MHR Questions

[Night Rider]

After training without a heart rate monitor for a couple of years I splashed out and bought one a couple of months ago, it certainly seems to be helping my training with resulting improved racing. It makes me wonder now about getting a power meter, but that’s another story.

I have quite a low resting heart rate at around 38-40 bpm compared to some other riders in my grade of say 58-60 bpm. I find it hard to get my MHR over 170bpm in training or a race when others are up around 185+.

My questions are;
Is my MHR lower because my resting heart rate is lower?
Am I losing performance by my heart rate not going as high as others?
Or, have I just got further room to push myself? I calculate at my age my MHR should be up around 188-190.

Thanks, sorry these might sound like novice questions but this whole heart rate monitoring thing is new to me, didn’t do it when I was boxing either.

 

[Aapjes]

In team sports, a 60 BPM difference has been observed for people from the same team who do exact same training. A 15 BPM difference is nothing weird. Your heart rates are completely within the normal range (for someone who trains hard). The only way to change it is to change your training (sprinter training increases BPM for instance), but that would be the wrong way to approach training. You monitor your heart rate to train better and to notice your body improving or being unable to cope with the training load. It's not the other way around where you try to reach 200 BPM. There are no prices for a high heart rate

 

[stephens]

Having a lower resting heart rate is not necessarily an indication that one individual is any fitter than a guy with a higher resting heart rate. And don't put much stock into the predicted maximum heart rates either. By the chart, mine should be 180 for my age but I can sustain 190 no problem (especially running, as during my recent VO2max test).

 

[brianf7]

OK at 65years old my resting HR is 52 bpm I have a left ventricle of 63mm and 11mm thick. this has taken me 53 years of cycling at least 8 hours a wek to create it.

Any inexperienced doctor would want to add a pacemaker or blood presure diauretics and all the rest but I laugh at them my BP is still 135 / 60 .

My max is higher in summer 175 and 168 in modrate temps that is lab tested.

stuff like salt and other water retaining products will alter the HR and blood presure a significant amount so next time in the Fish n' Chipp shop take it easy on the salt

 

[Tapeworm]

Get the power meter!

 

[JessyBurke]

My questions are;
Is my MHR lower because my resting heart rate is lower?
- You're resting heart rate is lower than the minimum of the normal resting heart rate which is 60bpm because the normal heart rate is 60-120bpm. It seems that you're a bit bradycardiac. It's wise to consult your doctor about this.
Am I losing performance by my heart rate not going as high as others?
- Your ability in performance has got nothing to do with your heart rate but considering the slowness of your heart rate there must be something wrong.
Or, have I just got further room to push myself?
- If you're heart is not racing that doesn't mean that you have plenty of room to wear yourself out. That's a misconception.

BTW, how old are you? Age is also a factor for one's HR.

 

[forty four]

many many athletes have resting heart rates much lower than that. why do you say its a health issue? if my resting was at 120 which you say is normal i would see a doctor not the other way around regarding low heart rate. a lower resting heart rate in athletes is normal and generally a good thing it shows efficiency im shocked a resting of 120 is normal at all thats terrible.

 

[Night Rider]

Thanks for all the replies, very helpful.

To the person who asked, I'm 36. and my heart rate has always been that low, or lower. I remember when I was in the school cross country running team it was down around 35.

And, yes I'm saving now for the power meter! I have bumped up the order of priorities in front of new carbon wheels.

 

[JessyBurke]

many many athletes have resting heart rates much lower than that. why do you say its a health issue? if my resting was at 120 which you say is normal i would see a doctor not the other way around regarding low heart rate. a lower resting heart rate in athletes is normal and generally a good thing it shows efficiency im shocked a resting of 120 is normal at all thats terrible.

I said 60-120 bpm of heart rate is still within normal range. Whether resting or not. There are people who have a resting heart rate of 110 and still normal that's why the max cap is 120. Anything beyond that is considered an arrest.

And a slow HEART RATE which falls below the normal range is considered to be a BRADYCHARDIA and that is not normal but again that still depends on the person. What's normally slow in athletes is the RESPIRATORY RATE and not the HEART RATE. Those two are different.

 

[Tapeworm]

....And, yes I'm saving now for the power meter! I have bumped up the order of priorities in front of new carbon wheels...

Wise, wise move!

 

[elapid]

I said 60-120 bpm of heart rate is still within normal range. Whether resting or not. There are people who have a resting heart rate of 110 and still normal that's why the max cap is 120. Anything beyond that is considered an arrest.

And a slow HEART RATE which falls below the normal range is considered to be a BRADYCHARDIA and that is not normal but again that still depends on the person. What's normally slow in athletes is the RESPIRATORY RATE and not the HEART RATE. Those two are different.

Sorry, disagree. Well-trained athletes do have lower heart rates than your average Joe. Lance was below 40 bpm, Indurain was something crazy like 28 bpm. The heart, like any other muscle, responds to training. A well-trained heart can be 30-40% larger and pump 50% more blood per beat than a normal heart. The only way to get a well-trained heart is regular aerobic conditioning.

There are pathologic cardiac conditions which can cause an enlarged heart and bradycardia, and these should not be overlooked, but Night Rider sounds like he has a well-conditioned heart and a normal heart rate for an avid cyclist.

Night Rider - get the power meter. Your training will be transformed!

 

[JessyBurke]

Sorry, disagree. Well-trained athletes do have lower heart rates than your average Joe. Lance was below 40 bpm, Indurain was something crazy like 28 bpm. The heart, like any other muscle, responds to training. A well-trained heart can be 30-40% larger and pump 50% more blood per beat than a normal heart. The only way to get a well-trained heart is regular aerobic conditioning.

There are pathologic cardiac conditions which can cause an enlarged heart and bradycardia, and these should not be overlooked, but Night Rider sounds like he has a well-conditioned heart and a normal heart rate for an avid cyclist.

Night Rider - get the power meter. Your training will be transformed!

Oh ok! Well I just wanted him to make sure Sorry I'm new to being active and all. But I'm just used to the fact that when the hear beats below the normal range and larger than the normal size it's automatically a heart condition.

Thanks for that info!

 

[mherm79]

Oh ok! Well I just wanted him to make sure Sorry I'm new to being active and all. But I'm just used to the fact that when the hear beats below the normal range and larger than the normal size it's automatically a heart condition.

Thanks for that info!

If you have a resting HR below 50 and you go to hospital they will be concerned unless they know that you're very active/ fit.

 

[JessyBurke]

If you have a resting HR below 50 and you go to hospital they will be concerned unless they know that you're very active/ fit.

Yup I get it now. Thanks for the clear up!