Heart rate zones

[G3CWI]

I decided that a heart rate monitor might be interesting so I bought one. It arrived earlier this week. The more I use it the more confused I become.

I track my rides on Endomondo. This helpfully suggested some heart rate zones for me. They needed altering as my resting rate was off the bottom and, as I discovered on my first ride, I could exceed the suggested maximum without exploding.

So having set the upper and lower bounds (guessing the upper bound as I have no intention of reaching VO2max) I set off this morning on my 8 mile commute through the Cheshire lanes. I deliberately went slowly to see what it looked like on the HRM.

I averaged 12.7 MPH and an average heart rate of 125bpm. Endomondo tells me that I spent the following percentages of the time in each of its zones:

25% resting
32% Z1
34% Z2
5% Z3
3% Z4 (20% hill!)
0% Z5

These look odd to me in that how can I be resting for 25% of the way? Granted there are some longish downhill sections but shouldn't my heart rate stay in Z1?

Do I need to adjust the zones? ...or get a life perhaps.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Pointless and arbitrary without knowing your max

 

[G3CWI]

Pointless and arbitrary without knowing your max

..so do I have to actually get to my max to know that or is there some less unpleasant way of estimating it?

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

..so do I have to actually get to my max to know that or is there some less unpleasant way of estimating it?

Yeah

 

[G3CWI]

http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/general/heart-rate-training-find-your-maximum-heart-rate/181.html

It does not sound easy.

 

[screenman]

If you do not like pain you can get someone else to do it for you, this will be about as much use though as the HRM will be without you knowing your own max.

Go for it, its not that bad, oh yes it is, who said that?

 

[PK99]

from the watt bike website:
@@
"The only way to determine your cycling maximum heart rate and maximum minute power is by using a properly constructed cycling test.

However such a test requires considerable motivation, physical stress and discomfort and it is inadvisable without medical clearance and supervision, particularly for individuals predisposed to coronary heart disease. We therefore suggest that people consider themselves “average” and use age predicted maximum heart rates despite the inaccuracy of such methods (as much as +/- 20 bpm).

Remember that if you know your running maximum heart rate your cycling max could be 5-10 beats lower.

A number of methods are available (subtract at least 5 beats for cycling):

• MHR = 220 minus your age
• 210 minus (0.65 X age)
• 217 minus (0.85 X age)

See http://www.brianmac.co.uk/maxhr.htm for further suggestions."

@@

by the 220-age formula, my max is; 162. (age 58)
but i regularly see mid 160's without maxing out and have seen upper 170's without maxing out. I therefore take my max as 180.

unless someone is looking to really fine tune training, i thing that sort of estimate is good enough

 

[Herzog]

Even with the max value it's pretty pointless.

You need to do a lactate threshold heart rate test.

 

[screenman]

PK99, I would go a bit higher if you can hold 170+, although lactate tests are maybe a better thing a lot of people gained some good improvements using HRMs in the early day's. Certainly I did with the help of Peter Read and his books.

 

[Colin S]

I doubt if 8 miles will give a realistic set of HR zones. You will barely be warmed up over this distance. If you are sure you are properly warmed up then it might mean something but without repeated data I'm not sure it will mean much. If you have a look after a longer ride it will probably look more meaningful.


Hope that is of some help.

C

 

[Albert]

Heart rate zones are particular and unique to each individual.
My advice:
Set up your Zones as best you can and then stick to them. Record every single ride and how you feel, while following whatever training/riding regime you choose to follow.
Over time (a year or two) you will see a pattern develop and you can work out what works for you in an ever more sophisticated way.

 

[TheJDog]

If Endomondo is like Strava and maps your rides and knows the gradients, it will know when you are resting on downhills by looking at your accelleration and speed. It won't care what your HR is when you're taking it easy.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

If Endomondo is like Strava and maps your rides and knows the gradients, it will know when you are resting on downhills by looking at your accelleration and speed. It won't care what your HR is when you're taking it easy.

What?

 

[TheJDog]

What?

If you're going downhill and not going any faster, Strava counts that as 0 watts, and adds that to your percentages in your HR breakdown accordingly. I think.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

If you're going downhill and not going any faster, Strava counts that as 0 watts, and adds that to your percentages in your HR breakdown accordingly. I think.

Strava has no clue how much power you're putting out until you upload actual data(from an actual device that measures it)after a ride. It also, by default uses 220-age so isn't in any way applicable to anything.