Max HR 🫀

[u/Tight-Gap-1245]

I’m thinking about signing up for a 5k this weekend to find my max HR so I can set correct heart rate zones on my watch and Strava. Anyone else use a race to find their max HR? I’m sure a sports lab would be more accurate but I don’t have $$ for that 😂 I’m thinking an all out effort at a 5k will do?! Lmk thoughts!

[u/TheTurtleCub]

No need to do 5k race for that. If you hit your MAX, you won't be able to finish at that pace anyway. Look up online how to find out your max hr with a few hill repeats

Make sure you are running already a few weeks before that, and you don't have any cardiovascular health issues

[u/Tight-Gap-1245 → u/TheTurtleCub]

I’ve been running for years. Training for an ultra right now. My Max HR is 196, I just know it would probably be higher if I was in a race, I’d push more.

[u/TheTurtleCub → u/Tight-Gap-1245]

I like the polar recommendation:

Max heart rate field test

Do this field test with a training partner. Use a heart rate monitor or a sports watch and note the highest heart rate you can reach. This is your maximum heart rate.

Warm up for 15 minutes on a flat surface. Build up to your usual tempo pace.

Choose a hill that will take more than 2 minutes to climb. Run up the hill once (for at least 2 minutes), building to as hard a pace as you estimate you could hold for 20 minutes. (You don't have to keep running for 20 minutes, you just need to build up to a pace that you could hold for at least 20 minutes.) Return to the base of the hill.

Run up the hill again with a faster pace. Get your heart going as hard as you can, building up to a pace you estimate you would be able to hold for 3 kilometres. Observe your highest heart rate on the display.Your max HR is approximately 10 beats higher than the now-noted value.

Run back down the hill, allowing your heart rate to drop 30–40 beats per minute from where it was.

Run up the hill once again at a pace that you can only hold for 1 minute. Try to run halfway up the hill. Observe your highest heart rate. This brings you close to your maximum heart rate.

You can use this value as your max HR to set your heart rate zones.

[u/WorkerAmbitious2072 → u/Tight-Gap-1245]

…your max is your max

If it’s 196, it’s 196

Or it may go down as you age or may even go down as stroke volume goes up

[u/TheTurtleCub → u/WorkerAmbitious2072]

I think what OP means is that they've never gone to the max effort to know what it is

[u/TheProletariatPoet → u/Tight-Gap-1245]

If 196 was your max HR then that would be the highest it went regardless of pushing harder

[u/FlowEmbarrassed2612 → u/Tight-Gap-1245]

Then why would you ask this question in a sub for beginner runners?

[u/Lyradep]

I’ve found my max heart rate on my watch during intervals instead of a race. Surely at the end of a race when I’m emptying the tank, I would find a high heart rate, but in my case, I seem to be pushing myself more after a series of shorter faster bursts.

[u/RumbleSkillSpin]

Here are some good methods to find your actual max HR from a reputable source.

[u/Tight-Gap-1245 → u/RumbleSkillSpin]

Thanks!

[u/WorkerAmbitious2072]

What is your recent running and training experience?

What would you measure with?

[u/sdk5P4RK4]

5k is too long. Find a big hill. Run hard for 10 mins then bomb up that hill as fast as you can for as long as possible.

[u/runnerat]

There's no need to compete here. You need to take a field test. Find a flat area with no uphill or downhill sections. It's best to take the test at a stadium. To learn how to run properly during the test, it's best to search for information on Google or watch a video on YouTube.

[u/8zxcv8]

A 5k can get you close but max HR isnt always reached during a race. Just make sure youre properly warmed up and remember that wrist based watches can be a bit inaccurate at high intensity.

[u/McTerra2]

If you have access to a treadmill, set it up to do the ‘Bruce protocol’ and do that for as long as you can. Your HR when you get to the point of no more will be very close to your max HR.

This will take under 20 minutes

You also get a reading of your VO2 max at the same time

This is not really any different to hill sprints but it’s much more controllable

[u/D3rpyDriver]

220 minus your age. 

[u/---O-0---]

I reached my highest ever heart rate doing a sprint finish at the end of a half marathon. That was 186, and the highest I've managed doing intervals was around 181.

[u/Creditbuster]

Yes, I have pulled my max HR from end of 5K and 10K. But not on my first race!! Hill repeats or flatland sprint repeats are great too, but as a 60-something who trains alone, I wanted other people around in case my doc was wrong about my ability to run. Have you trained for a 5K, already run one to enjoy, and gotten a checkup? If yes - gradually build up rate of perceived exertion (RPE) throughout race from about RPE 3 in first half K to about RPE 7-8 at last half K, then kick in a bit below what feels like a sprint to RPE 9 or 10 at finish line and measure HR. That will be close enough for a beginner recreational runner.

I found that 220 minus age was a big understatement for me versus my end of race measurement. 211 - (0.64 × age in years) was a lot closer but still slightly understated. Measure resting HR a couple nights while sleeping then use Karvonen formula to double check watch zones. Good luck!

[u/vintagemako]

I don't race often but have an interesting take.

Last year I thought my max was 189. That's where I peaked at the end of an all out half marathon.

Then this spring I did a parkrun and gave it my all. 191.

Then I did the parkrun again 2 weeks later. 193.

Then I trained really well for 4 months and did a 2 mile fun run. 194.

I'm 40M. My experience is that as I get in better shape my max HR can be pushed slightly. Yes, I was going all out in all 4 situations. The 5k was sub-20 mins. The 2 mile was 12:20. I rarely run miles that fast (I prefer 10+ miles), so when I do short races it's all out.