Originally Posted by
Speedskater
I don't think that this is a max heart rate question.
I think it's "How fast should the heart rate drop (or return to normal) after the exercise ends.
It was, but the thread took a turn:
Originally Posted by
garethzbarker
I'm a little confused about max heart rate. What does Max heart rate mean anyway?
I agree with ericm. MHR doesn't mean anything in and of itself. You just have to know what it is if you're going to base training zones off of it. This involves some sort of testing (whether formal or informal) as age related "formulas" are worthless and can be way off for any particular individual. Your LTHR will change (MHR won't) with training, so you do have to reassess as you get fitter
As ericm said, it's probably more useful to know LTHR than MHR. Most of the standard books contain tests to determine LTHR. It's basically the highest HR you can sustain without going into oxygen debt. You should be able to sustain LTHR for a substantial period of time, but once you cross the line and exceed it, you'll be forced to back off within a short time.