Heart rate??
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Discussion

torqueofthedevil

Original Poster:

2,088 posts

206 months

Saturday 7th January 2017
quotequote all
Does it tend to go higher for the same level of effort after a few weeks off / christmas excesses? Just been on a ride and I really struggle to keep it out of zone 4 and 5! About 40 miles and nearly 4000ft. Hills I keep my cadence high but even on just long false flats - maybe 3% incline, after a few minutes my HR rises from about zone 3.5 to 5+.

Do I just need to get fitter or do some people just naturally go into a higher HR zone as they exercise?

I never go into the "anaerobic" zone for more than a few seconds (on Strava - I presume this relates to about zone 5.5 or 6??) but I spend the majority in tempo and threshold.

okgo

42,085 posts

227 months

Saturday 7th January 2017
quotequote all
torqueofthedevil said:
Does it tend to go higher for the same level of effort after a few weeks off / christmas excesses? Just been on a ride and I really struggle to keep it out of zone 4 and 5! About 40 miles and nearly 4000ft. Hills I keep my cadence high but even on just long false flats - maybe 3% incline, after a few minutes my HR rises from about zone 3.5 to 5+.

Do I just need to get fitter or do some people just naturally go into a higher HR zone as they exercise?

I never go into the "anaerobic" zone for more than a few seconds (on Strava - I presume this relates to about zone 5.5 or 6??) but I spend the majority in tempo and threshold.
You're less fit - ergo same effort as previous takes more effort. More effort = heart beating faster.

Fitter you get, the more watts you'll produce for x heartrate. Pretty straight forward smile

citizenmtb

1,495 posts

207 months

Saturday 7th January 2017
quotequote all
Yeah I find the same. Went out today after 2.5months recovering from an incident with a car and I managed to add a while BPM to my max HR!

If I have winter off and resume in march like normal I add about 35bpm to my max HR, but it returns to normal after a few weeks.

mcelliott

10,471 posts

210 months

Saturday 7th January 2017
quotequote all
citizenmtb said:
Yeah I find the same. Went out today after 2.5months recovering from an incident with a car and I managed to add a while BPM to my max HR!

If I have winter off and resume in march like normal I add about 35bpm to my max HR, but it returns to normal after a few weeks.
So whats your max when your fit and max when unfit?

citizenmtb

1,495 posts

207 months

Saturday 7th January 2017
quotequote all
mcelliott said:
So whats your max when your fit and max when unfit?
fit = 185
unfit = 220

mcelliott

10,471 posts

210 months

Saturday 7th January 2017
quotequote all
citizenmtb said:
mcelliott said:
So whats your max when your fit and max when unfit?
fit = 185
unfit = 220
Wow thats a huge difference.

Daveyraveygravey

2,106 posts

213 months

Saturday 7th January 2017
quotequote all
You were off for a few weeks - is that 2/3 or 5/6? For me, two weeks off puts me in a bad place, so 5/6 would feel awful.
Plus you can get random Strava spikes in any of the data. My max HR is around 185, sometimes it hits 220, I just ignore that. My vmax once or twice is 585 kmh I ignore that too

upsidedownmark

2,120 posts

164 months

Saturday 7th January 2017
quotequote all
The absolute max doesn't seem to vary much (or fitness), if any with age. 220-age is a load of old b****cks.

The max I'll see on a ride varies quite considerably. August this year tapering off a serious training schedule, I struggled to push it past 150. Currently I'm getting into the early 170's for considerably less power (after a 3 month go-slow). Still can hold it though, it's the HR at threshold that's changed really.

citizenmtb

1,495 posts

207 months

Sunday 8th January 2017
quotequote all
mcelliott said:
Wow thats a huge difference.
It certainly is!

My own experiences don't generally seem to fall into line of others HR. I choose to just ignore it smile

z4RRSchris

12,515 posts

208 months

Sunday 8th January 2017
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220! How old are you!

Must feel like your about to die.

I got to 202 once (I'm 30) chasing a v quick mate up box hill and almost keeled over

citizenmtb

1,495 posts

207 months

Sunday 8th January 2017
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z4RRSchris said:
220! How old are you!

Must feel like your about to die.

