Heart Rate Based Training | Polar
- 1. Heart Rate Based Training: Train Smarter not Harder George Centeio, M.A. July 2015
- 2. Would you ever drive a vehicle without gauges?
- 3. Heart = reliable gauge
- 4. Objectives
- 5. Objectives 1. Describe the importance of measuring heart rate 2. List and explain the various factors affecting heart rate 3. Identify the benefits of training in each of the five heart rate training zones 4. Design a running program utilizing various heart rate training zones 5. Explain how heart rate can be incorporated into strength training
- 6. 1) Importance of measuring heart rate
- 7. Why measure heart rate? • Feedback • Eliminate the guesswork • Efficiency • Train smarter • Avoid over or under training • Safety • Overheating • Follow-up • Accountability • Proof of progress or lack thereof
- 8. Maximum heart rate (HR max)
- 9. Maximum heart rate (HR max): • The highest number of bpm someone can achieve in an all out effort • Based on age, heredity, and fitness level • Decreases by age
- 10. Estimated HR max = 220 - age
- 11. Customizing HR max 1. Age predicted HR max = 220 – Age 2. Session based HR max = HR max updated based on previous session workout results 1. Ex – Indoor cycling (50 year old, HR max 183 bpm) 3. Clinical test based HR max = HR max updated based on treadmill or bicycle maximal stress test
- 12. Resting heart rate (HR rest)
- 13. Resting heart rate (HR rest) is: • The lowest number of heart rate bpm when fully relaxed and without distractions • Affected by age, fitness level, genetics, health status, gender • Decreased as a result of cardiovascular conditioning • Normally between 60-80 bpm for adults • Sometimes as low as 30 bpm for top athletes • Sign of over-exertion or illness if exceptionally high
- 14. How to determine HR rest? • Measured with a heart rate monitor • Supine position in the morning immediately after awakening • Measurements should be taken on 5 consecutive days and then calculate the average HR rest • Measurements should be performed when feeling well and healthy
- 15. Average heart rate (HR avg)
- 16. Average heart rate (HR avg): • An individual’s average HR during an entire training session • Displayed in bpm or % of HR max • Indicates the average intensity of training • Improved through aerobic training • Ex - Treadmill • Incline: 2%, Speed: 5mph, Duration: 15 min • Pre HR avg: 155 bpm • 6 weeks of training • Post HR avg: 141 bpm
- 17. Vo2 max
- 18. Vo2 max • The maximum capacity of an individual’s body to transport and use oxygen during exercise • Reflects the physical fitness of an individual • Through endurance training, a person can build oxygen uptake ability in the muscles
- 19. Vo2 max • Lungs – blood stream – heart – muscles • An individual with a high fitness level is able to take in and distribute more oxygen • Determined at rest using the Polar fitness test (Own Index) • Ex: 44 – 54 ml/kg/min
- 20. Vo2 max chart
- 21. 2) Factors affecting heart rate
- 22. Factors affecting HR: • Personal • Exercise • Conditions • Lifestyle
- 23. Personal factors affecting HR: • Age • HR max usually decreases w/ age • Gender • Women = lower VO2 max and smaller heart size • Genetics • Size of your heart • Fitness level • High fitness level = faster HR recovery • HR rest • HR rest decreases as fitness level improves • HR max • Higher HR max = higher training HR
- 24. Exercise factors affecting HR: • Group exercise • HR is higher in high intensity classes than muscle toning classes • Endurance training • Running typically elicits the highest HR max during a stress test • Cycling and swimming HR max can be 10-15 beats lower during similar test • May need to adjust training HR intensities by 5-10 beats for activities other than running
- 25. Condition factors affecting HR: • Temperature • HR rises with higher temp & humidity • Altitude • Low air pressure at altitude means less pressure to drive O2 into lungs • Hydration • Failing to stay hydrated can result in an increase in HR • Fuel • As exercise intensity increases more carbs and less fats are burned
- 26. Lifestyle factors affecting HR: • Stress • Can raise HR • Nutrition • “Bonking” • Hydration • Insufficient hydration increases HR • Medication • Raises HR (i.e. asthma medication) • Lowers HR (i.e. heart and blood pressure medication) • Smoking/drinking habits • Smoking and drinking raises HR
