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It's been covered before but it's more personal now that I'm 40!
Had to have a wee chat with Mrs Rossco this morning who's a little concerned I'm getting older and therefore should be taking things a little easier. Given that I row a fair bit, Andrew Marrs recent stroke following a rowing session has understandably got her in a bit of a flap.
I usually do some kind of 'strenuous' activity almost every day. TBF she's not really from a 'sporty' family and doesn't get why some people are. Conversely, I came from a reasonably active family, Dad played Badminton for his country, and I've therefore always been very active. I played all sports but mostly Rugby at a reasonable level up until I was 31 along with being out on the local trails since I was a wee man.
To avoid boredom / stress related injuries I usually alternate between rowing and cycling 5ish days per week. When I row, it's usually for no more than 40ish minutes doing intervals at 80% - 85% HRM . I cycle for circa 2hrs and it averages circa 75% but I'd usually always [u]briefly[/u] push it to 90% - 100% on every ride.
I've promised her that I'd go and see our GP (another cyclist 😀 ) and have a chat with him before bursting myself again but it got me thinking...I don't think I'm doing anything 'out of the ordinary'. Or am I?!
How hard do you push the old ticker when you go out?
My max heart rate is set at 201bpm on my polar and I ususlly average 85/90% of that when racing cx for an hour.I usually throw up.
I'm 40 in october.
I'm 45 and on Sunday last rode up the Stelvio at an average of 190 bpm with a maximum of 194. Friday however, going up the Mortirolo gave me a maximum of 207 bpm.
Just because you've suddenly turned 40 doesn't mean that things change, you just need to be aware of your reaction to physical activity.
Am 40 and don't feel much different to 10 years ago, always been a bit overweight but don't drink or smoke and certainly would think about exercising any differently to any other point in my life.
I would get a proper assessment from a personal trainer or medic tbh.
I said goodbye to my 30s a couple of weeks ago and I'm pushing myself harder now than I've ever done - max HR is 205 and when I do running track speed sessions I'm up to 195...
I suspect the best way to keep yourself at low risk is to keep exercising the heart - it's a muscle after all. My intention is to be one of those old giffers who over-competitive 20-somethings discount, until I disappear off without them 🙂
That NHS page is golden. I have it on an RSS feed.
They assess all major health-related news stories and compare the headlines with the science.
About 9 times out of 10 they point out the headline and conclusion the journalists have come to are inappropriate or plain wrong. Broadsheets as well as tabloids. Unsurprisingly, Daily Mail is a repeat offender...
42 this year and I can't say I've given it any thought at all. I think Mr Marr has been unlucky, and I suspect that this quote from the BBC interview is more telling!
"I had been heavily overworking - mostly my own fault - in the year before that. I'd had two minor strokes it turned out, in that year, which I hadn't noticed."
If you're a regular exerciser, turning 40 should make no difference at all IMO. It's those get to 40 fat and unfit, then go and try and chuck themselves into it that should watch out!
Where's DrP?
40 in December, max heart rate is 195bpm... I generally get to 190 most rides, I ride 3-4 times a week.
41 and did my first marathon this year, 209km sportive in the Pyrenees this month, and got an ultra coming up in September. Doing interval training I regularly hit 90-95% max HR.
I'd be more concerned about someone starting from scratch, overweight ex-smoker type who suddenly gets into exercise...
Thanks for the link Drac..."impatiently awaits Mrs R getting home"
I think you're in the clear as far as dropping dead from a heart attack goes - you've been fit and active for 40 years and any genetic pre-disposition to heart trouble would have manifested itself by now. You know how to control your effort so training at stupid intensities is not likely to happen either.
ITSM that cardiac trouble for active people is likely to come from things outside of exercise - I heard Michael Lynagh (ex rugby union player) on the wireless talking about surviving a stroke and it seemed to have been a similar case to Marr's - a confluence of unfortunate events. Forget the exact details but it was something like a combination of stress from overwork, a long haul flight and a really hot day triggering the stroke.
47 here - hit 185 on most rides which seems to be about as high as I can ever get it.
