Are there wide variations in Heart Rates?

Hi*

I am 56years old, 5' 6" and about 72kg so in reasonable shape. Just getting back into an exercise routine after tearing a calf muscle a few months back playing soccer.*

I recently bought a Heart Rate Monitor which basically using the accepted methodology tells me 220 less my age 56 = Max Heart rate of 164 right?*

Well I did a 20min session on a stationery bike (at asimilar level of exertion to what I would do any other time) and my heart rate (according to the monitor) climbed to 140 without any real effort and when I did push it went over 170 then 180 then 190 up to a max of 209 and yet I felt I was on about 70% exertion. I felt no pressure or discomfort so figured maybe I had misunderstood the chart or the monitor was faulty so kept going. Basically the reading was above 170 the whole time I was exercising. (Then I remembered way back some 20yrs ago, last time I had a Heart Rate monitor it would beep at me almost as soon as I started running to say I was exceeding the fitness workout zone.)*

After I finished my workout I came online and confirmed the charts suggest 164 max. I have exercised again since and on the bike my heart rate goes way up. (although I did not let it go as high this time). At this stage I dont think the monitor is faulty.

So I am wondering should I be joining the*X-Men as a mutant, should I be buying*Funeral Insurance or is it fairly common that some people have very rapid heart rates when exercising??*

Cheers
SelfHelp Fitness Guy
 
There is certainly an extremely large variance in people's individual heart rates, both resting and maximum. There's also no accurate way to predict your maximum heart rate. The 220-age equation is commonly used just as a textbook measure, but I've seen like 10 different variations, none of which are able to be applied to everyone.
 
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