Training & Nutrition - Do pros tend to have lower maximum heart rates?

listening to some comentary during the Tour, the comentators occasionally gave us the HR of a rider, and they all seemed to have a max HR under 190; mine is 204.

Does this mean I have no hope? :)

Does this mean top riders have bigger hearts?

Is it ideal to have a lower maximum to be a top rider?

Maximum heart rate decreases as you get fitter. as you fatigue over a period of time (e.g., during the TdF) your maximum and sustainable HR values decrease.

Top riders most likely do have bigger hearts.

ric

The 190 maximum that they give for the rider is not their upper threshold. What they are giving is the rider's aerobic maximum heartrate. If these riders want to bury the needle in the red and go anaerobic they can easily surpass the 190.

The 190 maximum that they give for the rider is not their upper threshold. What they are giving is the rider's aerobic maximum heartrate. If these riders want to bury the needle in the red and go anaerobic they can easily surpass the 190.


this simply isn't true

ric

Maximum heartrate is pretty much set by genetics and decreases with age. The most common estimate for adults is 220-age=max heartrate. So the average 20 year old would have a max heartrate of 200 bpm. This formula, although widely used, is not very accurate. The only way to know your max heartrate is to test for it. However, increased fitness does not increase the maximum heartrate - at least not significantly.

With improved fitness, an individual should see a reduction in the minimum (or resting) heartrate and an increase in the anerobic threshold heart rates and lactic acid threshold heart rates.

However, increased fitness does not increase the maximum heartrate - at least not significantly.

as mentioned previously, HRmax decreases with increased fitness

ric

The 1996 Olympic road race Champion Pascal Richard had a max HR of 160. A few years ago I read that a USPS rider (might have been Frankie Andreau, I don't remember for sure) had a Max HR of OVER 220. Locally one of the stud mountain bikers we have locally has a Max of 208.

I don't think it really matters. My max is under 190 and I have NO hope to race the tour.

Mo


listening to some comentary during the Tour, the comentators occasionally gave us the HR of a rider, and they all seemed to have a max HR under 190; mine is 204.

Does this mean I have no hope? :)

Does this mean top riders have bigger hearts?

Is it ideal to have a lower maximum to be a top rider?

as mentioned previously, HRmax decreases with increased fitness

ric

This is the only place I have heard this. Do you have a reference to any study showing max heartrate decreasing with fitness? I have read MANY places that Max heart rate is independant of fitness and dependant only on genetics and age. I have also read a few claims that good fitness prevents max heartrate from dropping with age but I have yet to read any evidence of this.

Maximum heart rate decreases as you get fitter.

A max heart rate doesn't decrease as you get more physically fit. As you excercise and increase your level of fitness, your cardio-vascular system also becomes more efficient. What this means is that it takes your heart less work to get oxygen to where it's needed in your body, which means you have a lower heart rate for the same level of effort.

A max heart rate doesn't decrease as you get more physically fit. As you excercise and increase your level of fitness, your cardio-vascular system also becomes more efficient. What this means is that it takes your heart less work to get oxygen to where it's needed in your body, which means you have a lower heart rate for the same level of effort.

After reading Ric Stearn's comment I did some searching specifically for any references to decreasing HRmax with fitness. I did find several claims to that effect but only one claim with any specifics and that claimed up to 6-10 bpm reduction with increased fitness. I also see as many claims stating that HRmax will decrease at a slower rate with age for higly fit individuals. However, it seems certain to me that the HRmax is primarily determined by genetics and age.

A max heart rate doesn't decrease as you get more physically fit. As you excercise and increase your level of fitness, your cardio-vascular system also becomes more efficient. What this means is that it takes your heart less work to get oxygen to where it's needed in your body, which means you have a lower heart rate for the same level of effort.

HRmax *DOES* decrease with increased fitness level, and is mainly related to changes in plasma volume (which increases). for e.g., see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=3747802

this shows HRmax (termed peak in this study, but the same thing) increases on average 9 b/min after detraining.

ric

After reading Ric Stearn's comment I did some searching specifically for any references to decreasing HRmax with fitness. I did find several claims to that effect but only one claim with any specifics and that claimed up to 6-10 bpm reduction with increased fitness. I also see as many claims stating that HRmax will decrease at a slower rate with age for higly fit individuals. However, it seems certain to me that the HRmax is primarily determined by genetics and age.


it's *Stern*.

