Question for the Runners

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evviamarshall
evviamarshall Posts: 80 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've been told that your max heart rate is 220 - your age. Which would make mine 187 and when you exercise you shouldn't go over 85% of that. So for me that's about 158 that I should not exceed. When I run I go way over that though, does this happen to you too?

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  • wibblefps
    wibblefps Posts: 78
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    Generally shouldn't worry about it. The maths says mine shouldn't go over 153 and I peak at 174 according to my heart rate monitor. Sometimes I use that as que to ease off so I can run for longer but sometimes do it on purpose for the last 15mins just for the burn.

    If, however, you start feeling any of feint, weak, dizzy, blurred vision, spots before your eyes or your heart rate stays elavated for long time even after you stop, have a chat with your doctor just to be safe. TBH, anything to do with heart rate, there is no harm whatsoever in chatting to the doctor, however I wouldn't be worried.
  • SadFaerie
    SadFaerie Posts: 243 Member
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    I don't use HRM anymore, cause I never remember it, but yes, I was often in 170-180 zone, especially when doing sprint/run splits. It's probably better for unconditioned people to stay in lower zones, heart is a muscle and has to be worked gradually like any other, so if you're a beginner or have a heart condition, you probably shouldn't go all out, but once you train some, my personal experience says it's safe. (Just never EVER use pre workouts if you're planning to keep 165+ for an extended amount of time!!!)
  • DymonNdaRgh40
    DymonNdaRgh40 Posts: 661 Member
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    Hi,
    I've heard that your maximum HRM is just that, your max. A lot of athletes train at their max. I haven't found much negative information about working at your maximum level. I always use my HRM when I run. My max is 182, but I'm often at 151 to start and on my long runs my max usually ends at 173 at the most, even when I incorporate sprints. The longer I run though the higher it goes. I think it depends on how athletic you are and how it feels to you.
  • froeschli
    froeschli Posts: 1,292 Member
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    there are tests to determine your actual max heart rate.
    220-age just ballparks the average person - accurate by +-10 beats for 30% of the population or something (not a statistics major here). anyhow you get the idea....
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    When I'm working on my time running short distances (5k-10k) I'm usually averaging 88-92% of my max. I don't worry about it much, I use my HR more for a tool to pace on short or my longer runs.

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