Knowledge of Heart Rate(max) For Health (Part 3)

Maximum Heart Rate - This knowledge opens the door to exercise and training intensity.

This page is dedicated to my supervisor Dave Williams who inspired me to do a research on Percentage Heart Rate (max) utilised during a 1500m Run, for the partial requirement for my Bsc (Hons) in PE and Sports Science Degree. It is also in dedication to Brian Sharkey (1970) the writer of  Physiology of Fitness

Picture 1 - One need to know the fat burning zone and cardio zone.

Simply said, it is very interesting to know how much the heart can beat per minute. At rest, especially after a peaceful sleep, one can know the lowest heart rate elicited by the heart's pumping action per minute. During exercise, one can know the maximum if he/she take the heart rate immediately, after a strenous continuous endurance run. The run must be a continuous steady state run similar to that of the 2.4km test or Cooper 12minute test. The beat should be between 29 to 34 beats per 10sec. By multiplying by 6 the steady state run elicits a heart rate between 174 to 196 beats per minute. 10 x 6 will give you a minute.

Usually, using my Sports Science research done in Loughborough University, one can elicit a heart rate of 90 to 95% of Heart Rate Max. during a race. This was seen during my reasearch.

The best way to get one's Heart Rate (max) is by doing the VO2max test. The validity and reliability of obtaining the HR max through a VO2 max test is very good, to my experience. 

Astrand and Rodahl (1986), in their review of Textbook of Work Physiology have mentioned that the maximum heart rate is 220 minus the age (+/- 10 to 15).  For simplicity sake, let us take away the +/-10 to 15 so that a layman can understand on Maximum Heart Rate. That means, for a 20 year old, it is 220 - 20 = 200. The heart rate is somewhere around 200. Likewise, for an 80 year old, the Heart Rate max is 220 - 80, which gives you a score of 160. Heart Rate (max) will go down in value as one age.

Picture 2 - Per Olof Astrand and Kaare Rodahl are pioneers in Physiology.

Assuming that our discussion is on a 20 year old only, it would be good to find the fat burning zone before we find the cardio zone. That is how in our cardio room for age 20, the fat burning zone is told to be 130 beats per minute (65% HR max). At 160 beats per minute (80% HR max), the heart is being worked effectively and the heart becomes a very efficient pump over time.

For a 20 year old
HR max  = 200   (From the formula 220 - Age =  200) 
65% of HRmax = 130 beats per minute
80% = 160 beats per minute

In short, at the rate of 160 beats per minute, one not only burn more fats but also he or she making the heart to exercise efficiently thus one also develop branching out of coronary arteries, the only arteries that pump blood to the heart. Hence, there will be a very rich supply of blood to the heart. This will enable the blood to be received by all parts of the body efficiently. The heart is the most important organ in our body.

Picture 3. - A very healthy heart will have a many branches of arteries which develops through an effective exercise program.