Athlete's heart rate: When is it safe and when is it too high?

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When athletes train, their heart rate and breathing rate increase, delivering a greater amount of oxygen from the lungs to the blood, and then to the working muscles. Determining when it's safe to raise your heart rate and when it's too high for exercise depends on the athlete's fitness goals, age, and current fitness level.

1. What should an athlete's heart rate be during exercise?

Heart rate and exercise intensity have a direct, linear relationship: The more intense the exercise, the higher the heart rate.
When you exercise at the highest possible intensity, your heart will reach its maximum heart rate (HRmax), the fastest rate it can beat in 1 minute. However, exercising at maximum heart rate (HRmax), for all sessions, will not produce effective fitness results. These high intensity levels can rarely be sustained, thereby negating the exercise's potential benefits.
Exercise helps the heart work more efficiently. Typical resting heart rate can vary widely from person to person, and even within an individual it can vary from time to time. For adults, a resting heart rate of 60-80 beats per minute (BPM) is considered normal.
Improved aerobic exercise lowers each person's resting heart rate, as it makes the heart more efficient with each beat. For example, an athlete's resting heart rate typically falls around 40 beats per minute.
In fact, evidence shows that long-term exercise increases the size of the heart, specifically the left ventricle, a phenomenon known as "athlete's heart". A larger heart means it can pump more blood with each beat and requires fewer beats per minute to maintain blood flow throughout the body. This is a beneficial physiological adaptation that allows athletes to train at higher intensity for longer periods of time as well as provide endurance during competition.
How to calculate maximum heart rate:
There is a significant variation in the maximum heart rate of each person. The only true method to determine a maximum heart rate reading is to perform a maximum exercise test. But the maximum heart rate readings can be estimated using an age-based formula. The authors of a 2001 study suggested the following modified equation to estimate maximum heart rate: HRMax = 208 - (0.7 x Age)
This means that a 45-year-old would have only The predicted maximum heart rate is 177 BPM. Indeed, our genetics can influence the actual maximum heart rate from their predicted value. However, maximum heart rate is not a major determinant of exercise or athletic performance. There is also a much more important factor is the physiological effect of the exercises that you apply. When assessing heart rate, it is important to take into account the effects of emotions such as excitement or fear, the effects of stimulants such as caffeine, and other circulating hormones such as adrenaline, all of which are can increase heart rate.

2. Why do athletes have lower resting heart rates?

Athletes who compete in endurance sports often have lower resting heart rates than others. Heart rate is measured in beats per minute (bpm). The resting heart rate of each person is best measured during the time when we are sitting or lying down and the body is in a calm state. The average resting heart rate of a non-professional adult typically ranges between 60 and 80 beats per minute. But some athletes have a much lower resting heart rate, between 30 and 40 beats per minute. For athletes, especially those who compete in endurance sports or someone who exercises regularly, a lower resting heart rate is usually not a concern. unless it makes them feel dizzy, tired or sick. Conversely, the lower your resting heart rate, the more impressive you are in endurance.
2.1 Athlete's Resting Heart Rate An athlete's resting heart rate can be considered low when compared to a normal person's resting heart rate. A young, healthy athlete may have a resting heart rate that ranges from 30 to 40 beats per minute. This could be explained by the fact that exercise strengthens the heart muscle. It allows the heart to pump a larger amount of blood with each heartbeat. As a result, the amount of oxygen supplied to the organs in the body is also greater. This means that the heart needs to beat less times per minute than it does for someone who is not physically active. However, an athlete's heart rate can increase from 180 beats per minute to 200 beats per minute during training or competition.
Resting heart rate depends on many factors and varies from person to person, including between athletes. Some factors that can affect resting heart rate include:
Age; Type of sport participating; Intensity of physical activity; Air temperature (on hot or humid days, heart rate may increase); Personal emotions (stress, anxiety and excitement can increase heart rate); Using certain medications (beta blockers can slow your heart rate, while some thyroid medications can increase your heart rate). 2.2 How is the resting heart rate of athletes too low? An athlete's resting heart rate is usually considered too low only when accompanied by other symptoms. These may include fatigue, dizziness, or weakness. Such symptoms could be a sign of a number of other health-related problems. In this case, athletes will be required to undergo a medical examination.
2.3 Motor heart syndrome Motor heart syndrome is a condition that involves the heart but is usually harmless. It usually occurs in people who exercise for more than an hour a day. Athletes with a resting heart rate between 35 and 50 beats per minute may experience arrhythmias or irregular heartbeats. This may show up as abnormal on an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). Usually, a diagnosis of athletic heart syndrome is not needed because it does not cause any health problems. But always tell your doctor if you feel:
Chest pain; Notice that your heart rate seems irregular when measured; Fainting while exercising. Sometimes athletes collapse due to heart problems. But that's usually due to an underlying condition such as congenital heart disease, not exercise and sports-induced heart syndrome. New research shows that athletes with low resting heart rates may experience irregular heart conditions later in life. Another study also found that athletes who participated in lifelong endurance sports had a higher rate of implantation of electronic pacemakers later in life. Research is still ongoing to clarify the long-term effects of endurance training. Researchers do not recommend any changes to your sports habits at this time, and you should see your doctor if you are concerned about your low heart rate.

2.4 How to Determine Ideal Resting Heart Rate Well-trained athletes can have a resting heart rate of 30 to 40 beats per minute. But everyone's heart rate is different. There is no "ideal" resting heart rate, although a lower resting heart rate can mean a healthier body. You can measure your resting heart rate at home. Monitor your resting heart rate by checking your pulse in the morning. Gently press the tips of your index and middle fingers onto the side of your wrist, just below the thumb of your hand. Counting for one minute (or counting for 30 seconds and multiplying by 2 or counting for 10 seconds and multiplying by 6)
2.5 How to determine ideal exercise heart rate Some athletes like to work out at their target heart rate . This is based on their intensity level relative to their maximum heart rate. A person's maximum heart rate is considered the highest that the heart can maintain during cardiovascular exercise. To estimate your maximum heart rate, subtract your current age from 220. Note this is an estimate only. Most athletes train at between 50 and 70 percent of their maximum heart rate. For example, if an athlete's maximum heart rate is 180 beats per minute, their target training zone would be between 90 and 126 beats per minute. In addition, athletes who like to practice based on their target heart rate often use heart rate monitors to monitor during exercise.
2.6 When to Stop Working Out When your heart rate goes up to or above your maximum heart rate for a long time it can be dangerous to your health. Immediately stop the exercise if you feel tired, dizzy, dizzy....
Athletes often have a lower resting heart rate than others. If you exercise regularly and moderately, your resting heart rate may be lower than others. This is not necessarily a bad thing. A low resting heart rate means your heart needs less beats to deliver the same amount of blood around your body. It is important to stop exercising activities and seek medical help in case of dizziness, chest pain or fainting during exercise. In addition, you should also see a doctor if you suspect your low heart rate is accompanied by other symptoms such as fatigue or dizziness. Doctors can evaluate your heart to confirm that you can continue exercising or need to change the method and intensity of exercise.

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Reference source: healthline.com