Low Max Heart Rate

[kafreeman]

44 yo male, in past 8 months or so my max heart rate while on the bike has dropped from 165 bpm to 150 bpm. It feels like I'm hitting a wall at 150 now and can't push any harder.

I've been to the cardio and had stress test / echo / ct scan and a holter monitor, and they say everything looks good. Stress test I was cool and chatting with them to 145 then past that to 150 was like I was pushing all out effort.

Hoping someone has seen something similar and has some insight that may help.

My training rides have decreased from 3-4x per week for ~2 hours per day to once or twice, but normally with reduced volume I would see a heart rate increase.

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[Requiem84]

Yeah definitely very weird to see such a sudden drop.

How do your legs feel when you do a max effort? Could be that the artery in your upper legs is a bit cobstrained and your muscles can't get enough oxygen. The limit is then your muscles instead of heart/lungs.

But surely this requests medical investigation and not self checks...

[BudhaNL]

What did cardio (cardiologist?) say other than not spotting physiological issues? I can't imagine that they would be ok with max 150bpm in a healthy 44-year old. What's next steps?

[Requiem84]

What did cardio (cardiologist?) say other than not spotting physiological issues? I can't imagine that they would be ok with max 150bpm in a healthy 44-year old. What's next steps?

Why? It's not out of the world. Max hr is extremely individual. The generic formula's work well to establish averages of the entire populatiom, but on an individual level you see huge variations.


My gf for example maxes out at 165'ish and is quite a bit younger.

[BudhaNL]

What did cardio (cardiologist?) say other than not spotting physiological issues? I can't imagine that they would be ok with max 150bpm in a healthy 44-year old. What's next steps?

Why? It's not out of the world. Max hr is extremely individual. The generic formula's work well to establish averages of the entire populatiom, but on an individual level you see huge variations.


My gf for example maxes out at 165'ish and is quite a bit younger.

You are right of course regarding the range, I should have worded my response more complete. However that plus the sudden 10% reduction should warrant further investigation.

[usr]

Did you really observe that previous higher max HR in the time frame you mentioned, or was that an older number you just never put in question based on the assumption that you simply never pushed yourself that hard for a year or two?

I'm asking because I feel the same way (just not quite as pronounced), as if my HRmax dropped off a (smaller, but noticeable) cliff when it's probably just the usual decay over years, made to look like a cliff from a sequence of:

1. rarely really touching true max years ago (and then likely dismissing it as bogus data), interpreting some sub-max number as max
2. frequently touching max later (which looked like no change compared to the years before)
3. then occasionally touching truly all out max, still registering as "no change"
4. then seeing noticeably lower maximum numbers, but assuming that they were really quite sub-maximal
5. Now staring at the numbers of efforts that I can't deny being quite maximal, all surprised about how low the maximum HR is

Each of the steps in that sequence might have been roughly two years, and I think the overall drop I see isn't too far off what's considered the expected effect of aging. But it feels as if it all happened within months, because of those different phases of "all-out-ness".. Your drop seems to be a little more pronounced even, and I'd say you did the right thing throwing some diagnosis effort at the wall.

[kafreeman]

Did you really observe that previous higher max HR in the time frame you mentioned, or was that an older number you just never put in question based on the assumption that you simply never pushed yourself that hard for a year or two?

I'm asking because I feel the same way (just not quite as pronounced), as if my HRmax dropped off a (smaller, but noticeable) cliff when it's probably just the usual decay over years, made to look like a cliff from a sequence of:

1. rarely really touching true max years ago (and then likely dismissing it as bogus data), interpreting some sub-max number as max
2. frequently touching max later (which looked like no change compared to the years before)
3. then occasionally touching truly all out max, still registering as "no change"
4. then seeing noticeably lower maximum numbers, but assuming that they were really quite sub-maximal
5. Now staring at the numbers of efforts that I can't deny being quite maximal, all surprised about how low the maximum HR is

Each of the steps in that sequence might have been roughly two years, and I think the overall drop I see isn't too far off what's considered the expected effect of aging. But it feels as if it all happened within months, because of those different phases of "all-out-ness".. Your drop seems to be a little more pronounced even, and I'd say you did the right thing throwing some diagnosis effort at the wall.

