Maximum Heart Rate: How do you do yours?

Peckham

Now that I finally have a HRM, I want to start monitoring HR and it's role in my training.

I'm aware of various ways of calculating HRM, e.g. 220-age, run hill reps until you throw up etc., but am seeking opinions on the most effective way to do this.

I consulted Lore of Running this morning, but it was noticably vague on the subject. Think it said run 5 to 10 minutes flat out, and take a measurement from that.

hunnymonster

why not try them all (not on the same day)? Where are you based? Would you be willing to shell out about €100 to get some testing done in a lab?

RICHIE-RICH

An easy test which takes 15-20 mins....
go to a track and warm up, stretch as if preparing for a race. Then run an all-out 800m and note the highest HR recorded on monitor.
Rest 2 mins and run an all-out 400m. The highest number as you cross the finish-line, would be HRmax

Alteratively, find a nice long hill and go for it. Pretty soon you'll reach you max HR (or collapse!!)

Peckham

hunnymonster wrote: »

why not try them all (not on the same day)? Where are you based? Would you be willing to shell out about €100 to get some testing done in a lab?

Am in Dublin. What's the testing? Would it also monitor lactate threshold, V02Max etc.?

hunnymonster

yes it will measure everything you want. I've pm'ed you the details as I wasn't sure of one or two bits and didn't want it as a public record.

Clum

I've heard loads of comments about measuring Max HR but I've never been told what to do with it.

Can anybody tell me how to put HR monitors to use in training effectively?

I have one with my Garmin but all I do is record my HR for each run. Can I use a HRM to tell me what speed or exertion I should be putting in, and if so what types of levels of Heart Rate should I be hitting to improve my running? Any old tips or advice appreciated.

(Don't mean to go off topic but I'd really like to know how HRMs and knowing the max HR can be used in training)

Thanks

Woddle

Hey peckham did you wear your monitor during the beach race. I f so I would imagine the max reading you got would be very close to your max considering it was a shortish distance and the strong wind in your face. I use 198 as my max based on a race I did in May.

Peckham

I did have it on for that race. Much check over the log, but I think it recorded HRM up in the region of 200 (which sounds a bit unbelieveable - i.e. heart taking over 3 beats per second?!).

Woddle

200 might seem high when compared with the likes of 220 minus your age, I'm pushing on 30 now and as I said mines 198. I think there was a poster on the Dublin thread who got all curious because he thought he completed the DM with an average HR of 9?%. He was using the wrong figures, he didn't believe his max HR could be in the 200s

cfitz

Peckham wrote: »

I did have it on for that race. Much check over the log, but I think it recorded HRM up in the region of 200 (which sounds a bit unbelieveable - i.e. heart taking over 3 beats per second?!).

I did a lactate threshold test and a VO2 Max test (on 2 separate days) in a lab a few years ago and reached 218 bpm on both occasions.

gerard65

Never really got the HRM thing. Used one a couple of times and found I just looking down at it all the time, but could tell approx. what my HR was before I even glanced at it. The 220 minus your age is very suspect, I tested this a couple of years ago, the running up and down the hill thing, and got my HR to 192, I was 40 at the time so it should have been 180. I've heard this from a couple of other people as well.

dna_leri

gerard65 wrote: »

Never really got the HRM thing. Used one a couple of times and found I just looking down at it all the time, but could tell approx. what my HR was before I even glanced at it. The 220 minus your age is very suspect, I tested this a couple of years ago, the running up and down the hill thing, and got my HR to 192, I was 40 at the time so it should have been 180. I've heard this from a couple of other people as well.

I use a HRM regularly, find it very useful for interval training. With experience I am getting better at estimating my HR during easy & long runs but when starting out it's useful for this also.

This link gives a good description of how to do a maximum HR stress test with links to more accurate methods of estimating also.

tdlynch

Woddle wrote: »

I think there was a poster on the Dublin thread who got all curious because he thought he completed the DM with an average HR of 94%. He was using the wrong figures, he didn't believe his max HR could be in the 200s

I am said poster and you can find the thread here: 94% max heart rate for marathon duration?!.

I wore the heart monitor during a speed session this week: 12 x 400 with 2 min recovery. Clocked 197 as my maximum HR. And I'm 35.

I've included the graph of my HR performance as an attachment, and you can clearly spot the intervals and peaks!

My marathon HR numbers now make perfect sense: my average was 173 (88%) and my max on the day was 185 (94%).

Forget about the "220 minus" rules. In this day and age with HR monitors so cheap, it makes more sense to burst out a session and find your max.

Once I've fully recovered from the marathon, I'm going to get tested in a lab and that'll make for an interesting comparison. But I reckon it'll not be far from 197.

nerraw1111

Apologies to dig this thread up but couldn't find a more relevant thread.

Is there any consensus of how to accurately (as possible using a HRM) find your maximum heart rate?

Is it still the tests detailed on the brainmac site?

http://www.brianmac.co.uk/hrm2.htm (test one on a hill or test two run 800 metres all out.)

Cheers

Cabaal

Back in June I had my HR hit a max of 217 bpm...prior to hitting this max it had gone over 200bpm a good few times. By the end of it I honestly thought I'd just collapse. Not a pleasant experience and not recommended to others

My HR is normally between 150-180bpm, depending on what level of running I'm doing. Resting rate of around 58bpm.

Woddle

A 5km race where you gave all including a sprint finish will have you very close to your max.

ChickenTikka

Clum wrote: »

Can I use a HRM to tell me what speed or exertion I should be putting in, and if so what types of levels of Heart Rate should I be hitting to improve my running?

Check out http://www.brianmac.co.uk/hrm1.htm.

One question for others familar with HR training .... by following the standard formula of calculating the zones (MHR - RHR) x N% + RHR, it will indicate that the fitter you are (lower RHR), the lower your HR when you go from aerobic to anaerobic. Does that make sense??

e.g. unfit person with Max Heart Rate 195 and Resting Heart Rate 75.
So their aerobic zone is between
(195 - 75) * 0.7 + 75 = 159
and
(195 - 75) * 0.8 + 75 = 171

Now if same person gets very fit, their MHR doesn't increase but their resting HR goes down, e.g. down to 45. So their aerobic zone is
(195 - 45) * 0.7 + 45 = 150
and
(195 - 45) * 0.8 + 45 = 165

So if I become alot fitter, I enter my anerobic zone earlier ??

Brianderunner

Run 4 laps of a track start steady then pick the pace up one by one and go all out on the last lap. That'll give you your max HR. I've heard of that method more than once.

Oisin11178

Cabaal wrote: »

Back in June I had my HR hit a max of 217 bpm...prior to hitting this max it had gone over 200bpm a good few times. By the end of it I honestly thought I'd just collapse. Not a pleasant experience and not recommended to others

My HR is normally between 150-180bpm, depending on what level of running I'm doing. Resting rate of around 58bpm.

very similar myself, max hr is about 210 and near enough the same resting hr. I just did 4 or 5 hill repeats till i though i would die:D
I think thats fairly effective to be honest.

ocnoc

Chasing Bazman up a mountain tends to be effective