- 27. Factors affecting HR: • Personal • Exercise • Conditions • Lifestyle
- 28. 3) Heart rate training zones
- 29. HR training zones • Not always faster or harder • Train at the right intensity • Different intensities = different benefits • Train with different HR intensities • Train at hard intensities for short periods
- 30. HR training zones • When training in a certain zone, try to utilize the entire zone • The mid-zone is a good target (e.g. 75% for Zone 3) • You do not need to keep HR at an exact level all the time
- 32. Zone 1 • Very light • 50-60% HR max • Benefits: improves overall health & helps with recovery • Feels like: very easy for breathing and muscles • Recommended for: weight management & active recovery • Very light intensity training can accelerate the recovery process after a strenuous training session
- 33. Zone 2 • Light • 60-70% HR max • Benefits: improves basic endurance & fat burning • Feels like: comfortable, easy breathing, low muscle load, light sweating • Recommended for: everybody for longer & frequently repeated shorter exercises • “Base building” - Essential part of every training program • Progress = persistence and commitment • Ex – 15:52 min/mile – 11:54 min/mile
- 35. Long run: 7 weeks later
- 36. Zone 3 • Moderate • 70-80% HR max • Benefits: improves aerobic fitness • Feels like: light muscular strain, easy breathing, moderate sweating • Recommended for: everybody for moderately long exercises • Improves the efficiency of blood circulation in the heart and skeletal muscles
- 37. Zone 4 • Hard • 80-90% HR max • Benefits: increases max performance capacity • Feels like: muscular fatigue and heavy breathing • Recommended for: everybody for shorter exercises • Interval training • The shorter the interval, the higher the intensity
- 38. Zone 5 • Very hard • 90-100% HR max • Benefits: develops max performance and speed • Feels like: very exhausting for breathing and muscles • Recommended for: fit persons and athletic training • Usually less then 5 min at a time
- 40. Anaerobic threshold (AT) • The point at which muscle exertion produces more lactic acid than the body can process • Anaerobic training typically lasts less than 2 minutes • An athlete’s AT is usually 85-90% of HR max • Anaerobic training can increase power, muscle mass, and the capacity to tolerate and remove lactic acid from the body
- 42. Aerobic threshold (AeT) • AeT is a level of training at which lactate starts to accumulate in the body while still being able to process it • AeT is approximately 65% of HR max • Aerobic exercise can be preformed for longer periods of time • Aerobic training can improve cardiovascular fitness and endurance • Ex – Target zone: 65-85% HR max
- 43. Workout phases
- 44. Workout phases
- 48. 4) Endurance running programs
- 49. Charlevoix, MI half marathon
- 50. Types of running programs • Beginner • Some training background • Able to walk briskly/run for 1 hour • Moderate • Regular runner (18-28 miles weekly) • Able to extend longest run to 1 hour 45 minutes • Advanced • Regular runner (28-50 miles weekly) • Able to extend longest run to > 2 hours • Able to adjust intensity carefully to run a series of intervals • Should be fit enough to run within zone 2
- 51. Beginner program • Frequency: 2-3 times/week • Normal duration: 30-50 min • Longest run: 50-90 min • Training types: 1-2 medium runs, 1 long run
- 52. Moderate program • Frequency: 3-5 times/week • Normal duration: 50-60 min • Longest run: 70-105 min • Training types: 1-3 medium runs, 1 long run, 1 interval run
- 53. Advanced program • Frequency: 5-6 times/week • Normal duration: 60-80 min • Longest run: 90-150 min • Training types: 2-3 easy/medium runs, 1 long run, 2 interval/tempo runs
- 54. Types of runs • Long • Medium • Easy • Interval • Tempo
- 55. Long run • Goal: • Build basic endurance • Exercise long enough to cause fatigue • Intensity = very low • HR training zone: 2 • Always starts in zone 2 • Zone 2: builds endurance by developing fat oxidation capability • For beginner and moderate clients, include zone 3 towards the end
- 56. Medium run • Goal: • Build basic endurance and aerobic capacity • Duration ~ 1 hour • HR training zone: 3 • One phase should always be done in zone 3 • For advanced clients, include training within zone 2 prior to start of the zone 3 phase
