heart rate question

[robman_rob]

while working out, is it bad to have a high heart rate for extended periods of time? like 180 to 200 for over 30 minutes?

[bluetroll]

i don't think you can even keep it at that 180 for that long.

[SkiD]

First question is, what do you consider "working out"?
Aerobic activity? Weight Training? etc.

I would bet that very few people could even maintain their heartrate at lactate threshold (roughly 80-85% of max heartrate) for that amount of time let alone in a full anaerobic state (ie. close to max heart rate).

[MS MSP]

while working out, is it bad to have a high heart rate for extended periods of time? like 180 to 200 for over 30 minutes?

it's unlikely that your calculations were accurate unless you're Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France.

Even then, that's too high

How old are you? Max heart rate is 220 - age.

[CNeufeld]

it's unlikely that your calculations were accurate unless you're Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France.

Even then, that's too high

How old are you? Max heart rate is 220 - age.

That calculation is bogus and useless, IMHO. I'm 42 years old (so my calculated max is 178), and while doing hill training, I can get my heart rate up to 196 (max measured by my monitor). During a hard run, I can sustain 180+ for extended periods (like a 5k to 8k run). I can't sustain more than 185 for long, though. At about 180, I can still sustain short sentence discussions, but not much more than that.

However... Even though I can train like that, I've recently been taken on by a coach to prepare for a half marathon. The focus on the base training is slow runs, building up mileage and time running. I'm SUPPOSED to keep my heart rate under 150 while doing my runs. Since starting that 3 weeks ago, I've run 3 races of varying lengths (5k, 5 miles, and 10k), and done times that I wouldn't have expected based on my "pre-slow" training. So even though you might be able to get your heart rate up to that level, my question for you would be "why?". What are you trying to accomplish by doing that?

Clint

[robman_rob]

my question was simply if it was bad, like would your arteries burst, heart explode, would it cause heart problems, etc?

much thanks.

[Cheap Cat]

I have read the very conditioned athletes can maintain higher levels so max. hr means nothing in those instances. I can run for a hour or more at 175. I'm not extremely conditioned, I just have a high rate to begin with.

[MS MSP]

That calculation is bogus and useless, IMHO.

Granted it's just a guideline, but for the average Joe, it's OK.

It's unlikely your average Joe can sustain a HR of 185 or higher for any period of time.

I'm a cyclist and will AVERAGE 150 BPM or so over a 2 hour ride, and that's working hard.

[SkiD]

Granted it's just a guideline, but for the average Joe, it's OK.

It's unlikely your average Joe can sustain a HR of 185 or higher for any period of time.

I'm a cyclist and will AVERAGE 150 BPM or so over a 2 hour ride, and that's working hard.

As a reminder, different sports have different max heart rates.

Running max > Cycling Max > Swiming Max (ie. standing/sitting/laying down)

You have to do 'tests' in each sport to determine your max rate and therefore your individual training zones.

Also, to the OP, reaching max heart rate doesn't mean your heart is going to explode or you will have a heart attack, it just means your heart won't beat any faster.