Runners should do the gradual incline treadmill test to determine Max HR.
Your maximum heart rate , or Max HR, is the maximum number of contractions per minute that your heart can make, according to Be Fit. Knowing your Max HR enhances your training because it helps you determine your heart rate training zones. Training within your estimated zones means better results with less training. According to the website Brian Mac Sports Coach, "Max HR can be predicted using a formula, but the variation in actual Max HR of 95 percent of individuals of a given age will lie within a range of ±20 beats per minute." There are several methods to determine Max HR.
Instructions
1. Use a formula to determine your Max HR. The most widely known formula is Max HR = 220 - Age. According to this formula, a 30-year-old person has a Max HR of 190. Keep in mind that this number is not exact and that Max HR tends to be higher in women, according to Be Fit. There are dozens of formulas available to determine your Max HR. The website Marathon Training Schedule reports that the most accurate formula is the following: 205.6 - 0.685 x 35. According to this formula, a 30-year-old's Max HR is 185.5.
2. Do the gradual incline treadmill test. Estimate your Max HR based on the 220 age formula and use that as a guideline. Set the treadmill on a three to five degree incline and warm up for 15 minutes. The actual test, which lasts five minutes, starts after the warm up. Try to run the first minute at 40 heartbeats below target, meaning at 150. After one minute at 150, go up 10 beats and run one minute while increasing your heart rate to 160. Add another 10 the third minute, and then another 10 the fourth. Go all out during the fifth minute and measure your heart rate when the minute is over. This number is your Max HR. This test is effective for people who are already in excellent shape.
3. Do the Foster Sub Maximal Heart Rate Test. Spend five to 10 minutes warming up, then jog at a heart rate of 120. Continue for two minutes at this heart rate, reciting any type of verse you know by heart after one minute and 30 seconds. Add 10 heart rate beats every two minutes, repeating the verse one minute and 30 seconds into each new two minute period. In other words, after four minutes, your heart rate should be at 140. When you can no longer comfortably recite the verse, you have hit your limit. Record your heart rate at this stage. Calculate your Max HR by adding 50 heart beats if you are in poor shape, 40 if you are in average shape, 30 if you are in excellent shape and 20 if you're an elite athlete. For example, a 30-year-old in average shape with a sub Max HR of 140 would have a Max HR of 180 based on this method, according to Marathon Training Schedule. While not as accurate as the treadmill test, this test is good for people who are out of shape.
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