Observed the max heart rate from garmin per month, I will check the frequency of those heart rates and see if it was a one off or what.

I had issues with my Polar strap in the May to June time frame so unreliable numbers there. June and July I broadcast from my 945 instead of a strap. Got a new strap in Aug and it's just been low.

Legs feel ok, not burning too badly it seems like cardiovascular limitation.

Only thing that has been mentioned is a 1st degree bundle block and slight mitral regurgitation. Both were present two years ago when i first visited another cardio for bradycardia after a hernia surgery.

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[LouisN]

44 yo male, in past 8 months or so my max heart rate while on the bike has dropped from 165 bpm to 150 bpm. It feels like I'm hitting a wall at 150 now and can't push any harder.

I've been to the cardio and had stress test / echo / ct scan and a holter monitor, and they say everything looks good. Stress test I was cool and chatting with them to 145 then past that to 150 was like I was pushing all out effort.

Hoping someone has seen something similar and has some insight that may help.
Ere
My training rides have decreased from 3-4x per week for ~2 hours per day to once or twice, but normally with reduced volume I would see a heart rate increase.

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There are so many factors involved...
I notice your training routines. Looks like you would be rated somewhere at "active recreational level", where we usually see huge variables in HR values.

Max HR measures depend on a few variables, both from environment and individual. It's hard to reproduce at home and have some precise tools to measure (power, HR, temperature, air pressure and humidity, etc.).
I have 10 BPM drops (compared to my usual levels) at times and it usually comes from fatigue. Sign for me to take one or a few days more relax, and that's it.
I have an estimated max HR on TP but I never did a "medical" max HR test. I've been following a structured training plan for more than 10 years and no coach has ever asked me for a max HR test. Do you have a medical condition ?
Like mentioned before, if it's a condition, check with MD. If you want real answers. If not maybe check with a competent sports physiologist/kine/coach who specializes in cycling...
Edit: I re-read you post. When you write max HR "on the bike",...do you mean from your everyday rides ...??
Louis

[kafreeman]

44 yo male, in past 8 months or so my max heart rate while on the bike has dropped from 165 bpm to 150 bpm. It feels like I'm hitting a wall at 150 now and can't push any harder.

I've been to the cardio and had stress test / echo / ct scan and a holter monitor, and they say everything looks good. Stress test I was cool and chatting with them to 145 then past that to 150 was like I was pushing all out effort.

Hoping someone has seen something similar and has some insight that may help.
Ere
My training rides have decreased from 3-4x per week for ~2 hours per day to once or twice, but normally with reduced volume I would see a heart rate increase.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

There are so many factors involved...
I notice your training routines. Looks like you would be rated somewhere at "active recreational level", where we usually see huge variables in HR values.

Max HR measures depend on a few variables, both from environment and individual. It's hard to reproduce at home and have some precise tools to measure (power, HR, temperature, air pressure and humidity, etc.).
I have 10 BPM drops (compared to my usual levels) at times and it usually comes from fatigue. Sign for me to take one or a few days more relax, and that's it.
I have an estimated max HR on TP but I never did a "medical" max HR test. I've been following a structured training plan for more than 10 years and no coach has ever asked me for a max HR test. Do you have a medical condition ?
Like mentioned before, if it's a condition, check with MD. If you want real answers. If not maybe check with a competent sports physiologist/kine/coach who specializes in cycling...
Edit: I re-read you post. When you write max HR "on the bike",...do you mean from your everyday rides ...??
Louis

Yeah every day rides. I'm way down from where I used to train due to work in office mandates and the kids. Used to have long rides on the weekends and 4x ~2hrs during the week when they were little - now hauling them around to tournaments every weekend.

Cardiologist says everything looks fine and no concern if bradycardia presents no issues. In the past, I would attribute to overtraining, but that isn't the case now.

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[LouisN]

If no medical condition, don't count out... "life".
Many of my training partners who were great athletes before they had kids in their mid-late 30's just pulled out of competitive sport, for different reasons.
One puts a great part of life energy as a parent, besides work, etc...
Balancing everything in life for a parent with young kids is not an easy task.
Be patient. Raise your kids to become as indépendant as possible in early age, so dad can save some energy and ride his bike more .
Louis

[kafreeman]

Well... all is good functionally.

Got out today after 10 days not on the bike due to work / life and I look down at the garmin and see 150.

Not feeling gassed. Huh... OK push it... hit 157 then an intersection. Off the intersection and a north Texas hill... 157 again to another intersection.

I started taking magnesium and zinc a couple weeks ago in addition to my normal D+K.

Same thing on the last rise of the day, ran out of road before I ran out of legs or cardiovascular ability.

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[ViperFFM]

My max HR, meaning the highest ever achied HR, was 194bpm.

How often do I get there? On average, once per year in a sprint that is particuallry long, against my best friend when we go head to head. It has to be an iceal scenario.

When I go all out in other scenarios, I am happy to reach 191bpm. But this also happens only a couple of times per season.

During the season and a training block, its hard for me to reach anything above 181bpm. My VO2 max tops out somewhere at 175bpm and this is usually the threshold as well when I am under consistent training load.

[gurk700]

I dropped from ~172 at max threshold to ~164 in over what felt like around a season or so. Don't think it's a big problem.
I'm still hitting my peak performance power, just at a lower HR max, similar RPE and CTL.
41 years old for reference

[boots2000]

I have some questions and comments-
1.) Are you going slower as a result of your lower heartrate?
2.) I have a low heartrate and it has dropped as I have aged. But the biggest downward bump that I noticed was about 18 months ago- After my last Covid booster. My threshold heartrate dropped by about 8 beats. I rarely see a heartrate in the 140's anymore. I used to do threshold work in the 140's and could push a VO2 max type effort past 150. I can no longer due this.
3.) I also had lots of testing done. Recently had EKG, ECG, sonogram of heart and stress test. They could find no defects in my hearet or heartbeart. Only slow. Doc said they wouldn't do anything unless my heartrate got so low that I was not even seeing 100 during exercise.
4.) What to do. For me it was recalibrating. I found that I could do endurance rides with my heartrate 90-105 and I was still getting benefit. I am 60 years old. Have been doing endurance sports since age 15.

[kafreeman]

I have some questions and comments-
1.) Are you going slower as a result of your lower heartrate?
2.) I have a low heartrate and it has dropped as I have aged. But the biggest downward bump that I noticed was about 18 months ago- After my last Covid booster. My threshold heartrate dropped by about 8 beats. I rarely see a heartrate in the 140's anymore. I used to do threshold work in the 140's and could push a VO2 max type effort past 150. I can no longer due this.
3.) I also had lots of testing done. Recently had EKG, ECG, sonogram of heart and stress test. They could find no defects in my hearet or heartbeart. Only slow. Doc said they wouldn't do anything unless my heartrate got so low that I was not even seeing 100 during exercise.
4.) What to do. For me it was recalibrating. I found that I could do endurance rides with my heartrate 90-105 and I was still getting benefit. I am 60 years old. Have been doing endurance sports since age 15.

1. No, not according to Strava
2. That's what I was seeing for a few months, felt totally gassed where I could have sat happily at the beginning of the year.
3. I have mitral valve backflow and a bundle block, but that has been known for a few years.
4. I just accepted it and tried to adjust. I have seen it start to come back up after a bit more rest between rides. I'll be hitting the trainer a couple times a week and I'm picking back up on resistance training.

The thing that really got me going was the chest tightness I developed in September and I raised additional concerns to the cardio who then did an ekg / cac / holter which all came back negative for issues.

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