HRmax does not decrease at a slower rate with increased fitness, and may actually decrease at a faster rate (i can't recall this at present). VO2max however, does decrease at a faster rate in ageing athletes compared to sedentary controls.

ric

ric,
What do you think of Sally Edwards reasearch on HR? I have had good luck with her info in the books in the past. Sally's site (http://www.heartzone.com/index.shtml) Basically her formula which I have seen before, just not sure where, is 210 - age/2 - 5%weight + 4 (male). This yeidls me a max of 180, which is close to what I saw in 01/02 when I did some hard riding. I had a max of 182 recorded numerious times on my HRM when I d/l that data. (Hard climbs) I was 47 then.

Right now I am using her Zone 3 and riding to lose weight, 126-144 range.

ric,
What do you think of Sally Edwards reasearch on HR? I have had good luck with her info in the books in the past. Sally's site (http://www.heartzone.com/index.shtml) Basically her formula which I have seen before, just not sure where, is 210 - age/2 - 5%weight + 4 (male). This yeidls me a max of 180, which is close to what I saw in 01/02 when I did some hard riding. I had a max of 182 recorded numerious times on my HRM when I d/l that data. (Hard climbs) I was 47 then.

Right now I am using her Zone 3 and riding to lose weight, 126-144 range.


to be honest, i have no idea, i'd have thought it was as accurate as the 220-age, which has a standard deviation of 15 b/min. when i use HR zones, i base them on true HRmax, and use these figures or similar as seen as a vague corresponder to these power zones http://www.cyclingnews.com/fitness/?id=powerstern

ric

ric,
What do you think of Sally Edwards reasearch on HR? I have had good luck with her info in the books in the past. Sally's site (http://www.heartzone.com/index.shtml) Basically her formula which I have seen before, just not sure where, is 210 - age/2 - 5%weight + 4 (male). This yeidls me a max of 180, which is close to what I saw in 01/02 when I did some hard riding. I had a max of 182 recorded numerious times on my HRM when I d/l that data. (Hard climbs) I was 47 then.

Right now I am using her Zone 3 and riding to lose weight, 126-144 range.


Fat burning myths:

http://www.volleyweb.com/lylemcd/fat.burning.html

ric, thanks for the info an the link. Right now that formula is about right as I go anarobic in the mid 140's.

nutbag, 126 = 70% and 144 = 80% for me I do hard rides at the top to 155, which my doctor told me not to go above yet (high BP) and moderate ride 125 - 135. Today is easy/recovery ride and I will hold 125 - 130 for 25 miles.

Maximum heart rate decreases as you get fitter.ric

Absolutely false. Your AT/HR will decrease with an increased fitness level - in other words, you will be able to ride faster with less effort. Your MaxHR is genetic. Some argue that your maxHR decreases with age (about 1 beat/min./year), but that may or may not be true, as mine has been virtually the same for the past 7 years.

Absolutely false. Your AT/HR will decrease with an increased fitness level - in other words, you will be able to ride faster with less effort. Your MaxHR is genetic. Some argue that your maxHR decreases with age (about 1 beat/min./year), but that may or may not be true, as mine has been virtually the same for the past 7 years.

This isn't false, HRmax decreases with training. And there's no such thing as AT. And yes, HRmax does on average decrease with age.

Ric (sports scientist, professional cycle coach).

This isn't false, HRmax decreases with training. And there's no such thing as AT. And yes, HRmax does on average decrease with age.

Ric (sports scientist, professional cycle coach).

There's no such thing as Anaerobic threshold? Okay coach! :rolleyes:

There's no such thing as Anaerobic threshold? Okay coach! :rolleyes:

AT is a misnomer and the expression is no longer used. The nearest equivalent would be MLSS, or OBLA (another outdated term), or CP. what i guess you really mean is some [actual] marker of TT power, but there isn't one

ric

just for the record, I have a friend who has a warm up heart rate of 180, while mine is usually 140. It could be because she has only one leg, but I can't back that up

MLSS, or OBLA (another outdated term), or CP.

ric, can you define these terms, ie names, for the uninformed? I too learned AT when I raced >10 years ago.
Thanks

MLSS = maximal lactate steady state, highest power output you can ride at without an increase (or a very small one) of lactate. (close but likely below what you can sustain for a 40-km TT)

OBLA = Onset of blood lactate accumulation, the power output that elicits a 4 mmol/L lactate reading

CP = Critical power. the extrapolation of two or three tests of varying durations to give a power output from the eqn y = mx + c. (will over estimate power for > 60-mins duration)

Additionally, LT, lactate threshold, = the power output that elicits a 1 mmol/L increase in lactate over exercise baseline level (which will result in a lactate of ~ 2.xx mmol/L) or at a fixed value of 2.5 mmol/L. (about 15% less power than that, which can be sustained for ~ 1-hr).

