Not sure if this has been asked before or if this is the right forum...

My max heart rate seems to exceed my "age-predicted" max by a substantial margin.

I'm 45 and using the standard method of 220 - age, my predicted max is 175 bpm.

Using another method found here (206.9 - (0.67 x age)), my predicted rate is 177 bpm.

I regularly peg my HR at 188 bpm during max efforts. That's +11-13 bpm over my "predicted" max...

What does this mean? Just a normal margin of error in the models, or something to raise an eyebrow at?

Max heart rate is determined by testing, not by formulas. Formulas can be wildly inaccurate for any given individual.

HRmax is really a useless number anyway. Training zones should be set based on Lactic Threshold, not max.

https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/j...setting-zones/

I did the 30 minute TT a few weeks ago myself.

By the way, I'm in West Cobb. Where do you ride? Check my signature.


-Tim-

People vary. That is a little high, but not a whole bunch. I'm 58 and can hit high 170s. It is easier when out of shape.

Comments below on fitness as I think that is what you are getting at, or ignore below.
Most heart stuff is personal vs power stuff that is an external standard. I tend to like heart stuff better and find myself in a minority.

Range - resting to peak may be a tell of how fit you are. Certainly, if you can see it increase between resting and peak, you are likely fitter [than YOU were].

Time to normal. This is a huge indicator of fitness. It is the time it takes to go from high (peak or max effort) to normal effort. A fit rider will drop faster.

Interval variance - if doing longer (an hour) of interval type work the peak to "normal" will go down. What was 90-175 is now 100-165. The fitter rider takes longer for that to happen. Measure against yourself a few months apart.

Rest indicators.
Warm-up max HR - This is how hard it is to hit you near max. This is an indicator of how rested (over several days) you are. If rested, you can hit a higher number more easily than not.

Morning resting HR - This is the primary thing kid's coach used. Like the above it is a great way to show fatigue, fighting sickness. Lower (duh) is better. If elevated, think about skipping the intensity. You may end up stronger on the other side than if you worked out harder.

Total blood flow matters, but not as much as what is in the blood. Some blood carries more O2 than others. That is not always better for the general living but helps the riding.

As others mentioned, formulas are trends not rules. I'm 35 and my max is 210bpm, and my LTHR is 193. Both higher than my calculated max

I'm 59 and I see 165 during aerobic efforts, both cycling and running, and over 180 frequently when running harder but not maximum effort.

Nothing to raise an eyebrow at.

Thanks for the link - a useful read.

I'm just over the Woodstock line on 92 near Mountain Park and regularly ride in Roswell. We probably know some of the same people.

That's a ditto for me.

Using 220 - your age as an accurate value for *an individual* is like saying: Since the average height of adult males in the US is 5'10", ALL adult males in the US are 5'10" tall. The absurdity is apparent!

Thanks for the great responses everyone, I appreciate the insight -