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Question:
I'm a healthy 50-year-old woman. My resting pulse is about 50-60 beats per minute. When I run on the treadmill at a six mph pace for two miles, my pulse will get to 172. I get 35-40 minutes of cardio five times a week. Is 172 too high?
Answer:
The simple answer to your question is no, it is not too high. You sound like a very fit woman. A six mph (or a 10-minute) mile is a nice pace. I assume you are comfortable at this pace since you can keep it up for 20 minutes.
Most "normals" in medicine are defined by averages of healthy people. There is usually a bell-shaped curve where most are in the middle, but higher or lower can be normal, as well. For resting heart rate, normal is defined as 60 to 100 beats per minute, but trained athletes can have resting heart rates as low as 35 to 40, which is normal for them.
The simple calculation for maximal peak heart rate is 220 - age for men, and 226 - age for women. That would put your peak heart rate at 176. For most people your age, your exercise heart rate would put them in an anaerobic zone (90-100% of maximum), which cannot be maintained for long periods due to the build-up of lactic acid in the muscles. However, this is clearly not an anaerobic rate for you. Based on the typical heart rate formula, your heart is acting younger than your 50 years.
Training more vigorously, pushing your pace into the anaerobic zone, will result in improved oxygen utilization, improved cardio-respiratory system, greater ability to tolerate lactic acid build-up, and improved endurance. Competitive athletes must do this to improve. There is also some evidence that interval training - fast for a few minutes, then slower for a few minute - burns calories more effectively than a steady, moderate pace. Only those people with coronary disease or structural heart disease need to be concerned about keeping their heart rate below a certain level.
Keep it up!
Related Questions
A normal resting heart rate is between 60 (beats per minute) and 100 (beats per minute) for people 15 years and older.
According to the American Heart Association, a normal resting heart rate is between 60 (beats per minute) and 100 (beats per minute) for people 15 years and older.
However, a low heart rate can also be common in athletes, people who are physically fit, or people who take medications such as beta-blockers.
The chart below shows normal heart rates by age.
Normal Heart Rates By AgeAge range | Heart Rate (beats per minute, or BPM) |
Newborn | 100-16 |
0-5 months | 90-150 |
6-12 months | 80-140 |
1-3 years | 80-130 |
3-5 years | 80-120 |
6-10 years | 70-110 |
11-14 years | 60-105 |
15 years and older | 60-100 |
What Are Maximum and Target Heart Rates by Age?
The American Heart Association recommends people exercise according to their specific target heart rate zone. Target heart rate zone refers to a safe heart rate range during exercise, and it differs by age.
It is calculated as a percentage (usually between 50 and 85 percent) of your maximum heart rate. Exercising below 50 percent may not help you reach your desired goals of fitness, whereas exercising beyond 85 percent may cause common problems such as sore muscles to something as serious as a heart attack.
How to Calculate Your Maximum Heart Rate and Target Heart Rate
Here are steps to calculate your maximum heart rate and target heart rate zone:
- Subtract your age from 220. If you are 35 years, the maximum heart rate is 220 minus 35 which equals 185 beats per minute (bpm).
- At a 50 percent exertion level, your target would be 50 percent of your maximum heart rate, which equals 93 bpm. At an 85 percent level of exertion, your target would be 157 bpm. Therefore, the target heart rate that a 35-year-old person would want to reach during exercise is 93 to 157 bpm.
Below age-based maximum heart rate and target heart rate zones are listed.
20 | 100 to 170 | 200 |
30 | 95 to 162 | 190 |
35 | 93 to 157 | 185 |
40 | `90 to 153 | 180 |
45 | 88 to 149 | 175 |
50 | 85 to 145 | 170 |
55 | 83 to 140 | 165 |
60 | 80 to 136 | 160 |
65 | 78 to 132 | 155 |
70 | 75 to 128 | 150 |
What Is Heart Rate?
The heart rate, also called the pulse, is the number of times the heartbeats per minute (BPM).
To find your heart rate, check your pulse, which can be felt on your:
- Wrists
- Inside of the elbow
- Side of the neck
- Top of the foot
Place your finger (not your thumb) over your pulse and count the number of beats in 60 seconds to get your heart rate.
QUESTION
In the U.S., 1 in every 4 deaths is caused by heart disease. See AnswerFrom
Reviewed on 4/6/2022
References
Image Source: iStock Images
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