Running, Strava tells me I manage to average 170 over an hour.
Haven't raced for past 18m for various reasons. But used to race/train to pretty strict HR regimes. It depended on the length of race. Most of the time, I was using it toes nurse that long, slow stuff was kept at a low level! When approrpirate I would race and train for shorter stuff at close to max.
Haven't a clue what my HR is!!
Err...noI'm getting older and therefore should be taking things a little easier
*groan*she's not really from a 'sporty' family and doesn't get why some people are
This has got to be a wind-upI've promised her that I'd go and see our GP
No idea what % I hit, I'd assume 100% on occasion. I simply don't worry about it.
My father had similar concerns (he's in his 70s) so he got some kind of scan test thing at the GP to see if his heart was likely to explode. It wasn't.
Having read that Andrew Marr thing, I have found is that my GP takes my blood pressure now if I go and see him for any reason.
He knows I cycle and push myself fairly hard so it's either that or just my age that means he checks it now.
I've promised her that I'd go and see our GP
So thats why folk cant get to see their GP...
43 Most rides will average 160bpm with peaks around 175bpm. Whether I'm out for an hour or 6 hours. Only once managed to push so hard that my vision statred to grey out and that was at about 205bpm. Think I'm more likely to come a cropper from stupidity than heart explosion.
47 and push till I feel like pukeing sometimes. Ride 4x a week and am knocking on 185-190 each and every hill.
The guys I ride with are all 10-15yrs younger and 10-15kg ligher, so Ive no choice 🙂
You can ask your GP for a free healthcheck once your over 40, but IME you have to push for it and push to get a proper one done, with blood tests etc.
As strokes are the result of poor blood supply to the brain, could it be that having freakishly massive jug-ears either side of said organ could lead to specific problems in this department?
Training experts (Joe Friel for ex) suggest working at % of LTHR rather than max anyway. A LTHR test is pretty grim but apparently more meaningful for training as it will change as your fitness develops.
There's a big difference between 90 and 100% HR. I guess you need to be sure your max really is a max as a few % in this area seems to me to be a big difference. I tried a max test doing steep hill reps in my late 20s (10yrs ago) and tbh can't remember exactly what I hit but it felt horrible, almost scary, and I wouldn't fancy doing it again. I now find it hard to get within 10 beats or less of what I think I got to then, yet my fitness is much better overall.
So I work off a LTHR at the moment and test it regularly with a turbo session so I get an average across a month-6 week period. Based on that, my max is about 10bpm below what I think I hit 10 yrs ago - so either it's a more useful guide that fits with my output, or my memory is bad ) (the idea that your HR lowers as you age is apparently not true for trained / basically fit people)
bpm max of 200 and i hit that most rides. I reckon i have put my heart through enough to test it running at high rates, so i guess it'll be ok for a while yet.
My lungs are a different matter and they normally govern how hard i can push my heart, as i get all wheezy.
Dont forget - you are actually going to die at somepoint, so id not worry. Your better off going while your enjoying it 🙂
43 and it's not something i've ever thought about. It goes like a dinger sometimes, far to fast to count without some sort of device (which i don't have or want).
I'm 53, last year (the first year I had an HRM) my max was around 186, but this year I'm struggling to hit that so maybe I'm slowing down 🙁
Andrew Marrs recent stroke following a rowing session
Just as likely to have been one of his shagging sessions with some popsy or another.
Running 1/2 marathons it never really goes below 160, 10k at the weekend was all above 165 and peaking at 190ish and cx races are pretty much all out (165-190) for 45 minutes.
Intervals and hill training i do with the running club are bonkers, but i don't wear a HRM when doing them so god knows what i'm doing during those 😕
I'm 43, 13 stone and don't really worry about it. I'd rather use it than not.
Im 40 and have no idea what, and absolutely no intention of ever finding out what my Heart Rate is..
Not something I worry about and I'm riding 250 miles a week at the moment at a fair pace. But I'm 68kg and have good blood pressure figures.
Still it can happen to anyone at anytime so I don't think I'm invincible.
