gland.
No, I've always struggled to put on weight, but it's never dropped. Recently, started to put on a few pounds, but wifes friends say I look all the better for it (heh heh heh), as I was a bit of a stickman in my teens/20's.I had similar problems a few years ago and I was loosing weight each week, even though I was eating like a pig.
It turned out to be an over active thyroid gland.
I actually had a full range of blood tests done a few weeks ago and thyroid was one of them (along with blood/sugar, cholestoral, etc), nothing abnormal and in fact, chol was "excellent" at 3.6.
mat205125 said:
How was your breathing / sweating / vision through the ride. Did you "feel" like you were overworking yourself?
Breathing was heavy but not distressing, ie not doubled up trying to get my breath.Sweating - I'm not a "leaker" anyway, but in this ride, certainly nothing abnormal...."glowing" perhaps.
Vision - Yep, fine...the proportion of tarmac versus scenery wasnt as I like it, but hey!
I took my HRM on hols with me (we were doing some family cycling anyway, but actually wanted to see what resting HR was after a good 5/6 days away from the work environment)...Wife went off in despair!
Wait for it...I actually did see it settle between 60 and 70 quite regularly in the evenings (reading a book when fam were in bed). Deliberately didnt have a beer beforehand. I even saw it dip to 55 at one point....What does that tell me I wonder! (being rhetoric)
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