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Jan 2016
12:06pm, 12 Jan 2016
1,123 posts
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DrDan
Yes indeed, it is my experience that the fitter I am, the harder it is to hit my HRmax. I tend to take 1ppm off per year, rather than have to redo the test.
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Jan 2016
11:42pm, 14 Jan 2016
1,713 posts
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Canute
Various studies report that HR max decreases by about 5 beats/min as athletes increase fitness from ‘off season’ to peak aerobic fitness. It is not just a matter of it being more difficult to reach maximum, though that is part of the story. The criterion for HRmax is the HR level at which HR shows no further increase despite a further increase in power output.
This is easily assessed during an elliptical session where power output can be measured accurately. I myself measure peak HR on the elliptical. I regard the value of HR at which there is no further increase in HR despite a further increase in power output of 30 watts sustained for at least 2 minutes (and preferably 4 minutes if I can sustain it that long). In fact, usually my elliptical peak also matches the peak I can achieve when running. My recording leave no doubt that my level of fitness affects my ‘true’ HRmax .
Max HR also decreases as a result of over-training. In July 2009 (at age 63) my max HR was 157, which I confirmed by demonstrating no further HR increase despite a 30 watts increase in power output on the elliptical, sustained for 4 minutes. In August 2009 I experienced quite serious over-training due to an injudicious increase in training volume. In an elliptical session on 31st August, I had to push myself to the limit of my determination to get HR above 143 (achieved at 200 watts). Whereas usually my HR increases by about 15 bpm for each increase in power output of 30 watts in the mid aerobic zone, in that session when I increased power output from 200 to 230 watts my HR barely moved. I manged to sustain a power output of 230 watts for one of the most demanding 4 minutes of effort I have ever produced. At the end of that effortful 4 minutes, HR had reached a plateau of 145, There is no doubt that my HR max decreased from 157 to 145 during one month, as a result of overtraining.
I have been intrigued to observe that last year (at age 69) my HRmax was 153, but this year, following a serious loss of fitness due to a bicycle accident, I can now get my HR up to 155 on the elliptical without exerting myself anywhere near as much as I did in August 2009, though sadly, since the accident I can no longer run at anywhere near the pace required to achieve HRmax due to damage to my knee.
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Apr 2016
2:27pm, 4 Apr 2016
1,137 posts
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DrDan
Interesting Canute. I'm currently struggling to hit higher HRs in races (5K and 10K) despite posting good times and quite high (for me) WAVA scores. I also think I may have been over-training as, since Jan this year, I've switched from Hadd principles (lots of easy mileage with some MP sessions) to FIRST principles (where the slowest training pace is MP).
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Apr 2016
2:53pm, 4 Apr 2016
174 posts
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Ulric
Interesting observations. I too am struggling to reach MHR of recent years after a soft winter due to injury/winter blues followed by rapid build up and more LSRs than usual. Plus I almost stopped biking and my quad bulk has decreased sharply, I am very weak on cycling hill climbs which are often where I hit my overall max. For me the jury is still out on which theory explains my current data.
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Apr 2016
2:57pm, 4 Apr 2016
175 posts
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Ulric
Forgot to mention that my RHR is quite low atm, I even got down to 40 standing waiting for the underground the other day. 37 absolute lowest sitting.
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Nov 2016
3:35pm, 10 Nov 2016
59,264 posts
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Gobi
Funny - I am almost in the best shape I have been all year. I race cyclo x so this is my season.
Saw 181 - highest of the year
I find I can peak out around during 179 all the time, when I am "less fit " I notice that the average for certain effort I can sustain is a little higher.
Oops
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Oct 2017
11:47am, 24 Oct 2017
61,783 posts
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Gobi
Have seen 183 this year at Track League and am still seeing the 181pretty often.
Aging body and a young heart
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Oct 2020
10:25am, 22 Oct 2020
71,743 posts
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Gobi
So in this dead thread where I have been made the last 3 posts now
It is 2020, I am 50 in less than 3 weeks and this morning in a bike race saw 186, saw 186 last week as well. I'm in the best shape of my life on the bike in prep for national hill climb champs.
I have checked and these are not eronious spikes but just peaks on mid race efforts that are repeatable :¬0
RHR is still mid 30s to low 40s
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Oct 2020
10:31am, 22 Oct 2020
19,586 posts
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EvilPixie
awesome
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Oct 2020
10:36am, 22 Oct 2020
19,587 posts
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EvilPixie
you mad me look
so 187-8 on bike and running in last few weeks
RHR has dropped to about 58 now at fittest was 48 from memory
I'm 47
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