Additionally (ii), MAP = maximal aerobic power = the power output that is averaged over the final minute of a maximal incremental test to exhaustion, where various power can be estimated from this, see http://www.cyclingnews.com/fitness/?id=powerstern

if you want to know what power you can sustain for a ~1-h TT (or whatever duration) then do one, don't rely on these markers.

additionally, and most importantly, none of these measures have anything to do with HR and should never have HR data with them (i.e., you can't say your LT = 160 b/min).

ric

MLSS = maximal lactate steady state, highest power output you can ride at without an increase (or a very small one) of lactate. (close but likely below what you can sustain for a 40-km TT)

OBLA = Onset of blood lactate accumulation, the power output that elicits a 4 mmol/L lactate reading

CP = Critical power. the extrapolation of two or three tests of varying durations to give a power output from the eqn y = mx + c. (will over estimate power for > 60-mins duration)

Additionally, LT, lactate threshold, = the power output that elicits a 1 mmol/L increase in lactate over exercise baseline level (which will result in a lactate of ~ 2.xx mmol/L) or at a fixed value of 2.5 mmol/L. (about 15% less power than that, which can be sustained for ~ 1-hr).

Additionally (ii), MAP = maximal aerobic power = the power output that is averaged over the final minute of a maximal incremental test to exhaustion, where various power can be estimated from this, see http://www.cyclingnews.com/fitness/?id=powerstern

if you want to know what power you can sustain for a ~1-h TT (or whatever duration) then do one, don't rely on these markers.

additionally, and most importantly, none of these measures have anything to do with HR and should never have HR data with them (i.e., you can't say your LT = 160 b/min).

ric

Very good information! However, I have to slightly disagree with one point. I believe that you can get a reasonably accurate LT/HR. Really, those of us without power-meters, and/or access to a lab have no other measure than a HRM to guage LT. I know that LT and HR are not necessarily related, but for those of us without the funds, or time, I think it is still a good measurement tool.

Very good information! However, I have to slightly disagree with one point. I believe that you can get a reasonably accurate LT/HR. Really, those of us without power-meters, and/or access to a lab have no other measure than a HRM to guage LT. I know that LT and HR are not necessarily related, but for those of us without the funds, or time, I think it is still a good measurement tool.

while you may be able to get a reasonable measure of HR, it should never be stated. don't forget it varies widely depending on training. for e.g., if i race on two consecutive days, i can produce the same power (give or take one or two watts) both days, but the second day my HR can be ~ 10 b/min lower.

However, the main point is, some of the measures i listed need to be conducted in a lab, and aren't really that useful outside of the lab (e.g., the blood lactates ones), simply because, although they're highly correlated to actual endurance performance, they mainly work out at less than the maximal you can sustain for the time period. In other words, if you want to know your HR for a TT don't rely on LT/OBLA/MLSS/etc estimates, go and ride a TT (notwithstanding the fact that on consecutive race days they'll be different)

ric

The 1996 Olympic road race Champion Pascal Richard had a max HR of 160. A few years ago I read that a USPS rider (might have been Frankie Andreau, I don't remember for sure) had a Max HR of OVER 220. Locally one of the stud mountain bikers we have locally has a Max of 208.

I don't think it really matters. My max is under 190 and I have NO hope to race the tour.

Mo

Thanks. I'd like to get more stats on top riders, to get more of a trend.

check this out, although in fairness, HRmax isn't mentioned http://tdf.polar.fi/tourdefrance/

ric

This feels like a stupid question, especially since I have studied a fair amount of biology/physiology. Here it goes anyway: What happens if your body's demand for blood/O2 surpasses what your maximun HR can deliver? In other words, is the Max HR a hard cut-off(like a rev limiter in a car), or can it continue to try to speed up after reaching Max HR? If it's the second, what happens-fibrilation?

check this out, although in fairness, HRmax isn't mentioned http://tdf.polar.fi/tourdefrance/

ric

Thanks, good stuff...but it's kinda giving me the 'bad' news I suspected was out there; all those guys hardly exceeded 180bpm, even during the time trials.

