Low maximum heart rate
 

About 2 years ago I was in probably the best shape that I have been in for several years. I decided to see what my maximum heart rate was so on a long hill I started pushing as hard as I could. After about 3 minutes, I started heaving and gagging like I was going to throw up so I look and the BPM was 155.

I am now 58 years old.

I laid off riding for about a year and I have started back and have about 40 miles in which is hill climbing. I ride up the hill and back down. To get to this hill I have to walk about 1/2 mile down a dirt road and then I start riding my bike. On the walk my HR hits 100. I try to ride slowly up the hill so that my HR only gets up to about 110 for the first couple of times and then I work my HR up to about 135 around my 3 mile mark. Of course my HR rate drops back to around 105 on my descents. So I end up with ramping up the HR and then ramping back down.

This little hill is tough for me. My legs get pretty wiped out on the climb but recover enough for the next climb. I am spinning in a very low gear and my speed is around 5 mph up the hill and 26 mph down the hill.

I also noticed that on my walk back home that the HR stayed up around 125.

Does this seem normal for HR's or am I doing something wrong?

Are you drinking enough? Your heart rate goes up when you are dehydrated.

After a year sedentary(or ill?) your fitness would have dropped quite a bit... so don't be comparing the old rate to the new one otherwise you're prone to overdue it!

How long have you been doing this little routine(which sounds like interval training)? Maybe you can practice on smaller hills?

I have been riding this hill for the last 3 weeks. Today was the first day using a HRM.

I didn't drink anything today and rode about an hour. So maybe dehydration caused the higher heart rate on the walk back home. Thanks for the tip.

It's normal for the HR to be elevated somewhat after exercise.

Are you deliberatly keeping the hr @ 135 or is that the highest you can get to?

I can get the rate up a little more but 155 is my max so if I go above 135 I am going to be suffering.

Jim,

Some people just run low maximum heart rates. I used to ride with two other guys. We compared max heart rates. Jack pretty much topped out at 165 or so. I topped out at a bit over 190. Larry was the champ. I think he once hit 215. We were all in the late 40s at the time. But you see in my example, three guys about the same age and similar fitness levels with markedly different maximum heart rates.

If you go to a physician be sure to go to one who has seen some fit people. Some of the adaptations that the heart does in response to aerobic exercise look quite similar to congestive heart failure. If your physician has not seen fit people before, they might think you are about to keel over.

In any case, a max of 155 for a 58 yr old would not be unusual. It's typically raises a flag when you're more than 2 std dev below your age-predicted max.

The formula 208-0.7*age (one of the better ones), has a standard deviation of about 7, and predicts you to have a max HR of 167. 155 is within 2 SD.

Thanks again. I went riding my hill today and did pretty much the same as yesterday except I drank water during the ride. On the walk back home my HR came back down to 115 so maybe a little water during the hour of riding helps with the recovery HR. My peak HR was 141 and my average was 120 for the hour. So I was averaging 77% of max HR for an hour. Maybe this will help me improve my fitness.

Thanks again.

I think your max seems a little low but like others have pointed out, everyone's different. I, for one, hadn't done any exercising for over 12 years up until I got my bike a little over a month ago. I am 29 and still overweight (5'10" and 197 lbs) but with my new HRM I have found out I max out in the 180's and need to take a break. My breaks involve resting with one foot on the ground drinking a little bit of water for around 30 seconds until my heart rate gets back down to 160 or lower.

I have realized since getting my HRM that while cycling, my heart rate is basically never below 135 no matter what. Although the 180's seem to be my max, I can operate in that range for a good amount of time before needing to take a break.

I usually find myself hitting 180+ only while on hills and inclines. I recover pretty quick and for being overweight and out of shape so I suppose having a max over 180 bpm means my cardiovascular system is pretty strong.

I know I've hit well over 180 before I got my HRM but I can't verify the number, of course. I will always wear my HRM on rides for now on as I enjoy learning more about my body and I'm a 'numbers' guy who overanalyzes everything!