# 215 bpm max heart rate bad?



## wagonman01

Last saturday, my HR data showed that I reached a 215 bpm sustained effort for over a minute at full sprint, down a moderately steep hill (reaching 52mph).

My heart rate jumps really high when spinning hard on downhills, about 20 bpm more than hammering uphill. 

Is this really bad for me? The worst case scenario in my head is that I'll just drop dead. 

For reference (to show my progression):

- Started getting back into shape in 2007 after being sedentary from 1999-2006 (playing computer games 16 hours a day whenever I didn't have school).
- Ran half-marathon in 2007, picked up first road bike in october
- Ran half-marathons and sprint triathlons in 2008, did many 30 mile bike rides
- Running half-marathons for PR's (aiming for 1:50), training for olympic triathlons, doing a century bike ride soon

age 26, male, 5'8, 153 lbs
resting HR - 68-70 bpm
average biking HR - 153-155 bpm cruising at 22mph
average running HR - 174-176 bpm at 7.5 mph
max ever achieved HR - 215 bpm


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## Speedi Pig

That's really high, but I took mine one time when I was much younger at roughly 210-220 (21-22 beats in 6 seconds...no HRM's in 1983). As you get older, your max HR drops, and as you get fitter, your heart doesn't have to pump as fast to pump the same volume of blood (think V-8 engine versus a 4 banger).

More basic question, are you sure the reading was accurate? At 52 mph, there may have been enough wind to dry out the HRM strap and give you a false reading (my false readings have always been high). If you're only hitting 195 going uphill all out, I would suspect that the downhill reading is false.

If you do have concerns about your health, see your doctor.


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## STARNUT

All you can do is all you can do. HR is what it is and no one ever lost or won a sprint because of HR. It's not bad or good......... it just is.

Stop looking at it or get a powermeter.

Starnut


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## jsedlak

Speedi Pig said:


> More basic question, are you sure the reading was accurate? At 52 mph, there may have been enough wind to dry out the HRM strap and give you a false reading (my false readings have always been high). If you're only hitting 195 going uphill all out, I would suspect that the downhill reading is false.


I was thinking this but the fact that it read it for a minute leads me to believe otherwise.

Personally I would attempt to recreate the conditions and see if it goes that high again. If it doesn't, then you know it was faulty reading or possibly extra adrenaline or something.

FWIW, I recently reached a max of 223 on a 50 mile group ride. Don't know when it was but figured it was a bad reading since my previous highest has only been in the mid 190s.


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## catskillclimber

I have a Polar and get a similar reading on downhills. My max hr is 180 so I knew a reading over 200, esp on a downhill was wrong. I found it was my jersey buffeting the hr monitor in the wind. Especially noticeable if you have your zipper down anywhere near the sensor. Clamp the jersey to your chest next time it occurs to verify.


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## eodusa

*adrenaline*

when i shoot my handguns i feel the rush just standing still aiming


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## muscleendurance

what gears are you riding?

crankset size e.g 52-39
and cassette e.g 25-12


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## wagonman01

Yeah I checked and rechecked the data because it could definitely be a malfunction... but I've ever had any issues with my Garmin 305 in the last 18 months that I've owned it, hence me posting on the forum. I'll do the same ride this thursday and report back if I don't keel over and die (which apparently won't happen according to STARNUT).  

muscleendurance - down that particular hill I'm at 52/12, not quite sure what my cadence is (I can check tonight when I get home). 

Adrenaline is an interesting theory (since I'm chasing down cars in a crosswind), hahaha.

The highest I've ever reached before this was 204 bpm at full sprint during a 5 km *run* that I did last year, but I only hit that for maybe 8 seconds. At any other time, my downhill spins hover in the 189-195 range at most.

The whole reason I'm posting this is just because I'm a paranoid fool. I was pretty surprised at Steve Larsen's collapse (and death) the other week, and started to wonder if maybe there's such a thing as going too hard and literally dying from it. I push myself a lot, I've gone from no muscle + being out of breath walking in the parking lot to finishing half-marathon runs in only 3 months. A physio guy examined me last Feb and convinced me to give much more time between now and my goal - a full ironman triathlon. My target was next spring, he insisted I develop and condition until 2011 at the earliest.