Here's one to think about - 46 year old friend of mine, reasonably fit, went for a run a few weeks ago, he's run several marathons, dropped dead of a heart attack.
I'm getting close to 50 now 😕
Pushing harder and doing more swim/bike/run miles than ever. Always trying to beat last years race results.
I don't think about it. I didn't do any exercise until I was 40, was active, but not sporty. Only really got into sporty stuff around 44yo.
rosscopeco - MemberTo avoid boredom / stress related injuries I usually alternate between rowing and cycling 5ish days per week. When I row, it's usually for no more than 40ish minutes doing intervals at 80% - 85% HRM . I cycle for circa 2hrs and it averages circa 75% but I'd usually always briefly push it to 90% - 100% on every ride.
Do you actualy know your HR max ?
Very rare to hit 100% on a ride you'd be on the floor........
I tend to ride at about 140 average and just about every ride hit 80% 180 if I get close to my max its "Eyepopping" time, BTW 58 so you may survive another 18 years 😉
[i]How hard do you push the old ticker when you go out?[/i]
50 in 7 months and I don't take it easy. Out with some nippers (in their 30s) on the weekend and I thought I was going to die at one point! Won't give up until I do though 🙂
Flip it on its head mate..
Tell the mrs that now she is getting on a bit it would be a good idea if she dragged her arse around the block abit more otherwise you might trade her in for a new one .
That's what I thought. From my experience of a real max-out test, it's not something you'd want to do regularly, or most of us would be able to do? There's riding at max which is probably low-mid 90s % and then there's max HR when basically you'll be collapsed and need a while to recover.Do you actualy know your HR max ?
Very rare to hit 100% on a ride you'd be on the floor........
Do you actualy know your HR max ?
Yes, I do a MHR maybe twice a year. My local trails have 2 fairly long technical climbs maybe 30mins into a spin which make great test beds. The last 50m or so on both climbs require full effort to clean so as I say a great place to do it. Last time I peaked @ 181. I've seen it a few beats higher but it plateaus there.
Very rare to hit 100% on a ride you'd be on the floor........
I would usually peak somewhere between 178 & 181 on most rides. It only reaches that for maybe the last 20 or so seconds before it hurts and I hit the floor!
FWIW I'm don't religiously use my HR, I just think its a good measure to use. If I feel crap one day, I tend to just bumble along and enjoy the scenery!
Good reading BTW. I'll be normal then!
nonk 😆
43 and started to have irregular heart rhythms while exercising earlier in the year, so I have virtually given up coffee and alcohol. That seems to have sorted it out.
I don't think sport and exercise are really a problem, but you do have to take account of your whole lifestyle and the impact some choices can have.
Had I not been a HRM wearer, I probably wouldn't even realise what was happening to me, and taken steps to correct the problems before it was too late.
[i]Thanks for the link Drac..."impatiently awaits Mrs R getting home" [/i]
Gonna try and hit max, eh? Well , good luck. She might not be in the mood. 😉
MSP - Member43 and started to have irregular heart rhythms while exercising earlier in the year,
Same here Monkey, its was a few year's ago for me so I like to keep an eye on how hard I push the old ticker when on a ride.
Its always good to know whats going on as I have a fairly large range 46 - 200 but like to keep it under 180.
rosscopeco - Member
Try it rowing next time not as far to fall 🙂
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48 in a few weeks and I regularly push as hard as i can when riding ... lot's of steep ups on my local rides. I do suffer some mild chest pain when pushing real hard and in extreme cases can get dizzy, but have never owned or used a heart rate monitor. Should I?
I'd better go touch wood, yeah?
40 here with a 190bpm max (fitness tested recently), I regularly hit max heart rate on ride and if I don't it's more about avoiding the pain from the exercise rather than being worried about medical issues resulting from it.
Common sense
Listen to your body.
Would you bounce off the rev limiter/be aggressive with the revs in a 10yr old car even though it has the bhp potential?
Dont drink the night before a ride.
Andrew Marrs recent stroke following a rowing session has understandably got her in a bit of a flap.
