6 maximum heart rate training myths get busted
Think you know everything about max heart rate and why it’s important? Think again.
by A.C. Shilton
Getty Images
However, it’s a rudimentary system - like, “might as well use an abacus as a GPS watch” rudimentary.
“It’s been the standard for years but there are a lot of variables that can throw off your max HR," says Cherie Miner, MD, a sports medicine doctor and age-group Ironman athlete at Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center. She adds that how fit you are, how hot it is and how much stress you’re under can all affect your max HR at any given time.
Like the 220-minus-age rule, there are a lot of other myths surrounding max HR. Here, we debunk the worst of them.
1/ If you go over your max HR, your heart explodes
You’ve gotta admit, this would be equally horrifying and badass if true. Rest easy, though - it won’t happen.“Your heart gets to the point where it can’t eject blood effectively enough; where it’s not productive anymore,” says Dean Golich, head performance physiologist for Carmichael Training Systems. When this happens, self-preservation kicks in and you slow down. If you’re in a race, that means you’ll either just get left behind or bring up your lunch.
“Most people have 1 to 2 minutes max at their max HR; highly trained athletes may have more,” says Miner. Expect to see your performance suffer very quickly if you try and maintain your max HR for more than just a short burst.
2/ Your Max HR is the same for everyone your age
That’s what the old-school formulas assume, but Golich says it’s much more nuanced than that. Max HR is largely untrainable, and determined by genetics - some of us have hearts tuned like hummingbirds, while others have the slow and steady type.“But it’s not an indication of performance," Golich says. “If your max is 200 and someone else’s is 190, it doesn’t mean one of you is the better athlete.” In fact, he’s worked with numerous talented athletes at both ends of the spectrum.
It’s good to remember that everyone’s max HR does drop as they age - but again, that doesn’t mean you’re losing fitness. Regular training and good nutrition will affect performance more than the fact that your max HR is now slightly lower than it was three years ago. In reality, it’s not your max HR that determines your fitness level: being able to hold your max HR for longer and longer sessions is what’s key.
3/ Heart rate is a measurement of how hard you’re working
Heart rate is a reaction to work being done, not a measurement of actual work. On a bike, for example, Golich says that if you ratchet yourself up to 200 watts for three minutes, for the first minute, your heart may tick along at 170 bpm; by minute two it may be at 180; and by minute three you could be pushing 189. But you’re doing the same amount of work the whole time - 200 watts.If you were to ride for three minutes with the intention of maintaining the same heart rate, things would look different. Say you ramped up to 180bpm to start - you might ride at 200 watts for the first minute, but you’d likely have to drop your watts to sustain that heart rate for minutes two and three.
Golich himself prefers to have his clients train with power meters or using Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) - simply, a personal appraisal of how hard you feel you’re working - rather than HR.
“There are a lot of gray areas,” with heart rate, he says, adding that being overheated, under-fuelled or even just hopped up on caffeine will throw your heart rate numbers off for the day.
Furthermore, the number displayed by your heart rate monitor or the screen on a gym treadmill may not be accurate. Sure, using a computer is certainly more accurate than the 220-age formula, but Golich adds says that since these devices take measurements every few seconds, they’re probably not dead-on. If you really want to know your true max heart rate, an EKG is the best way to go, though Golich believes it’s not an expense worth taking on.
4/ If I’m not working at my max heart rate, I’m not working hard enough
Here’s your license to chill. Max heart rate workouts should be done sparingly, says Miner, since the ultra-high intensity can lead to injuries, extreme fatigue and other symptoms of overtraining. Plus, there’s merit to working in many different heart rate zones - from increasing your base fitness with low-intensity sessions to pushing the boundaries at your lactate threshold, and even tipping into some anaerobic work.If you only have two speeds - hard and OMG hard - you’re doing yourself a disservice.
5/ As long as you’re working under your max, you don’t have to worry about a cardiac incident
Not true. Heart attacks, while rare, happen to athletes at all different workloads. Even so, cardiologist James Beckerman, MD, says you’re slightly more at risk when working at very high intensities.“This is likely related to a combination of high heart rate; higher blood pressure with exercise, which is normal; and higher levels of catecholamine [a hormone produced by the adrenal gland]," he says. “For people without heart disease, exercising at higher intensity is generally safe.”
If you’re someone with heart disease or who’s exhibited risk factors, however, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor about safe heart rate ranges for exercise and even get a stress test, he says.
6/ Your max HR is the same for all sports
You’re not paranoid: your max for running really may be different to your max for swimming. Again, this is indicative of how variable heart rate is, says Golich. Things that are load bearing - like running - will generally push your heart rate higher, since you have to do more work to overcome gravity. Cycling, because it has the mechanical assist of bike wheels, will generally produce a lower max heart rate. And swimming, which happens in a pool with zero-impact, may be lower still: Since the water is keeping you cool, Golich says, heat will be less of a factor in raising your HR.We at Go Virtual Runner publish all sorts of running related articles.
www.govirtualrunner.co.uk a virtual medal/run website that wants to get people running and contribute to charity
A version of this article originally appeared on Bicycling.
Think of all the reasons we run for beer (and sometimes run with beer). There’s the obvious - after a hard run, it tastes like the liquid equivalent of a high-five - and the less proven - it functions as a performance enhancing drug for previously untested dance moves. But those aren’t the only justifications for ending your group run at the nearest craft brewery. Here’s our list of completely defensible reasons to (responsibly) enjoy this treat.
