What is the maximum heart rate that a fit badminton player can safely sustain when playing? Some say it is 220-your age x 85%. Others say it is 220-your age x 90% to 100%. At the 220-your age x 100% zone, some say you can overstrain your heart. I am not too sure and am a bit confused. According to such guidelines, 100% of my maximum heart rate (220-65), is 155 beats per minute. I wear a pulse monitor, and I do not have trouble getting oxygen into my muscles at 155. Sometimes I do hit 185, and I do get tired at this rate, in which case I use delaying tatics to enable my beat to go down to 160+. Are the guidelines right, in which case I should be dead, or are they just guidelines? I need some reassurances and some advice, as I could be putting myself at risk.
actually, some ppl say that the maximum is 240-age. but when i was around 25, i have hit 225 (i had a HRM) so technically i might have died and lived again. as for sustainable rate, i think 85% of the maximum is the general guidelines. as usual though, the number varies from person to person. also, as for badminton, it will be a different profile than say, bicycling. bicycling is a constant workout (as least when you are not going downhill. ) while badminton is bursty. so sustainable rate should be higher imho. but since the output is not constant, i think it is hard to talk about sustainable rate...
They don't know that I have a pulse monitor. The transmitter is strapped around my chest with the shirt covering it. The receiver is the watch around my wrist. When I am tired, I try to change shuttles more often; sometimes I get turned down but at least I get a couple of seconds to recover.
If your worrying about the risk then the best thing is to increase your aroebic (sp?) exercise regime. Cycling/Swimming or other Endurance activities will strengthen your heart, making it more efficient & allow you to play badminton at the same intensity with a lower heart rate away from the Max zone.
Telltale Signs I suppose the body will tell the player somehow that it is taking the strain and may not be able to take it any longer. Have you ever felt breathless after a long and exhausting rally? If so, isn't is time to steal a short break or employ other delaying tactics such as changing shuttles as suggested. But most times, we play only social badminton and if the shuttle is still good, it is not good to ask for a change. I think our friends will understand and agree to a breather. I have experienced this before. So far I haven't experienced a blackout. I suppose when this happens, this is real serious. But maybe before this, apart from breathlessness, an uneasiness in our biological system, maybe a little dizziness first, sweating would have occured but we may not feel it as we are already perspiring from our badminton rallies, it is best to stop and take a rest, like sitting down, before calamity happens. I, too, think that our ability to withstand the stress to our heart is a personal thing, as apart from age, an existing medical condition, it also depends on how we have trained our body to do certain activities over the years. Some players of the same age can last longer than others. But I wouldn't want to stretch it too far for I want to play as long as possible!
Re: Telltale Signs This could be the starting signs of heat stroke and/or dehydration! BEWARE & BECAREFUL!
To begin with, I have no medical background, so do not assume what I say is 100% correct. 220-age or 240-age, both are estimates for the average person. An individual could be higher or lower. If you have had a heart rate of 185 then I would call that your maximum. When people talk about exercising between 60-90% of maximum heart rate, I think that, again, that is an estimate of where the average person's aerobic zone is. I don't know the details, but the muscles get their energy from the blood supply. Or the blood supplies the oxygen to burn the fuel. Above 90%, you get into the anaerobic zone. Your energy requirements have gone beyond what the blood supply can fulfil. Local, short-term, energy reserves in the muscles are used. Lactic acid builds up and unless you rest your muscles feel dead. The lactic acid is a waste product that interferes with the normal operation of the muscle. As for safety, difficult to say. For a person of your age I would expect medical opinion to be conservative "Regular exercise will keep you fit, but don't overdo it. What? You've had a heart attack. I didn't say it would be safe to run that marathon..." I have read that regular aerobic exercise strengthens the heart muscles and increases the volume of the heart. The pump becomes more efficient, and so the resting heart rate usually becomes lower. Regular anaerobic exercise strengthens the heart muscles without the increase in volume. I don't know about straining your heart when exercisin g near 100%, but I have read that you risk damaging the heart if you exercise while you have a fever. There are a number of information sources on the internet, but when it comes down to an issue with such serious consequences, which advice are you going to trust? Me, or your doctor? Hope that helps (where's Cheung when you need him )
I don't get any any distress signals from my body, even at 100% of my anaerobic zone, which is 155. In the course of a game my heart beat is between 125-170. In mixed doubles I do go to 185, at which point I do get tired but still no distress signals. At this point my instinct tells me "to change shuttles", afterwhich my heart beat goes down to below 170 so I can continue to "fight another day". I used to play singles with younger men of 35-45, who used me as a practicing opponent to prepare for tournaments catering for various age groups. I have since stopped it as it was too punishing. It was at some of these singles matches that I was on the brink; oftentimes I had a feeling that my lungs were coming up to my throat, and I had to walk off the court to have a breather, but I would be back on court again to pick up where I left off. This would continue a few times in the course of a game. These days, the only singles I play are against relatively weak players. I ask my friend who is doctor about this, and he says that with my strong resting pulse rate of 54, it is quite ok but to listen to my body at all times.
