Heart Rate Question

Well Cliff, I'm 48 and my HR does something similar, though not quite so high unless playing very
hard squash, never that high on the bike(s).

I think few people are actually average, you may be a "fast beater" as C+ calls it?

If you're really worried go see your Doc. Hopefully he'll just say you're really fit.

Niv.

"Cliff" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi Folks

Are there any words of wisdom for me on my heart rate.

I am 53 years old and enjoy long distance road cycling, MTBing and Fell Walking.

My pulse rate at rest is 47 bpm. I tootle along on my road bike at around 16mph and a HR of 145bmp
which raises to 165 - 170 bmp if I start to push
it. On steep hills, 1 in 4 for instance, it goes up to 197 bpm before I

have

Quoted message said:

to get off and rest of walk.

This pattern does not seem to approach anything I have read as being 'Normal' or 'Average'.

I think I am fit but am I doing myself any harm or putting myself in any danger with such a high
variation in heart rates?

Any words of wisdom appreciated.

Cliff

"Cliff" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi Folks

Are there any words of wisdom for me on my heart rate.

I am 53 years old and enjoy long distance road cycling, MTBing and Fell Walking.

My pulse rate at rest is 47 bpm. I tootle along on my road bike at around 16mph and a HR of 145bmp
which raises to 165 - 170 bmp if I start to push
it. On steep hills, 1 in 4 for instance, it goes up to 197 bpm before I

have

Quoted message said:

to get off and rest of walk.

This pattern does not seem to approach anything I have read as being 'Normal' or 'Average'.

I think I am fit but am I doing myself any harm or putting myself in any danger with such a high
variation in heart rates?

Those figures sound about the same as me at 35 (pre beta blockers) except I had a higher rest ~
60bpm and higher cruise 170 after 30 minutes or so and I could only sustain > 190 for less than a
minute, so I think they are OK.

But because of your age and the apparent level of exertion, I would get a stress test done (= ECG
while doing exercise).

"Cliff" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

I am 53 years old and enjoy long distance road cycling, MTBing and Fell Walking.

My pulse rate at rest is 47 bpm. I tootle along on my road bike at around 16mph and a HR of 145bmp
which raises to 165 - 170 bmp if I start to push
it. On steep hills, 1 in 4 for instance, it goes up to 197 bpm before I

have

Quoted message said:

to get off and rest of walk.

This pattern does not seem to approach anything I have read as being 'Normal' or 'Average'.

I think I am fit but am I doing myself any harm or putting myself in any danger with such a high
variation in heart rates?

Well, your pattern pretty much matches mine. Having recently bought a heart rate monitor to play
with I worked out my resting heart rate is on average about 47, max heart rate 192 by testing
myself, 186 by formula, usual rate for cycling somewhere between 130 and 150 (probably about
14/15mph), and up to 170 pushing it.

170 or just over is also the natural pace I usually run at on the flat and I can happily keep at
this rate running or cycling for at least an hour and a half without feeling tired at the end.
From what I've read this ought to be well into my anaerobic zone and ought to be tough going for
any length of time. That was the bit that surprised me. How long do you find you can keep going
at 170 bpm?

So long as you feel comfortable I don't think you can be doing yourself any harm and certainly a low
resting heart rate is a sign of fitness rather than anything to worry about.

I can keep going at 170bpm for at least 1 hour but when I get up to over 190 bpm I start to feel
dizzy and sick after about a minute or so.

"Andy P" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Cliff" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

I am 53 years old and enjoy long distance road cycling, MTBing and Fell Walking.

My pulse rate at rest is 47 bpm. I tootle along on my road bike at

around

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

16mph and a HR of 145bmp which raises to 165 - 170 bmp if I start to

push

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

it. On steep hills, 1 in 4 for instance, it goes up to 197 bpm before I

have

Quoted message said:

to get off and rest of walk.

This pattern does not seem to approach anything I have read as being 'Normal' or 'Average'.

I think I am fit but am I doing myself any harm or putting myself in any danger with such a high
variation in heart rates?

Well, your pattern pretty much matches mine. Having recently bought a

heart

Quoted message said:

rate monitor to play with I worked out my resting heart rate is on average about 47, max heart
rate 192 by testing myself, 186 by formula, usual rate for cycling somewhere between 130 and 150
(probably about 14/15mph), and

up

Quoted message said:

to 170 pushing it.

170 or just over is also the natural pace I usually run at on the flat and

I

Quoted message said:

can happily keep at this rate running or cycling for at least an hour and

a

Quoted message said:

half without feeling tired at the end. From what I've read this ought to

be

Quoted message said:

well into my anaerobic zone and ought to be tough going for any length of time. That was the bit
that surprised me. How long do you find you can

keep

Quoted message said:

going at 170 bpm?

So long as you feel comfortable I don't think you can be doing yourself

any

Quoted message said:

harm and certainly a low resting heart rate is a sign of fitness rather

than

Quoted message said:

anything to worry about.

"Cliff" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My pulse rate at rest is 47 bpm. I tootle along on my road bike at around 16mph and a HR of 145bmp
which raises to 165 - 170 bmp if I start to push
it. On steep hills, 1 in 4 for instance, it goes up to 197 bpm before I

have

Quoted message said:

to get off and rest of walk.

Obviously if you're concerned you should see the quack, but that sounds to me to be within the range
of normal variation. My heart rate regularly maxes out at 230 if I'm doing circuit training, and I
haven't died yet (famous last words).

