Average High Heart rate!?

Firstly, Hi all, I haven't been on in around a year, so nice to be back! (the sun is out and so is the bike, so i'm back on the forum :rolleyes:)

I know that this topic has sort of been covered by kat_h, but second opinions are always a good thing.

Ok, here it is.
Age: 20
Max HR: 200bpm

I got a heart rate monitor at the weekend as have used it this week on my cycles before college.

Seems like my average is pretty high.
I'm thinking this may be due to just not training during winter and practically starting at square one again. Although I did try and keep fit during winter by using the bike in the gym, but this may have been a waste of time - and boring as hell might i add!)
But as you probably understand, am slightly concerned incase that is not the reason!

Here's some stats from 3 cycles so far with the moniter (sorry to bore you guys) :o

Monday (1hour 20mins)
MAX: 187 = 97%
AVG: 163 = 84%

Tuesday (55mins)
MAX: 182 = 86%
AVG: 166 = 64%

Wednesday (1hour 15mins)
MAX: 191 = 99%
AVG: 171 = 89%

I'm training for a one day event and am trying to follow one of Polar's plans.

On Monday I was supposed to ride for 1hour at a steady pace (between 120-140bpm, 60-70%) But I could barley stay in that zone, and when I tried too, i would have been riding all day is was so slow!
I didn't feel as if it was worth riding at that pace at all.

I asked a personal trainer out of my class (i'm studying exercise and fitness, and before you think it! Yes, we have studied heart rate training zones. lol) He seemed quite surprised that my average was that high....

So naturally, I'm a bit confused:confused:
Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this sort of thing or any advice?

(Sorry for writing a book, i hate reading long threads!:p)

Suzi

What method did you use to determine your max HR?

Hi Julibird :)
I use the 220 - age method

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Suzi-Sue

Hi Julibird :)
I use the 220 - age method

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So when your HR was, say, 187, what was your perceived exertion? My guess is that your Max HR is higher than what is determined by the formula. Training around those numbers won't really help you if that's true.

I found that the formula was not helpful at all for me - and many others. The highest number I've seen in the last year during high intensity training, was 202 - so my max HR is probably a couple of beats higher. I'm 43 - so according to that old formula, my max would be 177! That is the within Zone 4 - about 6 beats below my aerobic threshold.

I think the best way to determine your HR zones is to forget about Max HR and do a Lactate Threshold field test. I will hook up a link on how-to later, or you could just google. There are several ways to do it, and they are all pretty simple.

According to your method, my max HR should be 192 but it has registered at the highest 197 according to my HR monitor while on rides. I'm with Julibird on this one. The method you used is just to give you a guideline.

I, too, have been trying to keep my heart rate at Zone 2 and it is INCREDIBLY slow, I would be better off walking. I have high heart rate averages like you and I'm hoping that as I get fitter and more conditioned, those will lower. I can't seem to stop getting my workouts out of Zone 4.

Thanks again Julibird, I have read about that method and will def try and get it done before next weekend :)

F8th637, as for getting out of that dam zone four, i know what you are going through lol
Hopefully with time it will drop. I'm annoyed that i get lazy when the weather isn't good. Wind and rain should be your friend, not enemy;) well, that's what I am going to tell myself when winter rolls in again.

I have a fitness/heart test coming up on Sunday, so that may shed some light on how far to push it.

Thanks again!:D

I am pretty fit right now, aerobically at least, and older than you (30), and my max is around 203 and my averages are between 150 (crawling pace that I can barely feel as an effort) and 185 (hard work that also feels hard) depending on the type of ride I'm going for.

I've repeatedly been told by cardiologist-friends not to worry about it... That's just my body.

Suzi - on a 23% grade once - my HR peaked at 220 measured by my Garmin. I'm 45. A week later, on a long hill, it peaked at 195.

Everyone's assumption is that the monitor was wrong...but in both cases, I felt like I was going to pass out. The real test is to stop and count manually.

