Is reaching Max Heart Rate dangerous?

[MrJamie]

My heart rate is pretty high when I'm out running, unless I'm going for distance I run as hard as I can sustain averaging about 180bpm and I like to run the last 200metres as hard as I can and usually max out nearly 200bpm, I decided to push it hard today and peaked at 203 bpm at the end which must be very close to my max. Im just wondering if this is a bad idea and dangerous.

I presume similar things happen with cycling, but I don't often ride at that effort level.

 

[Rob3rt]

Max HR varies sport to sport (due to different muscle groups being used, i.e. larger the group, higher the HR, running is a very large muscle group sport, not only because of the muscles driving the movement, but also the stabilising muscles, as you probably already know) and when setting zones you need to test max HR for each sport and then devise a set of sport specific zones. When cycling you simply won't be able to get a reading as high as that when running.

As for it being a bad idea, I say it is unlikely to be particularly dangerous unless there is some sort of underlying medial condition. Athletes will get pretty close to their max heart rate fairly frequently in competition. The risk averse and the chronic excuse makers will find it to be a convenient excuse to avoid working hard though!

 

[ColinJ]

I decided to push it hard today and peaked at 203 bpm at the end which must be very close to my max. Im just wondering if this is a bad idea and dangerous.

I presume similar things happen with cycling, but I don't often ride at that effort level.

I met a cardiologist on a Spanish cycling holiday once and we got chatting about that subject. We had just done some very tough climbs which had pushed me very hard.

He basically said what Rob3rt did - that pushing yourself super-hard is obviously not a good idea if you have a heart problem, but is fine if you don't. (And that my heart must be okay, or I would probably have fallen off my bike and died, doing what we had just done.)

What he didn't say was that it is possible to have an undiagnosed heart problem ...

 

[Rob3rt]

What he didn't say was that it is possible to have an undiagnosed heart problem ...

If you spend your life avoiding doing things because you MAY have an undiagnosed medical concern, you may as well go and lay face down on the carpet and stay there.

I'd rather drop dead half way up the Brickworks than lay face down on the carpet for the rest of my life!

 

[MrJamie]

Thanks Rob, I'd read a while ago some 'tip' that runners would sprint off the end of a run as hard as possible, to ensure they put the most into the training session they could, I guess its a bit similar to weight lifters doing the last set of reps to failure. I don't want to be knackering my heart or anything though

Added pic of the HR graph from the Garmin, the dip in the middle was a walk because of my dodgy ankle

 

[ColinJ]

If you spend your life avoiding doing things because you MAY have an undiagnosed medical concern, you may as well go and lay face down on the carpet and stay there.

I'd rather drop dead half way up the Brickworks than lay face down on the carpet for the rest of my life!

Well ... I did have an undiagnosed condition last July when I organised my forum ride to Ilkley, a tough 100 km with about 2,500 metres of steep climbing.

As is well-known, I came extremely close to dropping dead of the aforementioned condition a couple of weeks later. It involved me face-planting on a carpet and lying face down there for about 3 hours until I woke up and managed to crawl to a phone to summon help.

So now, if I think of pushing myself really hard, you can understand why I hesitate ...

But then I think "F**k it - you only die once!"

I reckon I got my pulse rate up to about 170 bpm on the gym bike this afternoon. I'll push myself harder when I have the strength to do it.

 

[Rob3rt]

I think the moral of the story, even though you don't seem to have spotted it Colin, is that you weren't avoiding doing things because of the possibility of an undiagnosed medical issue, i.e. you were out on your bike, rather than sitting home doing something as asinine as gargling sawdust or licking lint from the carpet on the off chance you might cop your lot if you were to do something as drastic as climb aboard a bike!

 

[MrJamie]

I met a cardiologist on a Spanish cycling holiday once and we got chatting about that subject. We had just done some very tough climbs which had pushed me very hard.

He basically said what Rob3rt did - that pushing yourself super-hard is obviously not a good idea if you have a heart problem, but is fine if you don't. (And that my heart must be okay, or I would probably have fallen off my bike and died, doing what we had just done.)

What he didn't say was that it is possible to have an undiagnosed heart problem ...

Yeah, I'd thought that if I had a weakness there I'd have already have found it and like you and Rob I'd rather take sensible risks than stop pushing myself. I'd just had a couple of people suggest that pushing myself hard was stupid and although I know not to use the 220-age formula as it's clearly a poor guide, I'm nearly 10% over my suggested max.

I didn't realise you were already on the gym bikes btw, it's good to hear! How big a step is it going to be to get back onto the roads?

 

[ColinJ]

I think the moral of the story, even though you don't seem to have spotted it Colin, is that you weren't avoiding doing things because of the possibility of an undiagnosed medical issue, i.e. you were out on your bike, rather than sitting home doing something as asinine as gargling sawdust or licking lint from the carpet on the off chance you might cop your lot if you were to do something as drastic as climb aboard a bike!

You haven't spotted the fact that I am agreeing with you!

I didn't realise you were already on the gym bikes btw, it's good to hear! How big a step is it going to be to get back onto the roads?

You're a bit behind - I started using my gym bike on 28th March and finally started going out on my road bike on 20th April! I worked my way up to a 19 mile ride with 1,200 ft of climbing on it. I might go out and do that again tomorrow because the forecast is okay for a change. (It's not all good news though because I have been short of breath again at times just watching TV, but I was fine doing 15 minutes of hard effort this afternoon. Hopefully, it is just a minor setback, the like of which there have been several since last summer.)

 

[david k]

Didnt know whether to put this point on this thread or the one i started, maybe a new one? I think it relates most closely to this one

I did have graves disease/overactive thyroid 4 years ago which gave me irregular heart beat and high resting HR. I had my heart checked and they said i had a small amount of backflow to my mistral valves? it said it was common and nothing to worry about, doesnt need treatment. Thyroid all sorted now and back to normal, but i do suffer shortness of breath when i really push it and i do feel it after even a short ride if i really up my HR. I am now wondering if this is just age and fitness or could be realted to the original common heart condition? maybe its time for a further check?

 

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

If in doubt see a doctor.

 

[Becs]

Max HR varies sport to sport

An individual's maximum HR is determined genetically and the same regardless of the sport - different sports will just vary the intensity needed to hit maximum.

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

If in doubt see a doctor.

Jeez twice in one year but................

I agree with T.M.H.N.E.T.

Get a clean bill of health then you will be free to do all the Tabata intervals you want.

 

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

 

[Rob3rt]

An individual's maximum HR is determined genetically and the same regardless of the sport - different sports will just vary the intensity needed to hit maximum.

In absolute terms yes, however in practice i.e. as far as training goes each sport should be considered to have a MHR that is unique to that sport when determining training zones as the maximum reached say running with be nigh on impossible to reach when for example cycling (you just won't be able to do it) or the zones set using the Max HR measured cycling will regularly peg you at over 100% max HR when running. You ought to have different zones set for each sport, this means finding the MHR you can hit doing these sports.