Whoa.. I'm only 15 and I've gone past 240 during the 5 minute runs in school. I push myself even harder in badminton (if I'm extra hyper that day). Sometimes I really feel like I am short of breath, and that every lunge or jump I take will be my last (before I absoultely collapse)! But I don't give up... No pain, no gain... right? But you guys are scaring me! Will I damage anything if I keep pushing myself like this? I don't think I should be at risk of a heart attack at my age...
Yes, your knees and ankles will wear out a lot faster if you don't watch how you your lunges. When you reach 30, you will understand the meaning of getting old.
enjoy your youth and energy while you still have it... As pete said, you will soon know the meaning of getting old, but hey, 30 is still getting to live 2x ur current age. But do try to take care of yourself... your knees and ankles and other joints will bear most of the punishment you make em go through. Jumping and lunging every other second may look good, but sometimes being just a strong steady presence on the court will do just as well. as for the heart rate... i dont monitor it yet, i just listen to what my body says during the game and try to steal my breaks when i feel the need.
Guidelines are not absolute. They are very general. I am not too sure of the evidence on which these figures are based upon but they were quotable some 15 years ago as well. So bear in mind; a) each person is different. So just like people have different heights, they can can have different maximum pulse rates b) As pointed out, coexisting medical conditions can exist which may give an effect of lowering the max pulse rate. e.g. lung damage from smoking c) medical conditions may exist that a person may be unaware of... e.g. coronary artery disease. d) what is meant by 'safe'? A fit person may tolerate longer periods of high pulse compared to a sedentary person without problems. The sedentary person may even collapse given the high workout rate. e) given that nobody has yet linked high pulse rates in badminton to serious medical events (I stand to be corrected on this), it is difficult to see the rationale of measuring your own pulse during the match. (Unless it is for self interest) f) there are some profiles of people suffering serious medical events on badminton courts. However, people also suffer serious medical events when asleep. Doing exercise just gives the matter higher profile.
Well, the best I can tell you is "to get a health insurance!!" I think if you are trained, or familiar with the pressure, your heart would be stronger. So, if you are worried about your heart rate being too high, go to a doc first. If he say it is ok, then you must need to work on your endurance. Badminton requires constant jumps and movements and it will defefinetly requires a good and health heart to support it. So, I say, make sure you drink properly, and don't play too constantly (like 5 hours in a row), and you should be fine with regular plays. For tours.....that I don't know......because it is already scary enough when you step in the court....
Thank God, at my age, I don't have to jump at all even to execute the smash! But I'll never feel shy to take a breather after a tough rally and I try to take a break after two consecutive games. Sometimes I have to play on without a break and at the end of it, I often don't feel too good as the muscles feel sore and I become lethargic. It becomes worst the next morning as lactic acid has built up in my joints and has not gone out of my system yet. So, for the more senior players, in-between rests are essential and stretching and warming down exercises, esp. after the game, are important to reduce the lactic waste.
