Originally Posted by
Road Fan
I find these discussions about max HR to be confusing, and perhaps confused. To me the question is, why do you need to talk about or consider max HR? I think the term has at least two meanings.
I'm afraid you're missing the point.
Atrial fibrillation, a disruption of the heart's rhythm, can lead to blood clotting in the heart, stroke, and death. AFib, as it's colloquially known, can be treated to mitigate the risks. The symptom is an apparent acceleration in pulse.
What you put into your device should be your maximum pulse, whatever it is. My max pulse, for instance is in the low 160s, and I usually get pretty close to that a couple times a year.. If I develop AFib, the consumer grade HRM I wear on my bike will likely show a pulse in the 180-220 beats per minute range. That would be a warning, indicating I would need to call my cardiologist.