Just wondering. I wonder if Fitbit can detect hr max well; it gets hard at the higher end
It is generally accepted that HRmax declines as a function of age, and can therefore be calculated very simply using the equation: 220 – age. This formula, though simple, does leave a lot of room for error. In fact, 32% of the population will have a maximal heart rate greater than +/- 11 bpm different from the HRmax calculated using the classic 220 – age equation; while some outliers (about 4% of the population) will have an actual maximal heart rate that is potentially +/- 22bpm different from the HRmax predicted by the standard equation!
Whenever people ask me about maximal heart rate, I explain the prediction equation, but then relate that the only way to truly measure one’s maximal heart rate is to exercise at a relative maximal intensity and either palpate the heart rate or assess it using a heart rate monitor after this maximal intensity has been sustained for 30-60 seconds. This should only be done, of course, if the individual has been cleared by his/her physician for maximal exercise; or during a physician-monitored max exercise test.
My max HR is around 183, as measured by the gym equipment (e.g. elliptical trainer). I have a polar chest HR monitor but it connects to my phone for viewing the HR, but not too convenient except on a bike which it attached to the handlebars.
This seems pretty good for me - way off the 220 minus age benchmark (in a good way) - but matches my epigenetic / phenotypic clock measures.
I want to measure my VO2Max - but its been hard to get into the exercise physiology labs at the academic centers where I would normally go, as they’ve all been closed for COVID for the past two years.
How about you Alex - what is your Max HR?
Just curious, what are your thoughts on max heart rate and v02? Coming from a running background, I don’t put a lot of emphasis or care into them. But, I haven’t thought about them much as related to aging, outside of the fact that as you age both tend to drop (they drop much slower if you continually exercise throughout your life).
My max is around 180 and my V02 is typically calculated in between 50-56 depending on where I am in my training.
I am interested to see how they may or may not change after taking rapamycin for awhile. Especially heart rate. That would be pretty wild if rapamycin + training had any effect on max heart rate, I doubt it would.
My max heart rate was 204 as of 2021-02-15 (measured via DexaFit). VO2max was 38.5. DexaFit is strictly better b/c controlled experiment and it has a chest strap.
In 2018-04, an exercise test showed max_HR as 203 and VO2max as 52. And resting metabolic rate of
==
FitBit measured max_HR at 187 during a run in Amsterdam yesterday, but Fitbit is not as precise as a chest monitor (+not as long) + Fitbit post-processes the data (it’s not raw data) + this matters more at higher numbers. I ran around Europe for 2 weeks straight the past 2 weeks so I should be more fit now than I was in february last year (when I was stuck home during COVID)… Omg that time was followed by a 1-year period of complete magic.
Can I attach my xls file here? This doesn’t allow xls file uploads…
3 Likes
Wow - great to hear you’ve been out exercising! Well done.
Your fitness age
The most interesting result of the HUNT studies is their method to determine the fitness age. That works like this. For the entire population, the following relationships have been determined between the VO2 max and the age:
Men: VO2 max = 63.6-0.393age*
Women: VO2 max = 51.2-0.328age*
These relationships are also shown in the figure below.
Now, if you know your actual VO2 max, you can easily determine your fitness age by determining from the graph at which age your VO2 max is equal to that of the average population. For authors Hans and Ron, the fitness age thus becomes 20 and 40 years, a nice result for men aged 66 and 62!
1 Like
185 bpm, vo2max between 58-62 ml/kg/min according to the polar fitness test
you can use the polar beat app, under upgrades is a fitness test which can measure your vo2max
1 Like
https://www.youtube.com/@LanceHitchings noticed a huge increase in max_HR (well above what would be predicted by his age) after stem cell infusions. He had to manually change his age on the app because the app would auto-adjust his max_HR by his age, but this auto-adjusting is wrong.
1 Like
Although there is a correlation between age and max heart rate the spread is huge, maybe he didn’t go deep enough before (to reaching your max heart rate or come close to it you need to be very fresh and do a huge effort and continue when you already really felt like dying a minute earlier)
2 Likes
Amongst elite endurance athletes, who have historically the best VO2MAX values in the world, heart rate max is all over the place.
When training/exercising, your heart will adapt to do the work. It takes months and months of training to achieve that type of adaptation. I’ve never put too much emphasis or care into max heart rate. I think a more important metric is stroke volume.
1 Like