Fifty Plus (50+) - New personal best . . . for heart rate

Hard hill climb in hot weather - heart rate hit a new high of 192.

I thought max HR was supposed to go down as you get older, but mine has been defying that maxim. It's actually crept UP about a beat per year.

192 scares me. 170 tops out for me, I'm 56.

I was comparing notes with my fellow riders today during a rest stop - mostly men in their 50s, one in his early 60s. They all had MHRs in the 180s or low 190s. I was the youngest of the bunch, but tHe highest I've ever seen is 175.

My Dr. wants me to keep mine under 180. I'm 52.

I've noticed that when it is very hot I'll see maximum HR's and ride in higher zones with with a lower PRE during training and races that exceed the MHR that I can hit while on the trainer and during intense training under cooler conditions. I believe it has something to do with the body cooling itself. Last Thursday it was 93 degrees when I was riding with a few others over a 1 mile crit circuit. Another rider and myself would take l lap pulls and my HR would be just under my MHR during my pull then remain at lower Z5 during my recovery lap riding in the other riders draft. There is no way I could have maintained that pace for 45 minutes under normal conditions with a HR as high as what I was seeing. If I were to adjust my heart rate zones based on the reading seen under the hot conditions I don't think I would be able to complete my workouts at the adjusted zones under normal conditions.

What happens if we exceed our MHR by 1?

I have no clue what mine is.

What happens if we exceed our MHR by 1?

Then the number you were using for MHR was wrong.

My Dr. wants me to keep mine under 180. I'm 52.

Did he have any particular basis for saying this (other than your age)? I'm soon to be 58 and if my dr told me that without providing a reason other than my age, I'd find a new dr.

Wonder if two straps works the same way as two magnets on the wheels?

Treat my max as 165- when I am fit and that is nearly falling over time---But we have a certain offroad hill that you have to take in a certain manner. Only 200 yards long and starts at 10%---- then steepens to the extent where you juggle weight to keep front wheel on the ground and rear wheel traction. Not many can do it as they rush it from the bottom. I take it steady and when it gets to juggling I am still in control of my senses and can do it. But that is at 172 and I am not going to let the 30 year olds or the fit buggers get the upper hand.

But on reaching the top it is get off the bike before I fall off. I am dead for the rest of the ride- but can ride home with the praises of these "Youngsters" ringing in my ears. Not often I can do that nowadays.

Lots of misinformation about max heart rates. Remember the old formula:220 minus your age. Found to be quite invalid. Measuring max hr with a heart rate monitor (Garmen/Polar, etc.) gets it pretty close. Under strict lab conditions with calibrated equipment monitored by competent exercise physiologists is probably the "purest" way to figure out one's max. Several tests over a period of a few weeks under the same environmental conditions produces the closest thing to your real hr max. Even then, there can be quirks.

Most literature agrees that we usually loose some of our hr max as we age. When folks see a rise over the yrs more than likely they never had an accurate max hr reading. My max hr was 207--attained at the end of numerous hot, gruelling finish sprints in running road races. Over the decades of my running I have seen it gradually drop. Currently at age 66-my max was 198--about 6 months ago. I find after competing in over 450 road races I may not want to put out quite the effort I use to as in my 30's, 40's and 50's. Also, most folks measure 10%+ difference in max hr between running and biking, with running being usually the higher. Hey, I am glad I can still have a heart rate I can measure. Nick

When I got my first HRM at age 40 I was shocked to hit 195 on a fast club ride. Later learned that my max was above 200 with 209 the highest I saw at age 45.
Now at 56 I regularly get over 190 or higher depending on how my legs feel.
Sometimes my legs give out before my heart rate does.