Predicted maximum heart rate

I am 40 (male) and have taken up running about 4 months ago. Part of this has involved using a Polar HRM and I have a question about my maximum heart rate.

According to age the standard formulas say that my max rate is around 180. I understand that there can be +/- on this number.

The maximum the HRM picked up was 206! During the last 1.3km of my first 10k (and it was tough) it rose to 200 and also stayed at 206 for part of this. I can't believe this was a glitch as it was for around 7 minutes.

Since then (training has continued) the rate usually does not exceed 180 and tends to be 160-170 during longer steady runs. During the British 10k for example, it averaged 165 and max'd at 184

I would like to set my HR zones properly and wondered if anyone has any advice. I have it currently set to 190. My morning resting rate is 63 (4 months ago it was 77).

Paul, I am as confused as you are over this one. I am 42 (female) and using what they say is a more accurate formula for those of us over 40 i.e Max Heart rate=205-(.5X age)mine works out at 184. If your supposed to stick to 65% to 75% MHR than I should be running along with a heart rate of 119 to 138. I would almost have to do no better than a fast walk to keep within that range. I find that I am perfectly comfortable running along between 154 and 171 and in fact for over half my 10 k run this eve I stuck at 171 and was fine. My resting heart rate is now down to 52. If anyone does have any advice over all of this I would appreciate it as well.

There have been a few threads on this. The best thing to do would be to get a book on HRM training.

Your maximum HR is your own personal HR...the formula doesn't work for everyone. My maximum is only 184 so the formula is way out for me.

I'll try and find the link for the book (I have just bought it and it explains a lot).

Hope this helps.

If you're up for it - the best thing you can do is a Max Heart Rate Test - easy enough to do. Best done with a pal, clipboard, treadmill and lots of water.

Predicted can be waaaaay out.

Hey Cougs! Long time no see.

Here are the details for the book I mentioned: 'Heart Rate Monitor Training for the Compleat Idiot' by John L Parker from Amazon.

As suggested by Gary T on another thread.

I wanted to develop into use of HRM and so used several formulae to determine my Max HR and all were within just a few bpm - around 178.

I did a Max HR test on Tuesday evening and it was 177 (pretty close Eh!). So I'm impressed and the next move is to buy a HRM and start to discover the art of using one to assist my training and indeed event running.

I have read in the Polar HRM documents that the 65% refers to heart effort not heart rate. So you might think that 65% of 180 is 117 but in reality it is 145 (for me). The effort is a factor determined by resting rate and maximum.

Paul
your MHR is probably 206 my predicted is 176 actual is 196 which I have recorde now 4 times at the end of races. The formula does work for everyone.

That should be "does not work for everyone"
Sanje if your RHR has dropped you have to rework the figures, but you really must do a Max heart rate test as the formulas can be way out, also 65/75% can at first be only walking pace look at some of the other HRM threads and see how many people talk about having to walk to keep HR down to 70%

If the generalised formulae don't seem to work for you, you could get a test. There is a thread on this right near the top of the Training section at the moment. It cost me £120 to get a lactate profile and VO2 max test, which confirmed that the standard formulae didn't apply to me. It has been the most useful thing I have done (along with getting Parker's book on training with an HRM).