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## cjump

wagonman01 said:


> Yeah I checked and rechecked the data because it could definitely be a malfunction... but I've ever had any issues with my _*Garmin 305*_ in the last 18 months that I've owned it, hence me posting on the forum.


from what i hear, there is some issues that users have had with HR and descents while using their garmin. i remember reading a post on bikeforums that was the exact same situation


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## muscleendurance

Ok Im gonna stick my neck out now  ...based on your stated speed (52mph) and your gearing 52/12 Im gonna say it was IMPOSSIBLE for you to have reached that speed while pedaling (which would have meant 150rpm cadence for over a minute! )
and given that you need to check to see if your legs actually were going round at 150 times a minute..Id say they were not to be honest.

Its much more likely to have been the jersey flapping again the HR sensor on your chest!


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## ericm979

If the highest you have seen in a running sprint was 204 the downhill sprint readings are errors. It's common for HRMs to read high on descents. I have seen then read high for many minutes on longer descents.

Max HR isn't important anyhow. These days we use threshold power to set our workouts.


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## wagonman01

muscleendurance - heh, I forgot to check my data when I got home from work.  However, I'd disagree with you! Ever done Spinervals?  One of my favorite parts of any session would be the superspin intervals (30 secs on, 10 secs off) and getting up to 150rpms isn't impossible, I think I've maxed that at 162. Of course, I don't think I was at 52mph for the entire 1 minute...

ericm & cjump - I didn't know about garmins and descents. I'll chalk it off to equipment error. Thanks! I'm NOT about to bust an aorta! :thumbsup:


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## Andy69

220 minus your age is the standard "max heart rate". I suppose if you're in shape you can go higher than that. I would push it though.


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## estone2

Andy69 said:


> 220 minus your age is the standard "max heart rate". I suppose if you're in shape you can go higher than that. I would push it though.


That's only accurate for applying a max heart rate across a "general population." It's practically useles to individuals; in a laboratory VO2 max test, I hit a max heart rate of 226. I'm definitely not -6 years old.


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## ukbloke

I find it really hard to put out the same amount of power downhill as I can uphill or on the flat, so usually by heart rate recovers significantly on downhill stretches.

The heart rate on my Garmin Edge 305 used to jump up into to 220 to 240 range for minutes on end when barreling along at high speed or in the wind. It turned out to be a combination of dry electrodes, jersey flap and a slackening chest strap. I solved these problems by keeping it damp (sometimes using electrode gel to get started), tighter fitting jersey or a base-layer, and by pinning the strap to the right length and keeping it slightly snug. I think that most HRM chest straps have similar issues in these conditions.


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## buck-50

estone2 said:


> That's only accurate for applying a max heart rate across a "general population." It's practically useles to individuals; in a laboratory VO2 max test, I hit a max heart rate of 226. I'm definitely not -6 years old.


+1 on that.


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## jake21

150 RPM. I would LOVE to see that!


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## mrcookie

My garmin sometimes reads really high like that. it's been really windy here lately, and not too warm, and very dry western Colorado). if i dump a little water on my chest it almost immediately drops down as much as 50-60 bpm. I've pretty much chalked it up to the conditions making it hard to keep the electrodes moist. lately i've put a little chamois creme under the electrodes when i start out and it seems to have helped so far.... haven't decided conclusively if it works, but i think it is.


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## wagonman01

jake21 said:


> 150 RPM. I would LOVE to see that!


I've seen a 172 rpm at a spin class...


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## muscleendurance

wagonman01 said:


> I've seen a 172 rpm at a spin class...


and how much of a gap between your ass and the seat was there doin that  
bouncy bouncy bouncy....


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## Circlip

wagonman01 said:


> I've seen a 172 rpm at a spin class...


Please don't try to draw a correlation between the cadence that you can achieve on a (fixed) spin bike to what your can do on the road with a freehub. 172 isn't a big number on a spin bike.


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## heathb

Do you guys use ectrode gel on your hr straps?

I do, but I also live in Kansas and it's extremely humid this time of year.

I've never had a problem with my polar wear link+ strap, but I have had lots of problems with other straps in the past.

Next time someone posts about this you need to repeat these numbers. If you can hit 215 a few more times than it might be likely it's for real, if not than stop making the rest of us look like a bunch of old bastards.


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## atimido

wagonman01 said:


> I've seen a 172 rpm at a spin class...


At what intensity level?


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## DirtTurtle

i've hit 214 going up a nasty hill on a hot day in a crit, worlds of pain so yours is prob accurate.


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