I feel I'm in reasonable shape, for a club rider, and I can still hold a conversation (although I would be puffing) while sittng on the low 180s. I don't get "speachless" 'til about 190, and my maximum is about 204......and I'm 37!! :(

Ric, thatnks for the info and links. I notice the 10+ bmp drop every weekend when I ride. Second day my HR is much lower for the same work level

Thanks, good stuff...but it's kinda giving me the 'bad' news I suspected was out there; all those guys hardly exceeded 180bpm, even during the time trials.

I feel I'm in reasonable shape, for a club rider, and I can still hold a conversation (although I would be puffing) while sittng on the low 180s. I don't get "speachless" 'til about 190, and my maximum is about 204......and I'm 37!! :(

it's not bad news that those riders shown didn't exceed (e.g.) 180 bpm. it just means that their HRmax is lower than yours. There's other pros who have the same HRmax as you.

ric

This feels like a stupid question, especially since I have studied a fair amount of biology/physiology. Here it goes anyway: What happens if your body's demand for blood/O2 surpasses what your maximun HR can deliver? In other words, is the Max HR a hard cut-off(like a rev limiter in a car), or can it continue to try to speed up after reaching Max HR? If it's the second, what happens-fibrilation?

By the time you reach your HRmax, you'll have gone way past the workload associated with VO2max, and will be working anaerobically (although still an aerobic contribution). At the same time this is happening your blood lactate will be increasing, and thus concomitantly there'll be an increase in H+ ion accumulation, causing a decrease in pH (i.e., you're becoming acidotic). eventually, depending on how much pain you're willing to take you will have to cease exercise or greatly reduce the intensity to allow recovery and exercise to continue. You may make a few minutes at HRmax, before you have to stop or greatly ease up.

ric

By the time you reach your HRmax, you'll have gone way past the workload associated with VO2max, and will be working anaerobically (although still an aerobic contribution). At the same time this is happening your blood lactate will be increasing, and thus concomitantly there'll be an increase in H+ ion accumulation, causing a decrease in pH (i.e., you're becoming acidotic). eventually, depending on how much pain you're willing to take you will have to cease exercise or greatly reduce the intensity to allow recovery and exercise to continue. You may make a few minutes at HRmax, before you have to stop or greatly ease up.

ric
It sounds like oxygen debt and acidosis would cause you to pass out after too long.

[QUOTE=Ric Stern]By the time you reach your HRmax, you'll have gone way past the workload associated with VO2max, and will be working anaerobically (although still an aerobic contribution). At the same time this is happening your blood lactate will be increasing, and thus concomitantly there'll be an increase in H+ ion accumulation, causing a decrease in pH (i.e., you're becoming acidotic). eventually, depending on how much pain you're willing to take you will have to cease exercise or greatly reduce the intensity to allow recovery and exercise to continue. You may make a few minutes at HRmax, before you have to stop or greatly ease up.

What is the air velocity of an unladen swallow?

It sounds like oxygen debt and acidosis would cause you to pass out after too long.

it's quite unlikely you'd pass out, most people (>99%) will just ease up or stop, the pain would be too much to continue.

Maximum heart rate decreases as you get fitter. as you fatigue over a period of time (e.g., during the TdF) your maximum and sustainable HR values decrease.

Top riders most likely do have bigger hearts.

ric

From DrMirkin.com


Many of the standard tests used to measure heart function are based on a nonsensical MAXIMUM HEART RATE formula, that predicts the fastest your heart can beat and still pump blood through your body. Although this formula is the golden standard used today, it is not based on science. In 1970, a good friend, Sam Fox, was the director of the United States Public Health Service Program to Prevent heart disease. He is one of the most respected heart specialists in the world. He and a young researcher named William Haskell were flying to a meeting. They put together several studies comparing maximum heart rate and age. Sam Fox took out a pencil and plotted a graph of age verses maximum heart rate and said it looks like maximum heart rate is equal to 220 minus a person's age. For the last 30 years, this formula has been taught in physical education and heart function course and has been used to test heart function and athletic fitness. In the 1960s, Sam Fox was very helpful to me when I was competing, planning and setting up running programs, but the whole concept of maximum heart rate and the formula that it is equal to 220 minus your age is ridiculous.

