The most commented post here on Training4cyclists.com so far was my question: What is your lowest heart rate ever? Maximum heart rate is often calculated as 220 minus your age, but there is a standard deviation on about 10 which means that 95% of us would fit into a formula called: 220 minus age +/- 20 beats. Thus, as you’ve already experienced, this formula does not have any practical usability for a serious endurance athlete.
But back to the topic, what is your highest maximum heart rate ever?
{ 73 comments… read them below or add one }
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I’m 46 years old. Just started monitoring 2 days ago. 14 minutes of Motocross. High 198. average 185. Is this dangerous?
203 on a steep hill. I’m 21 so it’s within the formula’s range.
My Garmin 705 recorded a max heart rate of 208 on my last long ride, (79 miles). Honestly I never thought it was any where near that high.. I was never ‘that’ out of breath……..weird.
I’m 41 so according to the charts I was way too high, but I felt great.
JIm
Just bought a heart rate monitor and went for a mile jog.
my average heart rate was 170 – 200.
my highest was 217, did’nt even had to sprint for this.
i’m 21 so does this mean i’m very unfit.
It depends how long it took you to run this mile
I would not be worried. When I was young (16-24) my maximum heart rate was 230-240. As I’ve done a lot of sports and aged (41 now) my maximum heart rate is down to about 195. If you plan on doing a lot of sports it is always advisable to have a yearly check with a sport physician. No matter how high or low your heart rate is.
Kees
I am an average cyclist, runner, triathlete. I am 55 years of age. I usually get dropped with the strong riding group but can keep up with the B team. I recently went and had a cardiologist stress test performed on me back in May 09. When I asked why I wanted the test done, I replied that my max heart rate had hit 188. The doctor said that there must be something wrong with my monitor. On the test, I asked to stop when my HR hit 189. Tests were all ok. Last weekend, I set a record, max hr 191 in a nike race (in the main straight sprint home); This means I am more than one stand dev away from mean. Any views whether I am doing anything dangerous at these sort of HR?
Well my heart rate is fine now but a couple of weeks ago I hit a rate of 315bpm at a hockey which I play 3 to 4 times a week. I ended up in hospital for 2 weeks trying to figure out problem but have not received 100% answer. I know have an icd implanted in my chest in case this happens again because iwas told i should not have lived through this and will not live through it again. Just wonderin if anyone has ever heard of someone getting heart rate this high as well as living to tel about it.
70 year old sprint swimmer – regularly hit 220 – 240 heart rate on repeat 100′s with no apparent ill effects – heart rate drops about 100 beats in a minute to about 120 or so – have felt about the same when sprinting for many years. If I push beyond 240 to 250 I do feel winded and maybe a little dizzy – but never sick – but definitely need to take it easy for awhile. Had a physical last month and doctor would not believe my reported heart rate – said he had been taking heart rates for 30 years and had never recorded a heart rate above 200.
I’m 17 years old. My highest HR during a mtb race was 205 bpm, but I was shocked when I once reached 212 bpm up the hill on the training ride and I didn’t feel exhausted as I was during the race when I reached 205 bpm.
I’m 45, used to be active and recently started cycling regularly.
While it’s crucial to get a physical checkup before starting an exercise program, the advice I’ve read from a number of sports physicians is that you really can’t hurt yourself increasing your heart rate just from exercise. Your heart won’t tire out or strain itself. (Dave’s case seems to be an exception, but there must have been a cause other than the exercise that caused the unusual heart rate.)
My max aerobic heart rate seems to be in the 180′s, but it hits 195 at the end of a sprint (anaerobic exercise). When I was 20 my heart rate would often be 210-220 at the end of a race or when doing sprints.
There’s a lot of individual variation, so don’t be concerned if your max heart rate is “too high” or “too low.”
Hi Watford,
I am also average club cyclist My max pulse was 189 on a club ride yesterday, I was using a Garmin edge 705, see you posted in November, any further info on why our heart rates can be so far over the average for our age?
I’ve been athletic all my life. Just recently got into the heart rate measurement thing. Have done it the old fashioned way recently (hand on jug and counting with watch). Just went out for a run and hit 218 on a straight away and on a couple of hills. Didn’t push anywhere near my max either. I think my MHR may also be in the 220-240 range. I just purchased a heart rate watch. Still in the mail. Will have to see what a more accurate reading is. Glad to hear it is not completely uncommon for some other athletes. Was thinking I am a super athlete for a bit there. haha Oh.. ps my resting heart rate is currently around 54-58.
