Heart Rate.. when do you go bang!
Discussion
I know nothing about heart rates.. except a mate of mine looked at my garmin tape and said.. wow, hope you have good insurance!.. it has got me thinking.
How does it work.
I'm 45/46 unfit, I used to smoke 30+ fags a day and drink about 90 units a week, I decided that was that.
I take medication for high BP but its under control. It was off the chart, ( 200/110 ) but now is 130/75 my resting pulse is sub 60,
I gave up fags 6 months ago but immediately put on 18kgs. (90-108) I am 189cm tall.
6 weeks ago I decided I wanted to get fit and lose the weight,
I have given up drinking. I have also stopped eating rubbish and try to stay at or under 2000 cal a day. I have lost 6kgs and are now 102,
I have blown the cobwebs off my bike and got on it. I have started cycling a 30k loop 3 times a week, on the other days a quick 15k loop.
My heart rate showed an average of 153bpm and maxed on the big hills at 184bpm..
Is that bad?.. am i going to blow up?..
I did have an ECG about a year ago and they said it was fine, One time in hospital they gave me the wrong dose of a painkiller straight into my heart and it went in to tachy and it didn't blow up..
what should I expect regarding heart rates.. as you get fitter does it mean it gets lower or that it puts up with more punishment? I feel really good, and I want to achieve my target.. back to 90kgs and fit by the summer.
any sensible advice?
How does it work.
I'm 45/46 unfit, I used to smoke 30+ fags a day and drink about 90 units a week, I decided that was that.
I take medication for high BP but its under control. It was off the chart, ( 200/110 ) but now is 130/75 my resting pulse is sub 60,
I gave up fags 6 months ago but immediately put on 18kgs. (90-108) I am 189cm tall.
6 weeks ago I decided I wanted to get fit and lose the weight,
I have given up drinking. I have also stopped eating rubbish and try to stay at or under 2000 cal a day. I have lost 6kgs and are now 102,
I have blown the cobwebs off my bike and got on it. I have started cycling a 30k loop 3 times a week, on the other days a quick 15k loop.
My heart rate showed an average of 153bpm and maxed on the big hills at 184bpm..
Is that bad?.. am i going to blow up?..
I did have an ECG about a year ago and they said it was fine, One time in hospital they gave me the wrong dose of a painkiller straight into my heart and it went in to tachy and it didn't blow up..
what should I expect regarding heart rates.. as you get fitter does it mean it gets lower or that it puts up with more punishment? I feel really good, and I want to achieve my target.. back to 90kgs and fit by the summer.
any sensible advice?
Your mate is talking complete b
ks. I'm 41, shorter than you and heavier than you, and I regularly hit those sorts of heart rates - both average and peak - when cycling.
You'll see all sorts of differing formulas for calculating your "maximum" heart rate - the simplest being 220 minus your age - but they're all pretty vague. The only thing you can really say with any certainty about maximum heart rate is that, all other things being equal, it will diminish with age for all of us.
Maximum heart rate also doesn't mean the rate at which your heart goes pop. It just means the maximum rate at which your heart can actually manage to contract and expand to push blood round your body.
The heart is a muscle like any other. If you vigorously exercise an already damaged muscle, then it should come as no surprise if it gets damaged further. Exercising perfectly healthy muscles, however, just makes them stronger.
As for what should happen to your heart as you get fitter, yes, it should put up with more punishment. You're unlikely to see your maximum heart rate increase, but it should start to pump more blood on each contraction, so delivering more blood round your body. You will also find that you start to see it dropping back towards your resting heart rate much more quickly as you get fitter, and you may also see your resting heart rate drop as well. Mine has dropped from around 75 to 58-60 since I started cycling again last year.
Sounds like you're doing a cracking job so far, so just carry on and pity your mate for failing to get up to your sort of levels of exertion!
ks. I'm 41, shorter than you and heavier than you, and I regularly hit those sorts of heart rates - both average and peak - when cycling.You'll see all sorts of differing formulas for calculating your "maximum" heart rate - the simplest being 220 minus your age - but they're all pretty vague. The only thing you can really say with any certainty about maximum heart rate is that, all other things being equal, it will diminish with age for all of us.
Maximum heart rate also doesn't mean the rate at which your heart goes pop. It just means the maximum rate at which your heart can actually manage to contract and expand to push blood round your body.
The heart is a muscle like any other. If you vigorously exercise an already damaged muscle, then it should come as no surprise if it gets damaged further. Exercising perfectly healthy muscles, however, just makes them stronger.
As for what should happen to your heart as you get fitter, yes, it should put up with more punishment. You're unlikely to see your maximum heart rate increase, but it should start to pump more blood on each contraction, so delivering more blood round your body. You will also find that you start to see it dropping back towards your resting heart rate much more quickly as you get fitter, and you may also see your resting heart rate drop as well. Mine has dropped from around 75 to 58-60 since I started cycling again last year.