According to Harvard University, more than 100 studies show an inverse association between moderate drinking and risk of heart attack or death from cardiovascular disease. Across all the studies, a 25- to 40-percent reduction in risk has been found.
In a meta-analysis of 20 studies on moderate alcohol consumption and Type 2 Diabetes risk, the American Diabetes Association found “that moderate alcohol consumption is protective for type 2 diabetes in men and women.” The study noted that the effects were most protective when men consumed closer to 22 grams per day of alcohol and women consumed 24 grams per day. It’s important to note that a standard 12-ounce beer contains about 14 grams of alcohol—so drink responsibly if you want these health benefits.
Studies have found that beers—particularly darker, hoppier ales—have a high amount of silicon, which contributes to bone and connective-tissue health. The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture reports that this suggests a moderate intake helps fight osteoporosis.
Drinking in moderation can actually help you stay at the top of your mental game. Researchers at Lanzhou University recently found that a compound found in beer hops, xanthohumol, can guard against oxidative stress and might fight the onset of dementia or cognitive decline.
Good news: A study by the American Heart Association found that moderate beer consumption can increase HDL, or healthy cholesterol, even more markedly for women. The American Heart Association recommends you don’t get carried away, though: no more than one drink per day for women and one to two for men.
A toast to never finding out how miserable it feels to pass a kidney stone! Beer intake has been shown to have an inverse relationship with this painful ailment, with each bottle consumed per day estimated to reduce risk by 40 percent.
Researchers in Germany discovered that the xanthohumol in beer hops (pictured above)—the same stuff that helps prevent dementia— can also block excessive testosterone and estrogen and thus reduce the chance of prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women. They’re further studying xanthohumol for potential use as a cancer-fighting drug, but in the meantime you can get your dose from a nice IPA.
In the last few miles of a hard run, it’s nice to have a recovery beer to fantasize about for added motivation. You can end your run at the local brewery—some breweries even sponsor races with impressive prizes—to enjoy the social lubrication and relaxation benefits beer can offer—or you can head straight home and indulge in one of life’s supreme pleasures, the shower beer. Either way, nothing will taste better when you’re tired and sweaty.
As well as being full of hunger-reducing fibre and protein, beans pack another weight-loss superpower: resistant starch. Foods high in this nutrient (a type of carb that passes undigested through your intestine) may force your body to use extra energy to try to break them down. Researchers at the University of Colorado, US, found that adults who ate meals containing resistant starch had higher post-meal metabolic rates and that resistant starches may also help control appetite.
These tiny legumes are metabolic powerhouses. Like beans, they contain resistant starch, says Marjorie Nolan Cohn, nutritionist and author of Overcoming Binge Eating For Dummies. Lentils are also rich in iron – if you’re deficient in this mineral, your body is less efficient at using calories for fuel, says nutritionist Marlo Mittler.
These spicy peppers get their kick from capsaicin. Recent research at the University of California suggests this compound can boost post-meal calorie burn. ‘Eating spicy food may also curb your urge to continue to eat,’ says Cohn. 
Not only does grass-fed beef taste better than corn-fed, it also has a better ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids. Western diets generally contain too much omega-6 (which can be inflammatory) and too little omega-3 (which is anti-inflammatory), says Cohn. Grass-fed beef also contains lots of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Your body uses CLA to build muscle, a fat-burning machine.
The skin of red-wine grapes contains resveratrol, a polyphenol linked to many benefits, such as a decreased risk of heart disease. We’ve been drinking to that for years and, says Cohn, resveratrol has also been shown to reduce the production of the stress hormones that compel your body to store fat.
The alternative cuppa gets its fat-burning boost from EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate). ‘This phytochemical promotes fat oxidation and thermogenesis [production of energy for digestion],’ says Cohn. The green tea effect is well known, but other teas offer fat-burning benefits, too: in a group of studies reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, tea drinkers (of black and white varieties, as well as green) burned more calories and fat daily than non-drinkers.
A compound in sesame seeds (and oil) called sesamin may have a fat-burning effect, says Cohn. ‘It could be that it increases the production of ketones, which helps your body maintain muscle. This, in turn, burns fat.’ Chemicals called lignans, also found in sesame seeds, help your liver to produce the enzymes necessary for fat metabolism.
Consuming a bowl of soup has been shown to curb your subsequent calorie intake. The effect is twofold, says Mittler: first, it fills you up, but soup’s satiating effects also have to do with warmth. ‘Warm liquids have a greater psychological effect on fullness than cold ones,’ she adds.
‘Eggs contain all the essential amino acids, making them a complete protein,’ says Mittler. As well as delivering all the building blocks your body needs to repair and upgrade your muscles, they’ll also save you battling those midmorning snack demons because the protein keeps your blood sugar from spiking and then crashing, which causes hunger.
These creamy fruits are a rich source of monounsaturated fat, which is both heart-healthy and satiating. Like any fat eaten as part of a meal, avocados are last in line for digestion, so they stick with you: in a recent study at Loma Linda University in California, overweight people who ate half an avocado at lunch reported a significant decrease in the desire to eat later in the afternoon.
You don’t have to dump these tubers in the same bin as low-nutrient carbs such as white bread or white rice. Loaded with resistant starch (not to mention vitamin C and potassium), potatoes have staying power, keeping hunger pangs at bay two to three times longer than other starches, says Mittler.
