GETTY IMAGESIf you're the proud owner of a new heart rate monitor, you’ll doubtless be wondering just how high you can make it go. And it wouldnt be a bad idea. Coaches and athletes often like to establish a maximal heart rate (or MHR) in order

of maximal heart rate is another option, but the appropriate percentage does vary between individuals. In elite male middle- and long-distance runners tested in my lab, the average heart rate at threshold was as high as 93 per cent of MHR, compared to 85 per

often see round figures quoted in general guides, ranging from 70-90 per cent of MHR. Unfortunately, the reason they’re so vague is that – as we’ve found out – we’re all different.In the early days, you’d have needed a physiological lab test to find