Low heart rate

[mtrembath]

I'm 42 and cycle around 2-300Km per week, on my last three rides I have not been able to get my heart rate past 164, I normally reach 175-180bpm on most rides, I have also found it much more difficult to hang on with the group. At 164bpm i'm amazed as it feels like 175+, i feel ok. I'm just struggling to keep up and cant get my heart rate up. my normal weight is 95-98Kg, i've put on a bit lately and are around 104kg, i know it sounds like a lot, i'm very strong and can generally can stay in touch with A&B grade riders. has anyone got any suggestions, some of my mate have suggested fatigue, i cant see how i could be as i'm doing nothing abnormal.

 

[coneofsilence]

When was the last time you took time off the bike? What does your riding schedule look like?

 

[An old Guy]

You are doing less than 200 miles a week. What are the A&B riders doing? I would think more. So they are getting stronger each day.

Your heart rate may be going down because it has gotten stronger. (On my 3 hour ride today I spent 1 hour at race pace or above (power) but my heart rate stayed below threshold.)

 

[sewupnut]

In 35+ plus years of competative cycling, something that worked well for me was to pay attention to my resting heart rate, usually taken while still in bed before getting up. I had a blood pressure machine that worked well for this. If my resting heart rate was elevated over 10% from the weekly average, I would do a ride at 65% MHR or less that day or not ride at all. Otherwise, I'd keep track of the decrease in resting heart rate as I got more fit.

Racing for me always boiled down to whether I was going to have a good day or not, and resting heart rate at the start of the day was a reliable indicator of whether I would be relegated to pack fodder or be competative that day.

sun