The formula is wrong because your legs drive your heart. Your heart does not drive your legs. Maximum heart rate depends on the strength of your legs, not the strength of your heart. When you contract your leg muscles, they squeeze against the blood vessels near them to pump blood from your leg veins toward your heart. When your leg muscle relax, your leg veins fill with blood. So your leg muscles pump increased amounts of blood toward your heart. This increased blood fills the heart and causes your heart to be faster and with more force. This is called the Bainbridge reflex that doctors are taught in their first year of medical school. The stronger your legs are, the more blood they can pump, which causes your heart to beat faster. Since I race at my maximum speed most weekends on my bicycle, my legs are very strong and can pump blood forcibly to my heart. The formula, 220 minus age, claims that I can get my heart rate only up to 220 minus 66 or 154. I am 66 years old and I can easily get my heart rate above 210 beats a minute because I am in shape. An out-of-shape 20 year may have maximum heart rate of only 120.

A pencil mark plotted on a graph during an airplane flight more than 30 years ago has been the accepted formula for maximum heart rate for more than 30 years and the medical community has accepted false dogma, based on no research, for more than 30 years.

From DrMirkin.com
Since I race at my maximum speed most weekends on my bicycle, my legs are very strong and can pump blood forcibly to my heart. The formula, 220 minus age, claims that I can get my heart rate only up to 220 minus 66 or 154. I am 66 years old and I can easily get my heart rate above 210 beats a minute because I am in shape. An out-of-shape 20 year may have maximum heart rate of only 120.


This is complete rubbish. based on the above it's clear that Mirkin doesn't know the first thing about exercise physiology. How would he explain that many in the TdF have HRmax of 170 and 180 bpm and some have lower still?

ric

according to velonews lance has a max heart rate of about 201 and tyler hamilton has one of about 202. lance also said that hincapie sustains a slightly higher heart rate then he does during hard workouts, but with the same pace.

according to velonews lance has a max heart rate of about 201 and tyler hamilton has one of about 202. lance also said that hincapie sustains a slightly higher heart rate then he does during hard workouts, but with the same pace.

Thanks.

by the way, if anyone reads this thread in the distant future; months, a year, whatever, I'd still be interested in any info :)

When I was 26 I had my HR up to 198bpm playing 5-a-side football/soccer (thanks to my Cateye MSC-3DX cycle computer/hrm). I find that playing 5-a-side gets my heart rate up to much higher values than cycling; the constant stop/start/sprint nature of the game helps. It was over 190bmp for a good 10 minutes out of the hour looking at the graph (heart rate recorded every 5 seconds).

That's what I use for my HRmax value as that's the highest I've ever seen it.

The various formulae out there for determining HRmax are a good start but the best option is to invest in a heart rate monitor and find out for yourself.

I tend to get lower maximum heart rates whilst cycling (compared to running/football). 181 was my max whilst cycling up Mont Ventoux. 188 going up Alpe D'Huez and only 180 cycling round Richmond Park in SW London.

When I was 26 I had my HR up to 198bpm playing 5-a-side football/soccer (thanks to my Cateye MSC-3DX cycle computer/hrm). I find that playing 5-a-side gets my heart rate up to much higher values than cycling; the constant stop/start/sprint nature of the game helps. It was over 190bmp for a good 10 minutes out of the hour looking at the graph (heart rate recorded every 5 seconds).

That's what I use for my HRmax value as that's the highest I've ever seen it.

The various formulae out there for determining HRmax are a good start but the best option is to invest in a heart rate monitor and find out for yourself.

I tend to get lower maximum heart rates whilst cycling (compared to running/football). 181 was my max whilst cycling up Mont Ventoux. 188 going up Alpe D'Huez and only 180 cycling round Richmond Park in SW London.


if you're using HR for training zone intensity, then you need ascertain your HRmax for each sport that you do as it will differ. in well trained cyclists, they will score a higher HRmax with cycling compared to running (and the same for VO2max).

while cycling, you need to make a *maximal* sustained effort to ascertain your HRmax. It's highly unlikely that you can do this when climbing a mountain such as the Ventoux or the Huez. Firstly, as you may have had more to do after the climbs and may have done some cycling either acutely or chronically before the climbs, anxiety of completing the ride, or fatigue will prevent a maximal effort. you generally need a short effort (~15-mins) to get a maximal reading and these climbs are much longer than that.

additionally, the effects of altitude (reduces HRmax) and cadence (lower cadence = lower HR) will affect you reaching HRmax.