I got to 202 once (I'm 30) chasing a v quick mate up box hill and almost keeled over
28/29.

But like I said, it's a fleeting thing when I'm unfit. Looking back at my Strava data it only took 3 rides to come down to 185 and then stayed there in March last year.

torqueofthedevil

Original Poster:

2,088 posts

206 months

Sunday 8th January 2017
quotequote all
Daveyraveygravey said:
You were off for a few weeks - is that 2/3 or 5/6? For me, two weeks off puts me in a bad place, so 5/6 would feel awful.
Plus you can get random Strava spikes in any of the data. My max HR is around 185, sometimes it hits 220, I just ignore that. My vmax once or twice is 585 kmh I ignore that too
Yeah it's not spikes but just due to the rest time - it's been about 3 weeks- you are right though - that will take about 3 rides before I start to feel half fit again. Take a few months off and it takes about 6 weeks to feel fit again. It's crazy really. Lots of alcohol and big nights out / little sleep hardly help either.

torqueofthedevil

Original Poster:

2,088 posts

206 months

Sunday 8th January 2017
quotequote all
Daveyraveygravey said:
You were off for a few weeks - is that 2/3 or 5/6? For me, two weeks off puts me in a bad place, so 5/6 would feel awful.
Plus you can get random Strava spikes in any of the data. My max HR is around 185, sometimes it hits 220, I just ignore that. My vmax once or twice is 585 kmh I ignore that too
Yeah it's not spikes but just due to the rest time - it's been about 3 weeks- you are right though - that will take about 3 rides before I start to feel half fit again. Take a few months off and it takes about 6 weeks to feel fit again. It's crazy really. Lots of alcohol and big nights out / little sleep hardly help either.

Usget

5,426 posts

240 months

Monday 9th January 2017
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citizenmtb said:
fit = 185
unfit = 220
yikes


scubadude

2,619 posts

226 months

Monday 9th January 2017
quotequote all
citizenmtb said:
fit = 185
unfit = 220
Have your seen a cardiologist lately?

Surely max HR for someone in their late 20's should be around 195? Your Fit figure looks spot on.


I am slightly unfit 40yr old, I can peg mine to 175 but it really won't go any higher irrespective of effort... maybe if I have to run from a tiger?

okgo

42,085 posts

227 months

Monday 9th January 2017
quotequote all
One mans HR bears no relevance or resemblance to the next mans. Why people cannot grasp that I have no idea. Chris Froome has a lower max HR than you, I know who my money is on to get up a mountain first wink

Jimbo.

4,213 posts

218 months

Monday 9th January 2017
quotequote all
okgo said:
One mans HR bears no relevance or resemblance to the next mans. Why people cannot grasp that I have no idea. Chris Froome has a lower max HR than you, I know who my money is on to get up a mountain first wink
Neither. Both would be beaten by the Team Sky drugs mule...

scubadude

2,619 posts

226 months

Monday 9th January 2017
quotequote all
okgo said:
One mans HR bears no relevance or resemblance to the next mans. Why people cannot grasp that I have no idea. Chris Froome has a lower max HR than you, I know who my money is on to get up a mountain first wink
Not entirely true... (but you know that ;-)

It was a throw away comment against a bold claim not hard science anyway. A 20-something claiming when he's unfit because his heart races 25-30 bpm higher than all the reference material average maximums is either phenomenal or ill? (Or his HRM battery is FUBAR)


PS- If I have to race Frome up a mountain I'll drive thank you... and my HR will be much lower (whether he cycles of runs ;-)


citizenmtb

1,495 posts

207 months

Thursday 12th January 2017
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I had a look back over the stats and over about 3 rides over a few weeks it came back down. It in fact went 217 to 195 after 1 ride.

Maybe it was a blip? Was nearly 2 years ago so I've not much else to go on. I max out at 186 at the moment.

ALawson

8,054 posts

280 months

Thursday 12th January 2017
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I rode with someone who HR went up to high 230's in his 40's. Apparently a medical misfit who the first time he went to A&E had a lot of the doctors worried.

My max HR having got back on a bike in 2012 to now is virtually unchanged at 185 (was 40 last year). I do find getting HR up harder as I age, although having recently started training that trend seems to be reversing.