Sounds like you're doing a cracking job so far, so just carry on and pity your mate for failing to get up to your sort of levels of exertion!
First off, well done to the OP for making the effort.
I'm a little older and only a little overweight, have never smoked and rarely drink more than a pint.
I know the machines at the gym are a bit suspect, but I often see over 170BPM when I'm exercising (I started again after I broke my knee and have kept going because I feel better for the exercise). I must admit, I've often wondered if it was a good thing that I hit these numbers and whether it was good to exercise with it in that range, but as it usually drops quickly to around 120 I've decided it's probably ok.
I had my blood pressure taken recently on a visit to A&E and was told it was 'perfect', so I guess I'm reasonably healthy.
M
I'm a little older and only a little overweight, have never smoked and rarely drink more than a pint.
I know the machines at the gym are a bit suspect, but I often see over 170BPM when I'm exercising (I started again after I broke my knee and have kept going because I feel better for the exercise). I must admit, I've often wondered if it was a good thing that I hit these numbers and whether it was good to exercise with it in that range, but as it usually drops quickly to around 120 I've decided it's probably ok.
I had my blood pressure taken recently on a visit to A&E and was told it was 'perfect', so I guess I'm reasonably healthy.
M
I'm 49, same height, ex-smoker & drinker. No exercise until I was 40 and I used to see similar numbers when I started. Max HR is typically 170-180 these days doing HIIT or high rep squats/deadlifts. It's how quickly my pulse returns to normal afterwards is how I gauge my 'fitness'.
Keep up the good work, you'll feel way better for it a month or three down the road.
Keep up the good work, you'll feel way better for it a month or three down the road.
I'm also a similar height/weight, 42 years, don't drink - but do still smoke (yes, I know - not good), but I've been quite regular with running, swimming, cycling (to work, 44 mile round trip) and recently rowing.
Comfortable max HR when running has been around 165bpm, doing the 2k row on wednesday my heart rate stayed around 180bpm from the first minute onwards, with no obviously negative effects.
Main thing is that you're doing the exercise, and getting your diet sorted. And if you aren't feeling any worse at the elevated heart rate, I really can't see why your mate is concerned.
Comfortable max HR when running has been around 165bpm, doing the 2k row on wednesday my heart rate stayed around 180bpm from the first minute onwards, with no obviously negative effects.
Main thing is that you're doing the exercise, and getting your diet sorted. And if you aren't feeling any worse at the elevated heart rate, I really can't see why your mate is concerned.
johnfm said:
90 units a week? That's about 30 pints isn't it??
Jeepers!
bottle of wine and a few beers night after night.. Jeepers!
I feel encouraged by what everyone has to say. and thanks, I will keep at it and hopefully the ceiling will go up a little and the actual will drop as i regain fitness. Have to say its hard work.. but I'm seeing results, When I drop back below 100kg's I will get a real buzz, reckon I could do it within a couple of weeks..
cheers again
How's the diet? That will have a far larger effect than exercise although exercise is critical to the process. Do you have a structured diet?
I'm 31 and there's at least 15 guys who I regularly see and train with who are older than you who can do very impressive things!
A guy I quite ofter train with is 58 and can easily out-lift me and I'm no weakling (5'11 16st).
Don't get too tied up in thinking you're over-the-hill or any such thing, you should be able to achieve a lot if you put your mind too it!
I'm 31 and there's at least 15 guys who I regularly see and train with who are older than you who can do very impressive things!
A guy I quite ofter train with is 58 and can easily out-lift me and I'm no weakling (5'11 16st).
Don't get too tied up in thinking you're over-the-hill or any such thing, you should be able to achieve a lot if you put your mind too it!
Heart rate seems ok to me.
I'm 43 and 102kgs with the same blood pressure issues so on tablets and currently around 130/79, we go to spin classes 3/4 times a week and i max out at 177 which is my max on my heart rate monitor also average is 133bpm
I do only drink on a Saturday though and in general have a decent diet.
I'm 43 and 102kgs with the same blood pressure issues so on tablets and currently around 130/79, we go to spin classes 3/4 times a week and i max out at 177 which is my max on my heart rate monitor also average is 133bpm
I do only drink on a Saturday though and in general have a decent diet.
What about resting heart rates?
I checked mine on one of those phone app things and it's remarkably close at exercising rates to what the gym machines show, but are they all hopelessly inaccurate?
Perhaps I shouldn't be quite so pleased with the rate? Also, is there a rate that's TOO slow? (not that mine's THAT impressive
)
M.