The peak value that you reach while climbing these mountains, won't neccesarily be your HRmax.

if you find the intermittent nature of football raises your HR to a percieved higher level than cycling, why not try an intermittent all out cycling effort and see what HR that produces.

finally, unless you are exceedingly well motivated, and in a well recovered state it's quite difficult to reach HRmax

ric

if you're using HR for training zone intensity, then you need ascertain your HRmax

ric

Hmmm, I challenge you to answer this question I posed a while back. Nobody really gave me what I was looking for: :)
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=52917

if you're using HR for training zone intensity, then you need ascertain your HRmax

ric

Ok, Ric, I really needed someone like you around when I posted this one:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=457741#post457741

This problem has been going on for 2 years!?!?!?! :mad:

I don't think anyone in the world knows the solution. How's that for a challenge?

(hmmm, seems I've hijacked my own thread :) )

i'm not an expert or know much about muscle strains etc., that's a completely different sphere of work to my job. however, i can say it's nothing to do with your abs.

has the issue resolved itself. in a situation like this i'd suggest rest until you see a specialist in such issues.

ric

i'm not an expert or know much about muscle strains etc., that's a completely different sphere of work to my job. however, i can say it's nothing to do with your abs.

has the issue resolved itself. in a situation like this i'd suggest rest until you see a specialist in such issues.

ric

I've managed to improve the situation with a lot of groin stretching, hammy stretching, and massage, but it still haunts me if I don't do a very long warm up

So let me get this straight....I can actually lower my maximum HR by training....or by just growing old (since it decreases with age as the 220-age type formulas demonstrate)! Does a persons max HR even matter for any purpose other than establishing target training zones for that individual? And to be real clear, comparing one person's HR max to another person's means absolutely nothing just like comparing only their weights with all other considerations ignored would mean nothing. No?

Well someone correct me if I am wrong, but this is what I have read. That your maximum heart rate is based on pure genetics, and the actual physical size of your heart and not really a factor to measure fitness? Only your resting heart rate and timed recovery heart rate would dictate fitness,no?

I am 6,5, 190 , with most of my weight in my legs, and a very small upper body that people tell me is perfect for cycling (as a kid I always had huge long legs).

My Max heart rate is only 180, that's all out max, my lactate threshold is around 155, with a resting heart rate of 39, which always seemed low to me, but my point is. I just started competition riding, and group training, and noticed that my cadense is alot lower then most other people (a lot smaller then me), I really mash hard on each stroke rather then spin fast.....is this a bad habit? Should I change this, or is it fine for my "style" of cycling and body type?

I always read about lance having a high cadense, and I counted his cadense on the tour, it was up at like 115, were I tried to go that quick and it just slowed me down big time. So do I need more practise to learn how to fast pedal, or is this a genetic thing?

Just curious...I have been wondering this and have gotten varied answers from friends with little knowledge on the subject so i don't know how to take it.

I always read about lance having a high cadense, and I counted his cadense on the tour, it was up at like 115, were I tried to go that quick and it just slowed me down big time. So do I need more practise to learn how to fast pedal, or is this a genetic thing?

Just curious...I have been wondering this and have gotten varied answers from friends with little knowledge on the subject so i don't know how to take it.

I'm just curious, what length cranks do you have? I hope you've explored that, because most people would say that you probably shouldn't be using a "standard" 175mm. I know a guy who's 6'2", and he uses 180s!!. So, that'll mean you'll have to rearrange your cadence again. :)

Do you know your inseam length?

Chris Carmichael says in one of his more recent books, that the high rpms were very simply devised for Lance because he lost a lot a size off his legs after he got sick (as well as the rest of his body).
This is simplified, but Carmichael intimates that the high revs was no brilliant idea, he just thinks that big guys can push big gears, and little guys can't, so they must spin a bit higher.

So according to what I've read:

MaxHR decreases as I get older.
MaxHR decreases as I get more fit.

Therefore, older = more fit! I can't wait until I get into my 40s and 50s!

I'm just curious, what length cranks do you have?

Do you know your inseam length?


Hey nutbag,

Yea, my crank lenght is 180mm , and my inseam is 36.5 Inches. Next bike I am getting will be all custom :)

The funny thing is I am a horrible sprinter (I thought big guys sprinted well), but a great climber, nobody I know can stay with me on a huge climb.

So it's weird....I thought maybe because I was so bad on flat road was because my cadense was to low, my heart rate seems to recover a alot slower then others, but that could just be my conditioning (or their on EPO...lol).