What why has it understandably got her in a flap? FFS get a grip 😛
I would have thought that the health risk from being a fat lazy sod would be far greater than the chance occurence from getting a health issue from being more healthy.
Exercise however you want until your body tells you too much surely?
>Flip it on its head mate..
Tell the mrs that now she is getting on a bit it would be a good idea if she dragged her arse around the block abit more otherwise you might trade her in for a new one .<
Sage advice...
Better still - insist that SHE goes to see the Quack.
...as I say...she doesn't get the whole 'sport' thing so...
We'll both go to the Doc together. On second thoughts, that might backfire if I'm told I'm past it!
44 this year, I push it as much as I feel like doing without giving it a second thought. Never worn a heart rate monitor, never had max heart rate tested.
[i]Would you bounce off the rev limiter/be aggressive with the revs in a 10yr old car even though it has the bhp potential?[/i]
That's just pointless, not only because it damages the engine but more often than not the power peaks out quite before the red line.
[i]Dont drink the night before a ride.[/i]
pretty much all my w/end rides are done with hangovers and always have been 😉
My mate has been riding about 4 days a week for about the last 20 years and is usually fit as a butchers dog. He's in his early 50's but has had 2 hear attacks in the past 2 years. So it doesn't really matter how fit you are or that you've been fine for years. He was given the all-clear to ride after the first one - no specific cause found - but he had a second mild heart attack recently. Some people will unexpectedly have cardiac problems which can be severe.
I've had my own heart issues and I'd say that if something doesn't feel right, don't kid yourself, go to the Doctor. If your Doctor can't find anything wrong and you still don't feel right, keep going back until you get referred for proper testing.
I had another cycling mate who died of heart failure in his prime while out training. He was a top UK Elite roadie. He had been told not to worry about palpitations he was having.
pretty much all my w/end rides are done with hangovers and always have been
Doesn't your blood thicken due to dehydrating effects of alcohol plus your liver working under-par etc/sluggish?
You're body is under strain and 'riding off a hangover' is bad IMO. Too many of them and you are ****ing your heart. Well thats my common-sense thinking, its probably hocum.
AGE 45
MAX HR 187 (may be higher, but I don't like being sick!)
AVERAGE HR 175 (Masters E1234 80 min race)
When I'm commuting, 150 bpm feels like I'm just ticking over. If you don't like the numbers, ditch the HR monitor 😉
Swayndo - Member
48 in a few weeks and I regularly push as hard as i can when riding ... lot's of steep ups on my local rides. I do suffer some mild chest pain when pushing real hard and in extreme cases can get dizzy, but have never owned or used a heart rate monitor. Should I?I'd better go touch wood, yeah?
Ummm I don't want to worry you but actualy you should make an urgent (today) appointment to see your GP explaining your symptoms. You are likely to find they reccomend calling 999.
Chest pain/exercise = heart issues unless proven otherwise.
43yo
I push, but try not to blow-up climbing, just stay on this side of the anaerobic threshold and it's much better for overall efficiency and endurance. But it happens, and you know when it starts so I just stop and let myself recover. I'm never racing or Strava-ing so I can do that. The main frustration is blowing up on a steep, rough climb where re-starting is problematic.
Chest pain/exercise = heart issues unless proven otherwise
Really? If you do for example, the bleep test, you are pushing yourself to the point of feinting and your heart will pound like its going to pop out. It's not a heart condition surely?
I do suffer some mild chest pain when pushing real hard and in extreme cases can get dizzy
Are you ****ing serious or trolling? Back right off and go and see a Doc/Please don't be in denial, get it looked at either way.
Going suddenly and prematurely leaves a mess behind for loved ones.
53 do interval training for a few weeks every 3 months or so where i'm pretty sure maxing out as near enough to puking and I'm a bit above the theory max for my age - will on a short ride push to 90% on hills if know will have a recovery day before doing any longer rides
had some stress test stuff 3 years ago when went for an op and found had slightly elevated BP - GP didn't look too impressed when I told him my brother died at 55 and my dad at 48 both having had strokes - genetics not on my side but exercise probably is! Reduced alcohol had got BP down
Really? If you do for example, the bleep test, you are pushing yourself to the point of feinting and your heart will pound like its going to pop out. It's not a heart condition surely?
