Maximum Heart Rate can change

[Guest guest]

Most people focused on exercising to a given percentage of maximum

heart rate seem to believe that Max Heart Rate can't be changed

other than minimally downwards with age.

I make no statement as to whether it can or can't be but here is the

answer I got from Polar.

Quote:

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Dear Gay,

Thank you for your email.

Indeed the HRmax can change, it is not a once defined, always

constant value.

As already stated: Your maximum heart rate changes to some extent in

relation to your fitness. Regular exercise tends to decrease it

whereas detraining tends to increase it. There may also be some

variation according to the sport you go in for.

E.g. running HRmax > cycling HRmax > swimming HRmax.

For most basic fitness levels, the changes will be very moderate,

but high end athletes will get replicable changes in their HrMax

For more info:

'Maximum heart rate is the highest heart rate achieved in an all-out

effort. It is very individual due to heredity, fitness level and

age. Endurance training does not have great influence on maximum

heart rate but it tends to lower it (Zavorsky, 2000).'

http://support.polar.fi/PKBSupport.nsf/ALLDOCS/42256C2B001E0F6A422568

F7003372E6?OpenDocument

You should also be able to find documents concerning this subject in

the internet, using search-engines like f.e. google.

One example: 'Significant increases in VO2max and O2pulse occurred

in the DWR group that were not found in the control group.

Significant decreases occurred in HRmax of the DWR group compared to

the control.'

http://physiotherapy.curtin.edu.au/resources/educational-

resources/exphys/00/deep_water.cfm

Best Regards,

Olivier Pierrot

Customer Support Specialist

Polar Electro Oy,Finland