Training Induced Changes in Maximum Heart Rate

Abstract

The present study aimed to examine maximum heart rate (HR_max) in elite athletes. 130 (68 male, 23.2 ± 4.8 years, 62 female, 21.0 ± 5.1 years) endurance trained athletes, 40 (24 male, 24.0 ± 5.6 years, 16 female, 22.8 ± 4.6 years) anaerobically trained athletes, and 95 (39 male, 24.8 ± 4.8 years, 56 female, 23.0 ± 4.8 years) sedentary participants entered the study. All participants undertook a standard ramp protocol to volitional exhaustion to establish HR_max. Significant differences in HR_max were identified due to mode of exercise (p < 0.001) and gender (p = 0.001). The mean HR_max for the three modes of exercise were; aerobic 190.3 (SEE = 0.66), anaerobic 190.1 (SEE = 1.12) and sedentary 194.8 (SEE = 0.73) beats · min^-1 estimated at the average age of 23.1 years. The slope parameter for age varied between genders, the beta slope for females being significantly more negative than male subjects (- 1.1 beats · min^-1 · year^-1 vs. - 0.55 beats · min^-1 · year^-1, respectively). The predictive HR_max equation for male athletes was HR_max = 202 - 0.55 × age, and for female athletes it was HR_max = 216 - 1.09 × age. HR_max is similar between aerobically and anaerobically trained athletes. HR_max is significantly lower in athletes compared with age matched sedentary counterparts. The mechanisms underlying the lower HR_max remain to be elucidated.

Key words

autonomic control - heart rate - prediction - athlete

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