On Apr 16, 2:26*am, Andre Jute wrote:
On Apr 11, 7:22 am, "

wrote:

Using a formula to figure your max HR is like fitting your shoes based
on measuring the circumfrence of your head. Some correlation for a
population probably, but near usless for an individual. The only way
to find out what max HR is is to induce it.

Joseph

Congratulations, Joseph. Your reckless attitude has just put more
people off cycling than the entire membership of RBT. Medical advice
is that maximum heartrate should be established under medical
supervision. Inducing maximum heart rate any old how, without any idea
of what approximately it can be or should be, is very likely a recipe
for pain or hurt or worse for an entire age group of wannabe cyclists
(an age group pretty well represented on RBT, it seems).

As it happens, I was taking various tests for my heart, and asked the
people administering the treadmill test to establish my maximum
heartrate, and learned from them that a pretty good correlation exists
between the population and some of the more complicated formulae than
the idiot's mnemonic of 220 minus age (most people leave off the
necessary "plus/minus ten per cent" which defines the limits of
confidence of this shortcut). Here's a formula that works well:
Maximum heart rate approaches:
210 - (half age in years) - (0.11*(weight in kg)) + 4

Andre Jutehttp://members.lycos.co.uk/fiultra/BICYCLE%20%26%20CYCLING.html

People afraid of blowing a gasket are doing more harm to themselves
worrying about overdoing it than they ever would by actually overdoing
it. So what if in every HRM manual, and every magazine articel about
exercise it says to consult a doctor before starting an exercise
program? It also says "HOT: use extreme caution" on McDonalds coffee
lids.

Encouraging people to use their bodies as billions have done before
them without fear is harldy reckless. What is perhaps reckless is
scaring people into thinking they are fragile entities on the verge of
death who need affirmation from a doctor before they do anything.

Sure the formula you cite works well sometimes, but it is still just
an estimation. Probably good enough, and a fine starting place, and
perhaps even correct! But like I say, you can come up with a formula
to determine shoe size from head circumfrence that will probably be
just as accurate, but it won't work for everyone. So if you really
want to get shoes that fit, measure your feet, not your head. Same
goes for HR.

Measuring max HR isn't any harder than riding up a hill as hard as you
can until you have to ease off, then looking at the HRM. Hardly
dramatic or reckless.

Joseph