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Max Heart Rate Query!

  • 03-05-2012 04:30PM
    #1
    eyescreamcone
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,562 ✭✭✭


    I'm male 44 years of age, 6 ft 1 and 13 st 10lbs plus or minus
    I try to run on a treadmill for 60 mins 3 to 4 times per week
    I do it at an incline of 1.0 and a speed of 10.6 km/hr.

    No olympics for me I hear you say but I kid myself that if I can do 4 I've run a marathon that week...while watching telly :)

    I use a HRM to check my heart rate - usually finishing up around 160 beats per min

    After this mornings run (I had missed a few sessions and was on the lash at a wedding last sat) I finished at around 165 bpm.

    I also checked my max heart rate. This was 195 bpm!!!
    How can this be if I'm nearly 45???
    My calculated max heart rate is 176 I think

    Are these things not very accurate or should I get checked out???


Comments

  • #2
    cc87
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,368 ✭✭✭cc87


    How did you calculate it??

    Any of the calculations for MHR are not always accurate. The are just the most accurate for most of the population but there will always be people who don't fit in with the calculation


  • #3
    eyescreamcone
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,562 ✭✭✭eyescreamcone


    cc87 wrote: »
    How did you calculate it??

    Any of the calculations for MHR are not always accurate. The are just the most accurate for most of the population but there will always be people who don't fit in with the calculation

    Obviously everybody won't fit into the model calculation but could someone be out by 20 bpm

    I used 220 - my age (44) = 176
    soon to be 175 :)


  • #4
    menoscemo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,915 ✭✭✭✭menoscemo


    If your heart rate reaches 195 then you max by default is not 176, although there may have been a temporary bad reading or 'spike' in the HRM. Other than that you have nothing to worry about.


  • #5
    cc87
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,368 ✭✭✭cc87


    eyescreamcone wrote: »
    Obviously everybody won't fit into the model calculation but could someone be out by 20 bpm

    I used 220 - my age (44) = 176
    soon to be 175 :)

    It could easily be out by that much. That formula (220-age) is one of the least accurate ones AFAIK even though its the most popular

    Also do you have an actual heart rate monitor which you strap around your chest or is it one of those in built ones on treadmills that you just hold for a while


  • #6
    eyescreamcone
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,562 ✭✭✭eyescreamcone


    cc87 wrote: »
    eyescreamcone wrote: »
    Obviously everybody won't fit into the model calculation but could someone be out by 20 bpm

    I used 220 - my age (44) = 176
    soon to be 175 :)

    It could easily be out by that much. That formula (220-age) is one of the least accurate ones AFAIK even though its the most popular

    Also do you have an actual heart rate monitor which you strap around your chest or is it one of those in built ones on treadmills that you just hold for a while

    I use an HRM strapped around my chest.
    This links to the treadmill and gives a workout summary after you finish.
    This gives results like average heart rate (156 today) and max heart rate (195)


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  • #7
    menoscemo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,915 ✭✭✭✭menoscemo


    eyescreamcone wrote: »
    I use an HRM strapped around my chest.
    This links to the treadmill and gives a workout summary after you finish.
    This gives results like average heart rate (156 today) and max heart rate (195)

    Yeah, this is a common problem with chest straps like that. Generally they give spikey readings at the start of workouts. It's down to interference from static electricity. The readings generally also get more accurate once you begin sweating as that helps conduct the electricity from your skin to the electrodes of the HRM.
    My max HR is 185 but I often see readings of 220+ at the start of my runs. Just ignore these spikes.


  • #8
    eyescreamcone
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,562 ✭✭✭eyescreamcone


    menoscemo wrote: »
    eyescreamcone wrote: »
    I use an HRM strapped around my chest.
    This links to the treadmill and gives a workout summary after you finish.
    This gives results like average heart rate (156 today) and max heart rate (195)

    Yeah, this is a common problem with chest straps like that. Generally they give spikey readings at the start of workouts. It's down to interference from static electricity. The readings generally also get more accurate once you begin sweating as that helps conduct the electricity from your skin to the electrodes of the HRM.
    My max HR is 185 but I often see readings of 220+ at the start of my runs. Just ignore these spikes.

    Sorted
    Thanks for that!!!


  • #9
    Hanley
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 21,981 ✭✭✭✭Hanley


    menoscemo wrote: »
    Yeah, this is a common problem with chest straps like that. Generally they give spikey readings at the start of workouts. It's down to interference from static electricity. The readings generally also get more accurate once you begin sweating as that helps conduct the electricity from your skin to the electrodes of the HRM.
    My max HR is 185 but I often see readings of 220+ at the start of my runs. Just ignore these spikes.

    Doesn't just wetting the strap before putting it on solve this?


  • #10
    menoscemo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,915 ✭✭✭✭menoscemo


    Hanley wrote: »
    Doesn't just wetting the strap before putting it on solve this?

    It can help, but it rarely solves the issue for me.
    When I really really need good HR data without spikes (fitness test or trying to run a specific HR from the start) I find that squirting a little contact lens solution or salty water on the sensors immediately before my run helps alot.


  • #11
    Hanley
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 21,981 ✭✭✭✭Hanley


    menoscemo wrote: »
    It can help, but it rarely solves the issue for me.
    When I really really need good HR data without spikes (fitness test or trying to run a specific HR from the start) I find that squirting a little contact lens solution or salty water on the sensors immediately before my run helps alot.

    Ohhhh that's awesome. Thanks for that. Stolen!! :D


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  • #12
    brownej
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 886 ✭✭✭brownej


    As has been stated the HRM needs to have good contact with the skin for it to work properly. As sweat contains alot of salt (which is a good electrolyte) it aids in the reliability of the contact between the HRM and the skin. Wetting the HRM with regular water before putting it on helps too as the salt on your skin will disolve in the water and help to provide a contact.
    Generally the suprious readings occur at the start of the workout as you're not sweating yet and the movemnet of the body can cause some intermittent contacting to the skin.
    If the suprious readings are happening during the middle of the workout it could still be an intermittent contact.
    As the HRM communicates the heart rate with the treadmill via a (very) low power wireless link (it only has a button battery in it and it lasts for months) any loud electrical interference nearby can cause a problem with the link. Likely sources of the elctrical interference are badly shielded electrical motors. Things like hand dryers are rediculous for this. If you're in a gym and there's a row of treadmills then there are alot of motors around some of which might be interfering with the communication link between the HRM and the treadmill.

    If you are concerned about your max heart rate I would advise getting a device (like a watch) which records your heart rate and graphs it. That way you can see if you are having sustained periods of high heart rate or if it's just random spiking due to bad contact with the skin. The treadmill might have this function in it already.


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