Fitness professionals realize the importance of knowing peak heart rate. If you consider your health important, you should too. Without knowing what your peak heart rate is, you most likely aren't training at the optimal level for performance, weight loss or general fitness.
What is It?
Peak heart rate is the maximum amount of times your heart can beat in one minute, measured in beats per minute, or BPM. This number is genetically predetermined, and a higher level of fitness will not raise it. Also, it is not a predictor of athletic ability; a wide range can be found between athletes. Attaining a peak heart rate is difficult, and maintaining it is even more challenging. Even elite athletes can sustain this level for only minutes at a time.
How to Determine Peak Heart Rate
There are two ways you can determine your peak heart rate: prediction formula and performance tests. The prediction formula is simple arithmetic. Take 220 and subtract your age. Voila, you have determined your peak heart rate. However, this formula is quite generic. The standard deviation is 11 BPM, which leads many fitness professionals to dismiss it entirely. There are more accurate methods available. Performance tests, on the other hand, put your heart through actual strenuous exercise to determine peak heart rate . The laboratory stress test is the gold standard. Typically, this test is administered on a treadmill. The speed and incline of the treadmill are increased until you have reached the point of exhaustion. Alternatively, if you do not have access to a lab, a field test can be administered. A set distance is established, such as two miles, and you will run the course as fast as possible. Studies have suggested that field tests provide higher peak heart rates than those administered in the laboratory. Do not attempt these tests without a doctor's approval.
Aging
Peak heart rate decreases as you age. The prediction formula predicts peak heart rate will decline 1 BPM per year, but it assumes a sedentary lifestyle. Studies show that if you stay active, your maximum heart rate may decline at a slower rate.
Mode of Exercise
Different movement will elicit a different response from the heart. Weight-bearing activity, such as running, will show a higher heart rate compared with a non-weightbearing activity, such as riding a bicycle. Why? In non-weight-bearing activities, the upper body weight is supported, fewer muscles are used, oxygen consumption is less, and therefore, the heart doesn't have to work as hard.
External Factors
The influence of acute exposure to high altitude affects peak heart rate. Researchers from the Copenhagen Muscle Research Center demonstrated this. As you gain elevation, without acclimatization, peak heart rate decreases. There is a linear correlation. Medication also has effects on peak heart rate. For instance, beta-blockers lower it.
References
- "Lore of Running;" Tim Noakes; 2002
- Journal of Exercise Pysiology: The Surprising History of the "HRmax=220-Age" Equation.
- Revista Brasileira de Medicina do Esporte: Peak Heart Rate Responses in Maximum Laboratory and Field Tests
- Journal of Applied Physiology: Decline in VO2max With Aging in Master Athletes and Sedentary Men
- International Journal of Sports Medicine: Heart Rate Recommendations: Transfer Between Running and Cycling Exercise?
- High Altitude Medicine and Biology: Peak heart Rate Decreases with Increasing Severity of Acute Hypoxia
Member Comments