I checked mine on one of those phone app things and it's remarkably close at exercising rates to what the gym machines show, but are they all hopelessly inaccurate?
Perhaps I shouldn't be quite so pleased with the rate? Also, is there a rate that's TOO slow? (not that mine's THAT impressive
)M.
marcosgt said:
What about resting heart rates?
I checked mine on one of those phone app things and it's remarkably close at exercising rates to what the gym machines show, but are they all hopelessly inaccurate?
Perhaps I shouldn't be quite so pleased with the rate? Also, is there a rate that's TOO slow? (not that mine's THAT impressive)
M.
Miguel Indurain managed to lead a fairly active life with a resting heart rate of 28 beats per minute, so I'm guessing yours probably isn't too critically low just yet! I checked mine on one of those phone app things and it's remarkably close at exercising rates to what the gym machines show, but are they all hopelessly inaccurate?
Perhaps I shouldn't be quite so pleased with the rate? Also, is there a rate that's TOO slow? (not that mine's THAT impressive
)M.
JumboBeef said:
After reading the title of this thread, I was expecting to read about heart rates during/after sex 
LOL.. I'm not sure wearing a HRM during sex is a great thing.. it would be interesting though I have to say.. My diet is not structured as of yet.. I just have cut out what I consider to be rubbish, i.e. snacks, crisps, sweets etc, I have introduced a lot more green stuff, like if I want to snack I eat celery and dip it into humous or something, I eat a lot more fish, tuna salads instead of burgers.. although I still treat myself from time to time,
Unfortunately food is one of my passions, most of my posts are currently in the food threads!.. However I weigh myself everyday at the same time, first thing in the morning, I generally as a trend are losing 1kg every week, the first week was like 3, but now its a matter of grams per day and sometimes none,
Now I think the real hard work begins, I want to lose another 12-14 kgs by july. that would be a year since I gave up Fags and want to be 88-90kgs again. the real challenge will be getting below 95, Maybe I will need to consider structuring a diet to achieve this..
My BP issues are separate, I have a hormonal imbalance, too much dopamine and noradrenaline, that is unlikely to ever change so I will always be medicated. I just have to deal with that.
I can understand food being a passion, mine personally is alcohol although I'm not a alcoholic! (drink 1-2 times per week).
I know a foody who eats 'clean' (read good for weight loss) 3-4 days per week and eats his favourite foods on the other days and has got down ~12% body fat.
He has become a expert in making great food (he makes me food and I love it!) and substituting ingredients for more healthy ingredients, believe it or not a lot of bodybuilders are also foodies.
Personally I eat well 5 days a week and eat whatever suits me on the weekend and I'm very lean.
For instance there's lot of healthy substitute foods on sites like this; http://www.uk-muscle.co.uk/recipes/
Exercise and diet are linked in that losing weight relies on both of them and essentially the diet is about 70% of the end result in normal conditions. Exercise can change this if you are willing to do a lot more of it but you'll still reach a point whereby weight loss will go flat until your diet is modified.
Good luck!
Lee
I know a foody who eats 'clean' (read good for weight loss) 3-4 days per week and eats his favourite foods on the other days and has got down ~12% body fat.
He has become a expert in making great food (he makes me food and I love it!) and substituting ingredients for more healthy ingredients, believe it or not a lot of bodybuilders are also foodies.
Personally I eat well 5 days a week and eat whatever suits me on the weekend and I'm very lean.
For instance there's lot of healthy substitute foods on sites like this; http://www.uk-muscle.co.uk/recipes/
Exercise and diet are linked in that losing weight relies on both of them and essentially the diet is about 70% of the end result in normal conditions. Exercise can change this if you are willing to do a lot more of it but you'll still reach a point whereby weight loss will go flat until your diet is modified.
Good luck!
Lee
Kermit power said:
It just means the maximum rate at which your heart can actually manage to contract and expand to push blood round your body.supply oxygen to muscle and vital organs.
The heart is a muscle like any other.
The heart is a muscle like any other.
goldblum said:
No it's not.It's involuntary,myogenic,it's striated like skeletal muscle but is actually slightly different in order to allow more forceful contractions.
If you vigorously exercise an already damaged muscle, then it should come as no surprise if it gets damaged further.goldblum said:
No. You won't be able to 'vigorously' exercise a damaged heart.
Exercising perfectly healthy muscles, however, just makes them stronger.goldblum said:
Not so for the heart as only the left side grows.(Left ventriclar hypertrophy) LVH occurs because this is the side of the heart which is responsible for pumping blood at the highest pressure.Advanced cases of LVH are considered a risk factor for sudden death.
Edited by goldblum on Sunday 25th March 02:40
That's what I said. Or tried to. Or something. Innit.Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff