Falling Max Heart Rate

[sondar]

Over the past month, my max heart rate (as reached at the end of a 30 minute piece with the last couple of minutes flat out) has dropped from 183 to 172. This has also coincided with a reduction of 10-15 bpm of heat rate during sessions for a constant pace. I should mention that I'm a 44 year old male, weighing in at 71kg.

As a bit more background, I changed my exercise program at the beginning of November, moving from 2-3 fairly intense sessions per week to 5 lighter sessions a week of 30 -35 minutes, focussing on heart rate rather than split times. Over the 2.5 months since I started that, my pace has improved and I find that my recovery rate is much better. That's all good, but I don't understand the drop in max heart rate. Can anybody shed any light on whether this is normal?

Chris

[PJM]

This is the way I look at the drop.Your heart is working more efficiently.You train your heart muscle as you do the rest of the muscles in your body when you do cardio..or work out.As your fitness level improves your max heart rate will start to drop and you will find that you have to work harder to adapt to the change in the rate.I am a Personal Trainer and that is how I would perceive this change in any client that would exhibit this.You may get other answers and they may have merit.

Pat
TIMBUK2

[hjs]

Over the past month, my max heart rate (as reached at the end of a 30 minute piece with the last couple of minutes flat out) has dropped from 183 to 172. This has also coincided with a reduction of 10-15 bpm of heat rate during sessions for a constant pace. I should mention that I'm a 44 year old male, weighing in at 71kg.

As a bit more background, I changed my exercise program at the beginning of November, moving from 2-3 fairly intense sessions per week to 5 lighter sessions a week of 30 -35 minutes, focussing on heart rate rather than split times. Over the 2.5 months since I started that, my pace has improved and I find that my recovery rate is much better. That's all good, but I don't understand the drop in max heart rate. Can anybody shed any light on whether this is normal?

Chris

If you are going flat out and you hartrare doesn,t get near your max someting is wrong. Max Hf doesn,t change much and ceratinly not fast due to training.
But is very likely that you go max at in your rowing pieces. The lower Hf is I think a sign of your improvement. To see what your current Hf max is you could do a step test. This is very hard work.

[Citroen]

That's all good, but I don't understand the drop in max heart rate. Can anybody shed any light on whether this is normal?

I suspect you've never reached an absolute maxHR. One way to find it is a step test.

Eddie Fletcher has this protocol for a step test:

To determine the appropriate start level, you will need to know your current 2,000m time. Divide your 2000m time by four to establish 500m split time.
To determine your Step 1 add 4 seconds to your 500m pace and then from this pace add successive amounts of 6 seconds counting back six steps. After rowing 4 minutes at Step 1 move up to the next step, and so on, until Step 7. This stage should be performed flat out to elicit your maximum heart rate.
The following is an example of an indoor rower who rows 2,000m in 6:40. Average 500m split = 1:40 add 4 seconds = 1.44.
Add successive 6 seconds –
Step 1 – 2:14, Step 2 – 2:08, Step 3 – 2:02, Step 4 – 1:56, Step 5 – 1:50, Step 6 – 1:44, Step 7 – flat out

My maxHR is over 200.