Pounding heart is very different to chest pain. Your heart shouldn't hurt at all nor should you have any chest pain.
pretty much all my w/end rides are done with hangovers and always have beenDoesn't your blood thicken due to dehydrating effects of alcohol plus your liver working under-par etc/sluggish?
You can compensate for the effects of this by taking your hip flask with you, and stopping at every pub for a quick 'freshener' en route. You could also work on your fitness in alternative manner by getting into a fight.
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^^
BTW if I had chest pains during exercise I would def go and see GP ASAP
some other stuff from GP's is crap though - after had tests gave me leaflets on exercise (didn't ask me what I did) bugger me if i'm do bowling before i'm 80
Chatted to an 82yr old last Saturday in the Peaks who had just walked upto the top of Whinstone Lee Tor (up the steep cheeky).
I asked him for his secret- listen to your body. He said in his 20's he used to scramble up to Haystacks(?) quickly but took it easier later on.
Chatted to an 82yr old last Saturday in the Peaks who had just walked upto the top of Whinstone Lee Tor (up the steep cheeky).I asked him for his secret- listen to your body.
Not only do I do that, but everyone else often has the pleasure of listening to my body too.
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Does that mean I is, like, REALLY healthy?
Never give it any thought just run till my eye balls pop regularly. I have ran competitively for the last 30 years so I assume by body is used to the stresses.
Low maximum heart rate though of around 175 absolutely flat out. Lowe resting heart rate of less than 40 when I was around 30.
hora - MemberDont drink the night before a ride.
Agreed, wait till you are at least half way around 🙂
Agreed, wait till you are at least half way around
How do you avoid spilling it?
Agreed, wait till you are at least half way around
How do you avoid spilling it?
That's what the Camelbak is for 😉
I'm 47, biking for 20 odd years and before that lots of swimming. Resting heart rate sub 40 and max of 175. Not changed how i ride at all as i've got older, in fact i'm in better shape now than ever. Always thought i would quite like to depart this mortal coil hurtling down a lovely piece of singletrack, then have my ashes sprinkled on a particularly nasty corner....might start a trend and eventually be a nice berm!!
39 at present and have regularly hit over 210bpm this year, usually brought on by a rowing race, if its that high on the bike then I know I'm ill because there's no racing on that! It's just a case of listening to your body a bit more, I've found that its the recovery that takes longer, I'm tired for a day or so longer after a big ride nowadays, especially in the legs.
My Garmin's set with a max HR of about 182 and I have hit that once since I started using it for just about every ride and run I've done. In my defence, I was very, very angry and was pushing myself a lot harder than I normally would do on a particular section of track.
As a general rule, a run or cycle ride will see me top out at about 170 bpm on the harder sections with an average of 135 or so on flat parts.
I'm 39 and I know I should be pushing myself more.
My mom hit 245bpm last year & she's 79,she was sat in the hospital all hooked up talking normally while that was going on too...OK,so it was a bit of a heart defect that they reckon she'd had since birth....Docs thought they might have to fit a pace maker,but managed to sort it with an electric charge....
Genuine wow. If I start to get anywhere near the blustered/beasting point I'll back right off.
I wont climb as hard as I can up a hill. Works too stressful, I'll hop off and push. Who wants to be ultra-fit? I want to be in good health, enjoy life and not push the limits. **** that. Injuries/knee problems etc can occur more and more later. I'd rather future-proof as much as Ican.
Unless you are racing to prove a point or podium then why?
Its obsessional. Just like people who hit the gym non-stop. Hitting such fitness in your 20's is good but later on - you need to consider a balance/looking after yourself as more of a goal than maxing it.
Peace.
Unless you're a pro athlete then I agree with those on here who say listen to our body. You know within yourself how hard you're pushing yourself so forget the gadgets and 'one size fits all' rules and push yourself as hard as you can bearing in mind you're supposed to be enjoying it. I'm more of a fan of holding a lower heart rate for a longer period rather than pushing to max. So I guess 160 to 170ish sustained for a longer period with a few short bursts at higher heart rates. It's not good for you to push harder in my view. Your body is a machine and the heart has a limited life so thrashing it on a routine basis isn't a good idea.
