Rider can't "get it up"...

[spinnerpom]

His heart rate, that is...geez, get your minds out of the gutter! (hey, I got your attention, didn't I?)

Seriously, one of my regulars complained tonight that lately he hasn't been able to get his HR past 135 (he's 55 yrs old). Pretty fit guy, needs to lose a few pounds maybe, mostly belly fat, but he's a strong rider and seems like he has a good CV fitness level.

He told me he Spins four times a week. I suggested he might be overtraining and that he should spend about 4 weeks just staying aerobic and build his base, and recommended he visit heartzones.com if he wants more info on base building. Also recommended he check is RHR in the a.m. so we could do a Karvonen on him, just to make sure we're looking at accurate numbers.

I ruled out meds (none) and any other lifestyle changes, so I'm thinking overtraining...what about you guys?

Sara

[Looch]

Hey Pom,

You didn't mention how high he was able to get his heart rate in the past, do you have any idea?

Additionally, when was the last time he had a full physical check up completed...including an ECG assessment by his doctor?

[Jonnyspin]

What about recommending hard/easy training if he wants to cycle often?
Ie: one session easy, next one hard. If he can't go to classes that are "hard" and "easy", then he can get a hrm and control it on his resistance to some degree.

[spinnerpom]

Said he used to routinely achieve HRs in the 150s and now no matter how hard he works he can't get over 135.

[yvonne]

i'm with Looch, if no recent checkup, i'd advise a visit to the doc. what's his resting heart rate looking like? could be more telling, in terms of overtraining.

The 15 beat differntial equates to approx. 10% drop in his heart rate performance. Coincidentally, overtrained individuals usually experience a 10% decrease or increase in heart rate values.

To be on the safe side, recommend he get a full physical, and an assessment of his daily stressors may also be a good idea.

[Looch]

Hey Pom,

Any update on this student?

[spinnerpom]

He claimed he his 145 in class over the weekend, which is closer to the numbers he's used to seeing.

He also sent him to heartzones.com to read up on base building and he's agreed to keep the intensity level moderate for a few weeks to see what happens...I'll keep you posted.

He was kinda flattered that I asked my fellow instructors about him. I don't think some of our riders realize how much we actually care about them!!!

Sara