I can maintain 180-185 solidly for 45 minutes or more with no ill effects at all.

But then I'm only 40[1]. And asthmatic.

[1] NOT until January 2004, actually.

--
Guy
===

WARNING: may contain traces of irony. Contents may settle after posting.
chapmancentral.comchapmancentral.comOpen ↗

Cliff said:

I can keep going at 170bpm for at least 1 hour but when I get up to over 190 bpm I start to feel
dizzy and sick after about a minute or so.

I'm also 53 and have pretty much the same Heart Rates as you do. Not quite as high a HRmax though.
I'll average 170 bpm on a 30 km TT ( 50 minutes) I don't think there is anything abnormal with your
HR except maybe how you recover. If you can't recover by just letting off on the pace for a minute
or two well.... Otherwise just go for it and show those 40 year old kids who's the boss.

--
Perre

You have to be smarter than a robot to reply.

"Cliff" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

The replies show how ridiculous the old "220 minus your age" calculation is.

Pete

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Cliff
Hi Folks

Are there any words of wisdom for me on my heart rate.

I am 53 years old and enjoy long distance road cycling, MTBing and Fell Walking.

My pulse rate at rest is 47 bpm. I tootle along on my road bike at around 16mph and a HR of 145bmp
which raises to 165 - 170 bmp if I start to push
it. On steep hills, 1 in 4 for instance, it goes up to 197 bpm before I have to get off and
rest of walk.

This pattern does not seem to approach anything I have read as being 'Normal' or 'Average'.

I think I am fit but am I doing myself any harm or putting myself in any danger with such a high
variation in heart rates?

Any words of wisdom appreciated.

Cliff

I'm an exercise physiologist and your heart rate sounds fine to me (you go harder and it goes up!); your values are nothing out of the ordinary. If your that worried or have a history/family history of heart problems go and see a doc.

Just zis Guy said:

But then I'm only 40[1]. And asthmatic.

Pah. Youngster.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗

;; no eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn. ;; Jim Morrison

Thanks for the feedback I am reassured by all the replies, I thought it was only me who had such a
wide spread of HR.

Let's hit the road tomorrow. Well the trail. My road bike is tucked up in bed for the winter.

Cheers

Cliff

"Cliff" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi Folks

Are there any words of wisdom for me on my heart rate.

I am 53 years old and enjoy long distance road cycling, MTBing and Fell Walking.

My pulse rate at rest is 47 bpm. I tootle along on my road bike at around 16mph and a HR of 145bmp
which raises to 165 - 170 bmp if I start to push
it. On steep hills, 1 in 4 for instance, it goes up to 197 bpm before I

have

Quoted message said:

to get off and rest of walk.

This pattern does not seem to approach anything I have read as being 'Normal' or 'Average'.

I think I am fit but am I doing myself any harm or putting myself in any danger with such a high
variation in heart rates?

Any words of wisdom appreciated.

Cliff

Peter B said:

The replies show how ridiculous the old "220 minus your age" calculation is.

Don't knock it. I measured my MHR and was delighted to find I was still in my early twenties.

Tony

--
"If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything." Mark Twain

Cliff said:

Thanks for the feedback I am reassured by all the replies, I thought it was only me who had such a
wide spread of HR.

Let's hit the road tomorrow. Well the trail. My road bike is tucked up in bed for the winter.

... and bin the heart rate monitor. It only causes worries as you've just found out. Listen to what
your body is telling you, not some piece of electronics

Tony

--
"If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything." Mark Twain

Quoted message said:

I'm also 53 and have pretty much the same Heart Rates as you do. Not quite as high a HRmax though.
I'll average 170 bpm on a 30 km TT ( 50 minutes)

I am 46 and my figures are very similar also.I have not been worried.There have been occasons when I
have driven myself well over 200 but that tends only to happen after a very long hard session and
seems to be a sign of exhaustion with a change to a rapid rise in heart rate with maintained
workrate. I have always stopped immediately at that.

TerryJ

"Tony Raven" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Peter B said:

The replies show how ridiculous the old "220 minus your age" calculation is.

Don't knock it. I measured my MHR and was delighted to find I was still

in

Quoted message said:

my early twenties.

And hopefully not too short for your weight :-)

Pete

Cliff said:

Hi Folks

Are there any words of wisdom for me on my heart rate.

I am 53 years old and enjoy long distance road cycling, MTBing and Fell Walking.

My pulse rate at rest is 47 bpm. I tootle along on my road bike at around 16mph and a HR of 145bmp
which raises to 165 - 170 bmp if I start to push
it. On steep hills, 1 in 4 for instance, it goes up to 197 bpm before I have to get off and rest
of walk.

This pattern does not seem to approach anything I have read as being 'Normal' or 'Average'.

I think I am fit but am I doing myself any harm or putting myself in any danger with such a high
variation in heart rates?

Sounds normal for a fit younger person (my HR range at 25 was 45 to
196...I don't have a HRM anymore but I imagine the max has come down a bit in the last 9 years) -
but that max HR is unusually high for a 53 year old. A big difference between rest and max is
generally a very Good Thing for aerobic power - Indurain's resting pulse was said to be 28 and
his maximum was in the 190s.

If you've been doing this kind of exercise for a long time it's unlikely to be a problem, but
if you've just started training at any age over about 30 it's normally recommended that you
have a medical.