Animals across species have a surprisingly similar average number of heartbeats over a lifetime. So whether you're a mouse with a life span of a few years or an Elephant with a lifespan of 50 yrs, the number of total heartbeats over a full lifetime is similar. So beware about using them up too quickly!
47, pretty active and fit. Bought a HRM a few years ago and have never really used it; gave it away recently. Have always pushed myself but listen to what my body says, generally. I'm sure working with HRM is valuable but I really can't face the faff and if I'm pushing too hard it's usually pretty obvious really. If I'm feeling washed out or knackered I don't ride as hard or far. And I don't let work stress me out.
46 here and similar to most other oldies who posted.
I usually push myself as far as I can, bordering on throwing up, at some point on most rides. Max HR I've seen is 192 and I usually get above 180.
The in-laws told me at the weekend that middle aged people who do that will die, 'cos they read it in the papers, and so I shouldn't do it.
My responses included:
- You don't read of the thousands of similar people who push themselves and are perfectly fine.
- We all die at some point and if I croak after getting a sought after KOM then I'll die a happy man.
- I've not killed myself yet
and ended with "Off on a ride now and hope to see you later"
Came back grinning like a loon.
I find a HRM useful to know when I'm ill and to check on my recovery after hill reps. Unless you have a heart defect I reckon it's hard to kill yourself by pushing hard (ignoring taking stuff ala Tom Simpson), but don't quote me if you succeed.
Andrew Marr's stroke was caused by a carotid artery dissection, a very rare cause of stroke caused by a mechanical tear in the main blood supply to the brain from the neck. This happened while he was doing HIIT on a rowing machine, and it is thought that poor technique with rapid flexion and extension of the neck initiated the tear. The tear will have happened at a point in the artery that already had some furring up/cholesterol deposit due to his previous smoking and unhealthy lifestyle.
So blaming it on vigorous exercise doesn't exactly tell the whole story!
bordering on throwing up, at some point on most rides
Why?!!!
hora - Memberbordering on throwing up, at some point on most rides
Why?!!!
Too much to drink half way around 🙂
😆
43. Average around 150bpm on most rides (riding at 150+ for extended periods feels pretty easy). Pushing on a hard climb or sprint will see me hit 175bpm and while that feels hard work I don't think I'm close to greying out.
I don't bother with my HRM when I ride, but my riding hr will be on tickover most of the time as I go everywhere at tourist pace these days, and frequently stop to look over hedges, take photographs etc 😉
Running tho' I average about 146, and can keep going for hours at upto about 153, as it's slow and comfortably relaxed.
I've not done much training on my aerobic side, and I do tend to bonk pretty quickly when I push it, so I try to stay under about 170 max - I can mange around 160-165 for a bit, say when I push on up a long hill, but I find that I need to eat something about 60 minutes in if I've done too much at that kinda rate. I can chug around at about 150 - 155 for a couple of hours and not even think about eating. I've always done some form of sport tho' - from really quite a young age, and I'm 46.25 now. 170 never seems to give me a problem - once I relax back it falls off pretty quickly.
Curiously, very steep, very rough downhills do occasionally seem to give me a bit of a palpitation, but I've assumed that's down to being shaken about, as it doesn't happen anywhere else, and my HR is usually below 135 running downhill ...
I've been listening to my body for a good few years now, 20 years plus of cycling and football up to 5 years ago.
I know when I can really push and when I can't.
I gave up using a hrm a few years ago when I stopped racing, now I can tell by my breathing sound on how hard I can push.
If I'm gonna kick the bucket I hope it's on the trail and not at work.
I refuse to worry about it, as there is far too much going on for me to worry about myself
53 here and ride up to three times a week,long mynd,keilder,llandegla,eastridge woods,clee hills and local trails in the last 3 months.
Turned the hrm off because the alarm is very annoying.