holding max heart rate at 90% for 1 hour - good/bad?

[mulder]

I recently did an hour on my exercise bike at an average h/r of 90% max - in tests and competition my max heart rate has been around 185 and my average for the hour was 168

It was pretty tough....

I am 45 years old and have switched to cycling from indoor rowing.

Can I make any assumptions on my fitness level with this test (or was I just plain dumb to hold it there for so long)

Can I reliably work out my heart rate training zones knowing I can hold 90% heart rate max for 1 hour...

I used my Suunto T6 with Firstbeat Athlete to do the test.

Any advice much appreciated!

Blake

(hope I have posted this in the right place)

 

[jhuskey]

No one in this forum can answer this for you, Some individuals can do this all day and some would die in 60 seconds. Sounds reasonable but listen to your body and if you have doubts listen to a sports MD.

 

[danfoz]

Originally Posted by mulder .

I recently did an hour on my exercise bike at an average h/r of 90% max - in tests and competition my max heart rate has been around 185 and my average for the hour was 168

It was pretty tough....

I am 45 years old and have switched to cycling from indoor rowing.

Can I make any assumptions on my fitness level with this test (or was I just plain dumb to hold it there for so long)

Can I reliably work out my heart rate training zones knowing I can hold 90% heart rate max for 1 hour...

I used my Suunto T6 with Firstbeat Athlete to do the test.

Any advice much appreciated!

Blake

(hope I have posted this in the right place)

jhuskey pretty much nailed it but for some completely subjective feedback:

- When I got back on the bike after 10 years off with my two lovers, Malboro and Jonny Walker Black, I could barely hold 80% of my max for more than a minute. This was my deflection point when severly out of shape.
- Fast forward two years of consistent training and I was able to run a 30 minute TT at 90-93% of my maxHR
- MaxHR as a value can differ depending on the mode of extrapolation i.e. field test, one of the various formulas available, your bike computers method of determination (i.e one of the formulas).
- The fitter I am, the longer I can run at closer to "my" MaxHR
- "Can I reliably work out my heart rate training zones knowing I can hold 90% heart rate max for 1 hour...?" You can reliably work out your training zones from a field test, but those zones will be a percentage of your Average Max and not your MaxHR. I personally think that it is more efficient to use field test data as the baseline compared to formulaic extrapolation of MaxHR, 220-age for instanc, to determine training plan zones.

 

[schristie11]

[SIZE= 10pt][COLOR= black]There's this thing called : Heart Rate Zones (HRZ) [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SIZE= 10pt][COLOR= black]You will find a lot of information related to this subject via article and image search on Google for: Heart Rate Zones[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SIZE= 10pt][COLOR= black]Most sources advise against working out at 190BPM for more than a few minutes at a time.[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE= 10pt][COLOR= black]When your heart rate is 190 BPM your muscles will eventually starve themselves and cause injury.[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE= 10pt][COLOR= black]Even 160 BPM is usually considered Anaerobic (not enough oxygen)[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE= 10pt][COLOR= black]You want to aim for the Aerobic Heart Rate Zone in nearly every moment of life, even workouts.[/COLOR][/SIZE]


[SIZE= 10pt][COLOR= black]The rate of your heart beat is critical to keeping enough oxygen in all working muscles.[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE= 10pt][COLOR= black]You can see the consequences as you pant - out of breath and your body may force your muscles to stop working until they get more oxygen. [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SIZE= 10pt][COLOR= black]Most of the professional athletes I have heard advice from (in person) say they try to work out in their mid-range Heart Rate Zone, (100-140 BPM) and build toward having more stamina to be able to go longer and farther. [/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE= 10pt][COLOR= black]The pro magazines also say to work out in your mid range Heart Rate Zone and to use short bursts of Max effort which boosts your heart rate in to the 190 BPM range doing a sprint [/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE= 10pt][COLOR= black]or hill climb type activity because this will increase your ability to go all out when it counts and also keep going for the long ride. [/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE= 10pt][COLOR= black]This method also helps a body build up so your "average" pace quickens over time but your heart rate doesn't actually go as high to achieve this, because your heart muscle and all the other muscles in your body become more efficient and more healthy and more able to perform.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SIZE= 10pt][COLOR= black]There is a factor call the Recovery (time) that you can work to improve.[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE= 10pt][COLOR= black]The Recovery is referring to the time it takes your Heart rate to return to your Mid Heart Rate Zone after doing one of those short few minute Max bursts of effort. [/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE= 10pt][COLOR= black]Usually the heart rate will drop way down (below 100 BPM) instead of returning to the expected 140 BPM to match your return to a medium pace of riding. [/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE= 10pt][COLOR= black]A person's pace shows the same pattern of going fast to prep for a hill climb then going unusually slow just after the peak then working again to return the mid speed they start from.[/COLOR][/SIZE]