Max HR question

[kaiost]

Quick question...

I'm a 27 yr old male, fairly fit (~ normally around 7000km/yr)... train with a HRM regularily. I've had a fairly dramatic drop in my MHR in the last two years, and am wondering if anyone can confirm my suspicions in regards to the reason.

Due to an injury I have ridden very little the last two seasons (less than 1000km/yr), though have stayed very fit with other sports. Pervious to the injury (knee related), I measured my max HR at around 195, and saw it enter the high 180's with regularity during training rides and races. After over 2000km of training this year already (including high intensity training), I have not once seen my MHR rise over 172, despite being at what is clearly near my limit of exertion.

Previous to the injury, I lived in the New York area, close to sea level... Right after the injury I moved to Switzerland, where I've been living since. I don't live particularily high in Switzerland (600m, ~2000ft). I know that altitude has an effect on HR, and altitude is the only relevent factor I can isolate (HRmonitor, diet, fitness, etc are all more of less unchanged from what they were before the two year layoff of high intensity cycling). I am somewhat sceptical though that this change alone could be responsable for the 20+ bpm change in MHR. So my quesion: has anyone experienced or heard of changes of this magnitude? Any other possible ideas?

 

[Wolfzazi]

If you haven't checked it on another heart rate monitor yet then try that. Also my HR monitor is messed up and shows my HR at 150% when really it's 165 bpm with a max of 208 and it's programmed with that max, sooo to fix this i change it from percentage to the actualy beats per minute. Oddly enough it's very difficult to see when it's in percentage because the display of the % is soo tiny. It's ironic that with me this year my max raised 4 bpm more not less from last year which was 204, maybe it was the coffee and tiredness or just a stronger will.

 

[Woofer]

Quick question...

I'm a 27 yr old male, fairly fit (~ normally around 7000km/yr)... train with a HRM regularily. I've had a fairly dramatic drop in my MHR in the last two years, and am wondering if anyone can confirm my suspicions in regards to the reason.Any other possible ideas?

Try racing. Quit worrying about the heart rate numbers and verify your performance.

My max heart rate is 205 or so and I can't get it close to that while training. I have some mountain bike race hrm files with my hr pegged at 180 for two hours plus. I can't make myself do that for more than ten seconds while training.