But one thing came out when we debated this: You maximum heart rate is whatever it is...and it is THE maximum - unique to you. The formula is really a guideline.

This is all good to hear (i think i was just getting paraniod:rolleyes:)

Intend on doing the Lactate Threshold field test next week to see what that tells me.
Otherwise, I found an article on FT (functional threshold) training zones in a magazine, and results seem to sound a bit more accurate.

Here it is in case anyone would like to give it a go!

Use the formulae

For Women:
0.85 x (209-(0.9 x age))

For Men:
0.85 x (214-(0.8 x age))

Here are the training zones printed in the article also.

Easy: 69%-83% (warm-ups etc)
Steady: 84%-94% (Long rides)
Brisk: 95%-105% (Long efforts 10-20mins)
Hard: 106%+(Efforts lasting 2-8mins)
Very hard: working flat out! (Less that 2min efforts!)

Cycling Weekly, Health & Fitness for Cyclists - Spring Riding Guide. 2008, London

Looking forward to next ride and getting to work hard! :D

Thanks again guys

The formula is supposed to give you what? Your max heart rate? Functional threshold? What's that for?

Because I know my max is higher than 142 which is what the formula gives me.

Karen

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tuckervill

The formula is supposed to give you what? Your max heart rate? Functional threshold? What's that for?

Because I know my max is higher than 142 which is what the formula gives me.

Karen

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There is no formula that is more useful than monitoring your own HR in conjunction to your perceived exertion - ie, very easy, easy, somewhat hard, hard, and "i'm at my limit!" Don't be a slave to HR!

You are born with your own maxHR - it is not a trainable number, and it hasn't much to do with one's level of fitness (or potential). Threshold HR is trainable - but it's also effected by sleep, wellness, caffein, etc.

There must be past threads here about this - I know there are many who know more than I.

Yeah, I'm going with what my heart rate monitor says rather than a formula.

I just want to know what the formula is supposed to give me, because it's not clear in the OP.

Karen

Hi again,
The test is for your Functional Threshold, which is:
(quote Cycling Weekly)

"Simply the best effort you are able to hold for an hour withour stopping. It is usually measured as power output in watts, but can also be tied to average speed or heart rate."


Whish is what the formulae posted a few above is for. Working out your average FT heart rate (FTHR)
The number can vary around 10% either way.

Hope this is usful to you all :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Suzi-Sue

On Monday I was supposed to ride for 1hour at a steady pace (between 120-140bpm, 60-70%) But I could barley stay in that zone, and when I tried too, i would have been riding all day is was so slow!
I didn't feel as if it was worth riding at that pace at all.

I asked a personal trainer out of my class (i'm studying exercise and fitness, and before you think it! Yes, we have studied heart rate training zones. lol) He seemed quite surprised that my average was that high....

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I was a little slow finding this thread, but this is exactly what I'm going through right now.

I'm approaching 40, and I'm guessing my max is a little over 200. I've hit 200 before, within the last couple of years. Makes me see stars and feel pretty ill, but I can hit it. And nearly every mountain bike ride sees me averaging somewhere in the mid/high-170's. On a road ride my average is usually about 10 bpm less. And this is for 2 - 3 hour rides, not sprints.

Now my legs kick butt, but I don't have the aerobic base to support my legs. So here I am a month before my 50 mile mountain bike race (with 7,000 feet of climbing), finally getting some help from a coach. She's got me going for rides in zones 1 and 2 (for me, HR below 140). On these rides my average speed is reduced by about 20%! Crazy slow! I have such a hard time restraining myself and going that slow. Honesly, it's a little embarassing.

Based on her advice, and Googling I've been doing, I'm seeing that, to get my heart to work more efficiently, I should have started doing these long distance/time low effort rides a long time ago.

But coach says the high HR is okay, and I simply have a fast-beating heart. No big thing, and doesn't mark me as unhealthy or anything. But I'm still doing what I can to increase my heart's efficiency, and if that means letting grandma pass me with her walker while I'm pedaling into a slight headwind ... so be it. :rolleyes: