Heart Rate Training Zones

Measuring your heart rate during training can be an effective method to monitor your training progress and make sure you are getting the desired result from your workouts. Your heart rate can be measured anywhere where you can feel a pulse. Most commonly used sites are the inside of the wrist below the thumb and the neck just to the side of the Adams apple. Use your first two fingers (not thumb as it has its own pulse) to count your pulse for 15 secs, then multiply that number by 4 to get beats per minute (bpm). Measuring your resting heart rate (RHR) can give you an indication of your current fitness level and can be used to show improvements in your fitness. As you get fitter, your RHR should decrease due to the heart getting stronger. At rest more blood is pumped around with each beat, therefore less beats per minute are needed. RHR should be taken upon waking, while still in bed. RHR can be affected (usually increased) by caffeine and other stimulants, by oncoming illness or overtraining, so taking your heart rate regularly can help you monitor your training goals and health. The average resting heart rate for men (70 bpm) and women (75 bpm) can be as low as 40bpm in very fit individuals.

Maximum heart rate (MHR) is the highest number of heart beats per minute when exercising maximally. An exercise professional is generally required to conduct accurate MHR tests, as they have the proper equipment needed and are able to assess the tests suitability for individuals. As a result, there have been several equations formulated to estimate your MHR, the most common being 220 - your age. This figure is only an estimate but is usually accurate to within 10 beats of your true MHR.

Training Heart Rates

Once you know your MHR then you can exercise according to your goals and fitness capacity in the following heart rate zones:

Zone 1 (50 - 60% of MHR) - This is the lowest heart rate zone you can exercise in and still increase fitness levels. It is ideal for beginners or people who have not exercised for a long period of time but also athletes exercise in this zone for recovery sessions to give their body a rest. This training zone is also good for people who want to lose weight as the main source of fuel used by the body is fat stores.

Zone 2 (60 - 70% of MHR) - Training in this zone will improve your heart's ability to pump blood and improve the muscle cell's ability to utilize oxygen. In this zone, stored body fat is the primary source of energy utilized, hence this zone is commonly referred to as the fat burning zone. This is a good training zone for slow long distance exercise as the body becomes more efficient at utilizing fat as the main fuel source.

Zone 3 (70 - 80% of MHR) - This zone is the most effective for overall cardiovascular fitness and is often called the "aerobic zone" or ''cardio respiratory training zone'' This is the optimal zone to workout in, to increase your cardio-respiratory fitness or the body's ability to transport oxygenated blood to the muscle cells and carbon dioxide away from the cells. Your body will burn less glucose and more stored fat as fuel thereby preserving the limited supply of stored glycogen.

Zone 4 (80 - 90% of MHR) - This level is where you cross over from aerobic training (producing energy in the presence of oxygen) to anaerobic training (producing energy without oxygen) which is called the Anaerobic Threshold. This is the point where the body cannot effectively remove lactic acid from the working muscles and it builds up causing muscle fatigue. However the more you train in this zone, the better your body's ability to tolerate and buffer lactic acid so you can hold faster speeds for longer duration. For competitors it is good to know your anaerobic threshold as many fit athletes can compete at or about their anaerobic threshold and sustain the highest intensity possible without getting fatigued.

Zone 5 (90 - 100% of MHR)(VO2 Max) - This zone is primarily used for intervals or sprinting work as you are exercising at or close to your maximum heart rate. In this zone your primary fuel source is creatine phosphate stored in the muscles. You will not be able to stay at this level very long as lactic acid builds up quickly. The value of training in this zone is that you can increase your fast twitch muscle fibres which increases speed and power, and also to train your body to recover quickly from short fast bursts of intense exercise.

Heart rate monitors

Heart rate monitors serve to measure and record your heart rate giving you instant feedback on the intensity of your workout. They are generally easy to use and are a very effective training aid for tracking your fitness gains and save time measuring it manually. As the ultimate goal of training is to be able to travel longer and faster with a lower heart rate, wearing a HR monitor will supply you with that information immediately. HR monitors can help you pace yourself during a race as sometimes the excitement of an event may make you start out too fast and fatigue too early in the race.

There are many different types of heart rate monitors on the market today and they come with a variety of features depending on how much you want to spend. There are several different styles but the most accurate is a chest strap that contains the sensor and the transmitter, and a watch-like display, with a receiver, for your wrist.

The most basic feature in all HR monitors is the heart monitor and basic watch functions such as time, date and stopwatch. If you have a bit more money to spend, you can get one that sets up your heart rate zones, estimates your VO2 max and measures calories spent, pace, distance, temperature and altitude. Many basic HR monitors record only one workout, whereas others can record multiple workouts and the information can be transferred onto a computer to analyse training results. A bit of research and deciding what level of information you require, will help you pick one that suits your own personal needs and budget.


By
Michelle Blunden BPhEd, BSci
 


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