Heart rate worries - Health + Injury

Sacco di Noci

09/10/2007 at 09:40

I'm about to turn 33, this gives me a rough theoretical max heart rate of 187. During a race on Sunday my max heart rate was 197. Is this a bad thing?

Swerve

09/10/2007 at 09:41

No.

This one comes up a lot - plenty of people are nowhere near their theoretical max. Don't worry!

sog.

09/10/2007 at 10:01

It's important to remember that the so-called max heart rate is simply "how fast can it go". It is not some kind of Do Not Exceed value. If you find your heart rate above the calcualted max value it simply means that the calculated max value is wrong for you.

Wilkie

09/10/2007 at 11:12

My theoretical max is 174, yet I have tested it to 198, and regularly run with it over 170. I did a 10k on Sunday where the average was 171 (and I wasn't pushing it hard).

Somewhere on this site you will find how to test your max heart rate - give it a go, but be prepared to feel sick at the end!

We'd love you to add a comment! Please login or take half a minute to register as a free member