HIgh Heart Rate During Exercise

Hello, I'm 65, a former marathoner and still doing fitness training but not racing. My maximum heart rate on several measures is confirmed at around 185-190 BPM. My resting pulse rate is 55-60. My heart rate recovery is about 40 BMP after a minute,

I can train at about 160 BPM for 30 minutes or so without too much effort. This seems high to me by all standard calculators. Should I be concerned? Is it worth getting an ECG? My thinking is that although my heart is efficient from years of training, my arteries might be narrowed, forcing  the heart to pump harder to get the same amount of blood/oxygen around.

Any observations?

[erijon]

I don't think there are any issues. I am 54 years old and cycle excessively. When I work out I find I can get my heart rate to peak at numbers as high as 170 - 180 although I keep it below that because it is not safe to exceed your max heart rate for long periods. My base heart rate while cycling is over 160 and I sustain that for 30 - 45 mins and also have a recovery rate between 40 and 50 beats in the first minute from peak.

My personal opinion is you are working out at a level in excess of what you need, but if you're like me you tend to push it. If your heart was weak enough to beat harder to supply enough blood to your large muscle groups you would be seeing a reduction in your exercise tolerance. Have you asked your doctor? A quick stress test would give you the answer, but as my doctor has told me, I pretty much do a self stress test everyday with no problems so a stress test would most likely not show anything unless I start feeling symptoms.

Ask your doctor what they think, the know your history.

Jon

[LeeR99]

Thanks, somewhat reassuring. I'm going to ask the doc next visit.

I tend to train at that level because my running rhythm is off at lower intensity, and, as you suggest, I'm used to pushing it.

[erijon]

I have the same problem when I keep it in the 120 range, it throws my normal rhythm off as well. I feel better when I'm pushing beyond what's comfortable. I just got back from a 15 mile ride and maxed at 172 bpm in an uphill run into the wind in top gear, it's really not necessary but I like the feel of really working the legs. My Doc has told me that it is not doing any more good than staying at 70% of max, but that just doesn't feel like work to me. You probably feel the same.

[oldie]

I'm 84, one stent 2 1/2 years ago. When I see my cardio he says: still biking 5kms? Yes. Any pain in the chest. No. Good, come back in three months. or four if you like.
My bike pulse is 90 to 110.

[erijon]

Impressive!

[Flycaster305]

I doubt an EKG would have any value, it basically tells you if you are having a heart attack or serious heart beat issues during the eight seconds that it is running.  A much better test is a stress test, as it shows if there are areas of the heart that are/aren't receiving oxygen when the heart is stressed.
I had stable angina for years, and would use exercise to monitor my heart health... if I felt chest discomfort, I'd slow down.  In my case, at age 70, when my heart beat would get close to 120bpm, I'd feel discomfort.  That said, I was taking some high doses of Coreg, a potent beta blocker, and have a pacemaker.  Eventually I felt a lot of discomfort when my heart rate hit about 120 as evidenced on the Polar monitor I wear and had bypass surgery.  I think every case is different, but you are at the age when you should establish a baseline, and a stress test would be a good thing to do.  
I just lost a lifelong friend who biked, hiked the length of the Pacific Crest Trail, but had been complaining about a high heart beat rate.  The fact you express a concern in my opinion suggests you should talk to an expert.
Keep us informed.

[Sandman2]

   Hi, I am 67 and my heart rates are very much like yours - although I don't recover quite as fast.  Recently had a stress test as a part of a normal physical.   They found that I had a Pre atrial beat.  This beat is what gives me the higher heart rate.  Apparently, its no big thing.  Although I do wonder how accurate the test was because they stopped it at 155 and I easily could have gone another 15+ min at that rate.  So not sure how stressed I was.
   But,  two weeks later I finished a run - felt really ******.   I now have an atrial flutter which I am going to get zapped in about two more weeks.  I am now on a beta blocker and blood thinner.  I was in excellent health and the stress test certainly did not predict any of this.
   I googled atrial flutter in athletics and found quite a lot of info.  It seems as you get older, if you really push a workout - you have a better chance of getting the flutter?  And I had really pushed a workout the day before the run where I felt bad.  So, I probably will not push it quite as hard from now on - once this thing gets (hopefully) fixed.  Ain't growing old fun :)

[LeeR99]

Thanks Sandman and others. Good to get some opinions on this.

I've had a couple of stress echos in the past subsequent to a lung clot (PE), and no problems, but probably about time I had another.