High Heart Rate

[alf66]

Hi
i am 44 yrs old, non-smoker & non-drinker. i took up cycling a year ago.  recently bought a HRM.  My average heart rate while cycling  was 170 - 180 with max at 198.  More interestingly I do not feel tired and can still hold a conversation while I cycle at over 170 bpm.  Is this normal as I understand that people of my age the max heart rate should be 175.  pls advise Thks

[kenkeith]

The 220 minus age is parameter that is most beneficial to maintain and improve good cardiovascular health. Exercise overdone may not be very beneficial and possibly contraproductive.

Insight for the most beneficial results: Hard training breaks you down and makes you weaker. It is rest that makes you stronger. Physiologic improvement in sports only occurs during the rest period following hard training. This adaptation is in response to maximal loading of the cardiovascular and muscular systems and is accomplished by improving efficiency of the heart, increasing capillaries in the muscles, and increasing glycogen stores and mitochondrial enzyme systems within the muscle cells. During recovery periods these systems build to greater levels to compensate for the stress that you have applied. The result is that you are now at a higher level of performance.