Finding it difficult to get my heart rate up

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

If your cadence is low your heart does not recognise the demand created from your legs and acidosis takes over making them ache. Basically you have to pump the blood back to your heart as it can't suck blood from your veins. We demonstrate this in a turbo session so people can see the value of cadence. Cadence is king.

Your explanation will be very good reading.

 

[fossyant]

Come on B&Y that's not helpful.

Arsen, a slow cadence can indeed cause your heart to max out before the legs ache - try a 25% hill in a big gear - 60 rpm and over 190bpm.

The OP's situation is more likely overtraining as has been said.

 

[black'n'yellow]

Come on B&Y that's not helpful.

how is it 'not helpful' to point out what I regard as total nonsense when I see it..??

And it is categorically NOT over-training. You need to be clear on what you mean by that.

 

[Arsen Gere]

I've read some absolute rubbish on here - but this really takes the biscuit

I tried to make this simple for the general readers. But it looks like this needs justifcation for some.

Veins http://www.s-cool.co.uk/a-level/biology/transport/revise-it/transport-in-mammals
"When the muscles are active in contracting and relaxing, the squeezing on the veins moves blood along but due to the valves, only ever towards the heart."

Heart http://ajpregu.physiology.org/content/292/4/R1641.short
"These results suggest that the exercise-induced circulatory response is mainly under metabolic control and support the idea that the level of muscle activation plays a role in the cardiovascular regulation during cycle exercise in humans. "

Acidosis http://ajpregu.physiology.org/content/287/3/R502.short
"if the rate of lactate production is high enough, the cellular proton buffering capacity can be exceeded, resulting in a decrease in cellular pH."

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

uscle activation plays a role in the cardiovascular regulation during cycle exercise in humans. "

Acidosis http://ajpregu.physiology.org/content/287/3/R502.short
"if the rate of lactate production is high enough, the cellular proton buffering capacity can be exceeded, resulting in a decrease in cellular pH."

"The development of acidosis during intense exercise has traditionally been explained by the increased production of lactic acid, causing the release of a proton and the formation of the acid salt sodium lactate. On the basis of this explanation, if the rate of lactate production is high enough, the cellular proton buffering capacity can be exceeded, resulting in a decrease in cellular pH. These biochemical events have been termed lactic acidosis. The lactic acidosis of exercise has been a classic explanation of the biochemistry of acidosis for more than 80 years. This belief has led to the interpretation that lactate production causes acidosis and, in turn, that increased lactate production is one of the several causes of muscle fatigue during intense exercise. This review presents clear evidence that there is no biochemical support for lactate production causing acidosis. Lactate production retards, not causes, acidosis."

1. A slowing down or hindering of progress; a delay.

So your low cadence theory then.

 

[black'n'yellow]

I tried to make this simple for the general readers. But it looks like this needs justifcation for some.

Veins http://www.s-cool.co.uk/a-level/biology/transport/revise-it/transport-in-mammals
"When the muscles are active in contracting and relaxing, the squeezing on the veins moves blood along but due to the valves, only ever towards the heart."

Heart http://ajpregu.physiology.org/content/292/4/R1641.short
"These results suggest that the exercise-induced circulatory response is mainly under metabolic control and support the idea that the level of muscle activation plays a role in the cardiovascular regulation during cycle exercise in humans. "

Acidosis http://ajpregu.physiology.org/content/287/3/R502.short
"if the rate of lactate production is high enough, the cellular proton buffering capacity can be exceeded, resulting in a decrease in cellular pH."

Yeah, that clears it up (NOT). I was hoping for an explanation, not a series of desperately-contrived links. Let's look at what you said.

If your cadence is low your heart does not recognise the demand created from your legs and acidosis takes over making them ache.

Cadence bears no relation to effort. Your heart responds to differences in effort, not cadence.

We demonstrate this in a turbo session so people can see the value of cadence. Cadence is king.

Cadence is not king. Cadence is largely irrelevant and is effectively a personal physiological choice, based on your fitness level and whatever you are trying to achieve while you are on the bike. Inicidentally - when you say 'we' - what do you mean?

 

[Arsen Gere]

Come on B&Y that's not helpful.

Arsen, a slow cadence can indeed cause your heart to max out before the legs ache - try a 25% hill in a big gear - 60 rpm and over 190bpm.

The OP's situation is more likely overtraining as has been said.

True but to max out your HR at that cadence you need to use your upper body, not just your legs. I use a turbo to demonstrate this so it is a different protocol but with legs alone all club level athletes I've done this test with cannot reach max hr at 70 rpm. In fact I can get them to max their HR at 120 rpm with much lower (80%) loads than at say 95 rpm.

 

[carolonabike]

Yeah, that clears it up (NOT). I was hoping for an explanation, not a series of desperately-contrived links. Let's look at what you said.

That is very rude

 

[Arsen Gere]

I retract everything I've said, (Spits out dummy).

I'll stick to working with the athletes I coach rather than wasting time on this post.

 

[black'n'yellow]

That is very rude

Not nearly as rude as offering advice on the internet when you have absolutely no flippin clue what you are talking about.

 

[black'n'yellow]

I'll stick to working with the athletes I coach rather than wasting time on this post.

You're a cycle coach? What level?

 

[400bhp]

If your cadence is low your heart does not recognise the demand created from your legs and acidosis takes over making them ache. Basically you have to pump the blood back to your heart as it can't suck blood from your veins. We demonstrate this in a turbo session so people can see the value of cadence. Cadence is king.

I did say relatively low. At a guess, it's probably 70-80 rpm.

 

[Arsen Gere]

I did say relatively low. At a guess, it's probably 70-80 rpm.

IMHO that would restrict the level your heart would work to ( on the flat or a turbo ), If you are in the North East or ever up here I could demonstrate the effect of cadence and/or breathing on heart rate for you.

 

[black'n'yellow]

IMHO that would restrict the level your heart would work to ( on the flat or a turbo ), If you are in the North East or ever up here I could demonstrate the effect of cadence and/or breathing on heart rate for you.

If you are a coach (which you probably aren't, by the sound of it) then you will have heard of something called 'high resistance intervals'. The aim of these intervals is to get the rider's HR well into threshold and above (ie 90% +) while pushing a high resistance/low cadence. Not unusual to see them in a lot of coaching plans for road and TT. According to you though, they don't exist??

 

[Garz]

Only other thought (agree with the docs advice) is over-training.

No offence, but it's very unlikely to be 'over training'.

I have a similar problem - my quads get sore without my heart rate getting up to aerobic max (160 ish). For me, I suspect it's probably something to do with:
-overtraining (probably average 150 miles per week riding 6 days)...

The OP's situation is more likely overtraining as has been said.