Heart rate and HRM questions

Muldactus
Muldactus Posts: 6,972 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Been using my HRM to track my cal burn for exercise to get as accurate a number as possible for my diary. I've run into a couple of questions that I'd appreciate some input on.

1: How high a heart rate is too high? I've got asthma and I don't sweat, and I remember a couple of months ago someone telling me to add 10 to the number - I'm assuming that means add it to the acceptable peak rate, but I'm not even sure what a safe peak rate is and at what point I should start worrying. I hit 181 today doing walk/run intervals on the treadmill, and was really feeling wobbly and gasping towards the end.

2: I start my HRM when I start my workout - as soon as I take the first step on the treadmill, or bike or eliptical, I hit start. But when do you stop it? As soon as you stop the machine, or when your heart rate slows down to a certain rate? I've been leaving mine running until my heart rate drops below 120 on the assumption that if it's above that it's still burning cals at an accellerated rate. Is this right, or am I doing it wrong?

Replies

  • Muldactus
    Muldactus Posts: 6,972 Member
    Giving this a bump to see if I can get some answers.
  • onyxgirl17
    onyxgirl17 Posts: 1,722 Member
    I want to know too!
  • Roly59
    Roly59 Posts: 21
    I'm also interested in any responses to this. I do 3 spinning classes a week. The instructor reckons I should be working within 75% and I struggle to keep it below 90% is this good or bad?
  • diverdiza
    diverdiza Posts: 82 Member
    Did you leave the max HR to be calculated by the HRM or have you input it yourself?
    There are several formulas you can use to determine your max HR - based on:
    http://doctorholmes.wordpress.com/2008/11/03/calculating-your-heart-rate-training-zones/
    I ended up increasing the setting on my HRM. The same author also gives an alternate method - the Karvonen method - for determining training zones: http://doctorholmes.wordpress.com/2008/11/07/calculating-your-training-zones-with-the-karvonen-method/
    Another useful webpage to consult is http://www.brianmac.co.uk/maxhr.htm
    Otherwise you can do a maximal or submaximal test to determine your maximum.
    There are a few threads here as well where the subject of max HR are discussed, which have useful links and info.
  • photorific
    photorific Posts: 577 Member
    I also am asthmatic and don't really sweat (as much as most people). My heart rate has always been higher than others' - if I went by the charts, I should have exploded by now. Doing C25K, my heart rate is typically between 180-185. That said, I think I'm becoming a bit more cardio-efficient, because today it was about 175 and I wasn't particularly "easy" on my run. One thing I've learned that helps me is to take my inhaler as a preventative measure before I run.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    This web site uses a whole bunch of different formulas to calculate your maximum heart rate, so you'll see a pretty wide variance:
    http://www.brianmac.co.uk/maxhr.htm

    Like photoriffic, I don't pay too much attention to those maximum numbers though - my HRM has recorded numbers up over 200 pretty often and I'm not dead yet, even though my max "should" be anywhere from about 166 - 179.

    Remember that they are all just estimates, so be guided by how you feel (and by your doctor's advice if you have any medical conditions). If you are feeling wobbly, I'm guessing that you might be wise to slow down a little.

    I turn my Garmin off when I finish exercising (ie. when I get home from a run, which usually incorporates a cool down. You will continue to burn calories after you have finished exercising - but I think it's just too hard to tell how much would be over and above the cals you burn anyway... so I just work on the cals burnt during the actual exercise period (usually a run in my case).

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