Heart Rate

mgkaplan said:

I am 59 years old. The standard formula (220 - age). Tells me that my maximum heart rate should be 161 and that my training zone should be 105 - 138.

I just started using a heart rate monitor (Polar CS200cad) and have observed that my heart rate reaches and remains at approximately 155 - 157 during a climb that takes me 5 - 7 minutes at the end of a 1.25 hour ride. I am concerned that I may be doing some damage to myself by continuing this practice.

Can anyone provide me with input as to what this means and what I should be doing with regards to heart rate and cycling?

Thank you.

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Assuming your heart is healthy, which it seems to be as you are doing 1 hour plus rides and climbing for 7 mins (though you don't tell us how steep the climb is) I wouldn't worry about your HR. To quote RappDaddyo - your heart will take anything you throw at it.

In the gym on the trainer I often register a HR of 165 when I'm really hammering it (I'm 64 in August by the way) and as I feel OK I totally ignore what the HR monitor is telling me. I never used to, and became a little concerned when my HR climbed above 155ish and consequently lowered the cadence. (i.e. trained below what I was capable of)

This is why I don't use a HR monitor out on the road; I don't want to know what my HR is as it is not a reliable indicator of what is actually going on in your heart. Also sometimes I believe they give spurious readings, and suddenly you find your HR has leapt up to 280 BPM. This shock alone would be enough to give me a heart attack.

In short, if you feel OK and your breathing is relatively normal, and probably more important, if you soon recover after the climb I wouldn't worry too much. The heart is a muscle and can be trained like other muscles in the body. TYSON

P.S. Take a look at my "It's killing me thread" and see what torture it's possible to endure.

mgkaplan said:

I am 59 years old. The standard formula (220 - age). Tells me that my maximum heart rate should be 161 and that my training zone should be 105 - 138.

I just started using a heart rate monitor (Polar CS200cad) and have observed that my heart rate reaches and remains at approximately 155 - 157 during a climb that takes me 5 - 7 minutes at the end of a 1.25 hour ride. I am concerned that I may be doing some damage to myself by continuing this practice.

Can anyone provide me with input as to what this means and what I should be doing with regards to heart rate and cycling?

Thank you.

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, you can't really go by the 220-AGE formula. For example, Matthias Kessler from Germany is currently in 11th place in the Tour de France. Bob Roll today said on OLN that his maximum heart rate is 185 BPM.

Now compare that to my maximum of 191 BPM. I'm 46, had spent a solid 10 to 12 years in a sedentary lifestyle, and am no where near the level of cyclists as Kessler. Not anywhere near the same league. In fact the top end of my league doesn't even brush up against the bottom end of his league. Wish it did.

So what does that tell you about maximum heart rates? They're all over the place and they are very individual. If you've been routinely doing 75 minute rides with climbs chances are you are in good enough condition to do a stress test to find your actual maximum and base some training zones on that figure. Or you could do a threshold type test and base your zones on that value. Keep in mind that the hotter it is the higher that value may be.

See the sticky at the top of this training forum for my Heart Rate Zone calculator. There should be enough info there for you to set up some zones based on what you wish to accomplish.


EDIT: Only do a Max HR test barring any medical problems and with a doctor's approval as GClark has suggested! Thanks GClark.

mgkaplan said:

I am 59 years old. The standard formula (220 - age). Tells me that my maximum heart rate should be 161 and that my training zone should be 105 - 138.

I just started using a heart rate monitor (Polar CS200cad) and have observed that my heart rate reaches and remains at approximately 155 - 157 during a climb that takes me 5 - 7 minutes at the end of a 1.25 hour ride. I am concerned that I may be doing some damage to myself by continuing this practice.

Can anyone provide me with input as to what this means and what I should be doing with regards to heart rate and cycling?

Thank you.

Click to expand...

I am 56, max HR of 160, my doctor has me on a "not to exceed" of 135 at the moment. That 155 for more than a minute or two is way to high, you are not a super hero!! How quickly does it return to below 120 after the climb??

I suggest you get triple and sit down for the climbs, I do, to live and ride again tomorrow!!

gclark8 said:

I am 56, max HR of 160, my doctor has me on a "not to exceed" of 135 at the moment. That 155 for more than a minute or two is way to high, you are not a super hero!!
I suggest you get triple and sit down for the climbs, I do, to live and ride again tomorrow!!

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What a load of codswallop! Unless you have a problem with your heart.

In my opinion doctors in general have no idea when it comes to sport, because most of them are lazy fat arses. "And 155 for more than a minute is way too high" - complete bunk - at 64 I can hold that for an hour or more.

Sillyoldtwit said:

What a load of codswallop! Unless you have a problem with your heart.

In my opinion doctors in general have no idea when it comes to sport, because most of them are lazy fat arses. "And 155 for more than a minute is way too high" - complete bunk - at 64 I can hold that for an hour or more.

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There are plenty of docs out there that bike, run, ski, etc. If your doc has a pot-belly, is eating a danish, and stinks of cigarettes then get yourself a new doc. If you want to err on the side of extreme caution then schedule a visit for medical clearance (preventative medicine or sports med doctor maybe). Then go for a VO2 test. Depending on where you live there are clinics where MDs administer these tests. Then you'll have more acccurate training zones and most importantly, the peace of mind that your body can handle whatever you throw at it. Although it does sound like you are doing just fine all on your own.

"And 155 for more than a minute is way too high" - complete bunk - at 64 I can hold that for an hour or more.

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Apologies! I can't maintain a 155HR for 1 hour. That should have read 145 -148BPM

The 220-age formula is just an average and approximation.
It is often completely unreliable.

I would hate to think that anyone would be using this forum or any other such venue to obtain medical advice. Also, point well taken about the fat doctor who smells of tobacco.