Heart Rate Training

More and more, science and technology have affected out daily lives.  This is as true in sports as any other realm.  For decades athletes had no easy and viable way to gain instant bio-feedback from their working bodies.  The advent of the heart rate monitor has revolutionized the way athletes perceive and structure their workouts.  The focus has shifted from the outer muscles to the inner one.

In a 24 hour period, the metronome within our chest beats about a 100,000 times.  A two-hour non-stop workout can easily account for 20,000 alone.  Over the course of one's lifetime the number of heart contractions can reach 3 billion or more.  There is no doubt that this muscle is a workhorse.  In fact, it thrives on work.

When we sleep, we maintain what is known as a resting pulse.  It is an individualized number and its average is affected by a number of factors such as fitness level and stress.  When we wake and arise, our active heart rate meets the increased demands of the body.  When we exercise it is  elevated to its working heart rate.

One desired result of exercise has always been to grow the muscles.  The heart reacts in exactly the same fashion.  A well trained athlete will actually enlarge his heart, enabling it to move larger volumes of blood with less effort.  This training effect has been a focal point of the modern endurance athlete.

Perhaps the most obvious analogy of a heart rate monitor is that of a tachometer gauge, but that's  exactly what it is.  How do we use this window to our internal motor?

The first step is always the hardest.  A maximum heart rate must be established.  There exist formulae to estimate this for the general population and fit individuals, but the best method is to perform a stress test.  This provides more accurate and personal data.  Its importance lies in the fact that it determines a basis for subsequent training zones.

Running is the preferable activity.  Complete a 15-30 minute warm-up, then steadily increase effort.  When you cant raise it any higher, you've found your max heart rate.  When performing this test, it's a good idea to make note of the time, distance, and heart rate.  This data can provide tangible evidence of training benefit when compared with future measurements.

The next step is to apply percentiles to the max heart rate and determine training zones.  Of prime importance are the aerobic zone and the anaerobic threshold.

The aerobic zone is a range that, like most scientific notions, is slightly debated.  Most would agree that it includes 65 - 75%  max heart rate.  From a cellular level, it is a range where the oxygen demands of the working muscles are met.  Fat and glycogen are the predominant fuels.

Anaerobic threshold is introduced as  the body is pushed to the point where inadequate oxygen is delivered by the lungs.  This is normally a range of 80 - 90% max heart rate.  Because energy demand exceeds available oxygen supply, the body ingeniously recruits an alternative metabolic pathway through oxygen-independent glycolysis.  This is a quick fix and short term in nature because the by-product of this process is lactic acid which soon fills the active muscles.  The AT is alternatively called the lactate threshold or lactate turn point.

Endurance athletes should use no more than 10-15% of their training for AT.  The preponderance of time should be spent building aerobic base.  Logically, events lasting 2-15 hours don't require the AT of a 100 meter sprinter.  However, limited AT training can teach the body to cope with lactic acid during surges and finishing kicks.

Heart rate monitors shouldn't be relegated to use in upper zone training only.. Their application during recovery workouts,  active rest, is equally important.  Knowing how to keep the throttle down can prevent over-training syndrome.

Bottom line : for $59, a heart rate monitor is the best training tool value available today.