I’m 24 and got my heart rate up to 203 yesterday. I’ve only been cycling for a season, and I don’t think I’d gotten my HR up past 192 or so last year. I was a little worried and wondering if my HR monitor was off, but after reading the comments above I realized it’s not uncommon for heart rates to get so high.
I’m 23, in the army and work out nearly everyday. My resting heart rate is currently around 52. About a year and a half ago I had been running 3-5 miles daily and on one occasion tried to keep up with a superior who was in much better shape. I ran my tail off for about 3 miles till I felt like I was going to pass out, then decided to stop. While walking back, immediately after stopping, I counted my heart rate at between 28 and 32 beats per 6 second period. Could hardly count that fast. Which adds up to about 280-320 beats per minute. Couldn’t believe it so I checked several times, hence the variance. Was totally fine after and my heart rate returned to normal about 20 minutes later (I tend to keep breathing hard for a while after I stop running, allows me to control my rate of recovery, breathing hard will keep my heart rate up in my target zone longer, so I think I can get more out of the workout). From what I found out later, bpm of around 300 are extremely dangerous, so I wonder if maybe I was counting both parts of each beat, especially as on exercise bikes I rarely get over 150 when working out hard. but I don’t think made any mistakes. Most of yall look pretty typical from what I know, though. People talk about “max heart rates” and think that literally is the fastest your heart can go without dying or something, really its more like an average/safe max heart rate. If your higher than that it just means your pushing yourself really freaking hard.
I am 55 this year and hav been a cyclist riding to and from work since 1994 and never checked my heart rate other than resting which in those day around 40 – 50 rode every day until 98 then new job and off the bike other than weekends. Got back on again a few years ago to loose some weight and rode weekends and after work. December 2009 brought heart rate monitor and worked out my maximum for age and weight which was 163bpm. Been riding most day since and ride for 17.5k’s in 42 – 43 minutes with an average of 116 bpm and a max of 149 to 163bpm, however the other day went 187 then the next day 179bpm On Friday 23 April 2010 pushed up a hill with 2 younger riders no more effects than other days as I ride the same hill everyday only thing different my mobil rang and I spoke on it for about 30 seconds. did not feel any different a little out of breath at first, as it was dark I didn’t notice till I got home that my maximum rate had hit 235.
I will see what happens next time.
I used to bike with some guys in their mid to late 60′s (they kicked my butt)..none of them used HR monitors..the reasonable explanation was that due to the way they calculate, if you are older your max rate is too low to be useful/realistic if you are pushing hills, etc..the funny explanation was that they are only useful to pinpoint time of death….the relavant point is that for older athletes the max rates were not realistic…(not sure if they had the “ownzone” feature.
Might as well chip in; just bought a heart rate monitor and my resting heart rate is around 53 but my maximum heart rate is around 220 (I’ve tested it 3 times since I got it). I’ve been riding hard for my own enjoyment since I was at school and suffered no ill effects so far. Guess it’s another aspect of my weirdness….
15 years old, 250 bpm on a run in the heat (i have tachycardia though so it’s not as bad as it sounds)
The max heart rate is something you are born with some have it some don’t. If it is high then it gives you a lot more room in which to train yourself. I am 55 and mine is about 195. I can sit all day with it above 180 and not fell at all strained.Its great when at 50 you decide to cycle by yourself through all of China or do some other mad thing you should have done years ago.
My HR on my ride today got up to 193. It was hot but not too humid. I’m 43 and my HR has always been higher then those I ride with who are all in the same age range. I had a check up 3 months ago and everything was fine. I guess it’s all individualist.
Hey I’m a 16 year old female that runs half marathons. While training my long runs would get up to 12 miles. Farther and farther into the run my heart rate would jump up to 240 bpm, that was the highest my heart monitor would register, This was due to dehydration and stress to the body mostly. I’m really healthy so I know it isn’t health problems. I have always had a high heart rate so this isn’t uncommon to me.
im 15 and just went for a 50m striding, and saw heart rate soar to 220.
I’m glad to see the responses of high rates. Some of the guys I train with tell me that my peak sustainable HR (for about 30-60 seconds @ max effort) of about 215-220 is dangerous and I am a few weeks from 40 yrs of age. I maintain a HR of about 170 for about 5-5.5 hours when I ride centuries. Thanks all for sharing your info and helping me to feel like my HR is not that crazy after all.
Cheers,
Vic
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