- 57. Interval run • Goal: • To develop the following: • Speed • Aerobic & anaerobic capacity • Resistance to fatigue at very high speeds • HR training zone: 4/5 and 2/3 • Sprint periods: zone 4 and 5 • Recovery periods: zone 3 • Zone 3 is usually low enough to remove lactate • The low end of zone 3 should be used during recovery periods
- 58. Tempo run • Goal: • To develop the following: • Aerobic capacity • Resistance to fatigue • Improve speed at lactate threshold • HR training zone: 4 • Some zone 3 time can be incorporated as well
- 59. Easy run (for advanced individuals) • Goal: • Build up total training load or weekly mileage • Develop fat oxidation during training • Ensure recovery and readiness for future high intensity sessions • HR training zone: 2 only • Good recovery is achieved • Muscle glycogen is spared • Hitting forces/impulses to legs are kept at a lower level
- 60. Heart rate & running
- 61. Polar flow: training targets
- 62. Interval run: training targets
- 64. Interval run: HR curve
- 66. Interval run: raw data
- 68. Strength training principles • FITT (frequency, intensity, time, type) • Overload • Specificity
- 69. Strength training • Interset recovery is important • Muscle energy level & neuromuscular performance • Conventional method = time • Time can be an inadequate judge
- 70. Strength training • Time is not the target of recovery • Recovery in energy system & neural mechanisms is essential • HR peak can indicate the demands & stress of an exercise set • HR can be used to gauge sufficient recovery
- 71. Strength training considerations • Cardio warm-up: with or without? • Form/technique: quality? • Goal: endurance, hypertrophy, strength, power • Time under tension vs. rest/recovery time • HR avg: analyze a workout or individual exercise or a specific set
- 72. Heart rate & strength training
- 77. Strength: laps
- 78. Wearable tech: heart rate monitors
- 79. Heart rate monitors: benefits • Immediate feedback • Objective assessment • Motivation • Accountability • Safety
- 80. A300 M400 V800 -24/7 Activity -Built-in GPS -Training load -Training targets -Lap timers -Recovery status -Smart calories -Sport profiles -R-R recording -Fitness test -Interval timer -Triathlon friendly
- 81. Polar flow
- 83. Diary
- 84. Monthly diary
- 87. Reports
- 88. Calories: weekly
- 89. Monthly report
- 90. Training load & recovery
- 91. Recovery: weekly
- 94. Train smarter not harder
- 95. Q & A
- 96. Thank you!
Editor's Notes
- #3: - How would you feel if you were driving a vehicle and you didn’t know how fast you were going? - How about if you didn’t know how much fuel you had left in your gas tank? - What if you didn’t know that you were red lining and about to blow a gasket?
- #4: -Luckily, when it comes to the human body, we all have a very reliable gauge…our HEART! It is science based, you can’t trick it The harder you work, the higher your HR goes and vice versa - It is a very reliable measure of exercise intensity and many other things such as stress, state-of-readiness, and even illness
- #6: Over the next 45 minutes or so, I will provide a basic overview of heart rate and various training zones I will also share some practical applications of how to incorporate HR into running & strength training programs Finally, I will share with you some sample products & services that are being used by millions of people The 5 specific objectives of this webinar are for participants to be able to…
- #8: - Feedback: immediate & objective feedback for the individual and/or their trainer/coach. This is better then RPE or subjective observations of sweat, breathing, etc. - Efficiency: purposeful training to ensure you are training hard enough but not too hard based on desired goals/outcomes. - Safety: e.g. we hear stories about athletes passing out/fainting, getting heat exhaustion on the practice field…many of these could be prevented! Story – Coaching high school football years ago (Conditioning in the summer). Big offensive lineman was falling behind in conditioning runs and eventually his eyes rolled back and he fainted (heat exhaustion). If he was wearing a HR monitor we would have seen the signs and that incident could have been avoided. - Follow-up: individual and/or their trainer/coach can track data daily, weekly, monthly progress.
- #10: - *** HR max is not affected by training
- #11: - Meant to be an estimate, a good starting point - Works for about 70% of the population: +/- 10 beats *** The formula MHR = 220 – age was divised by Dr. William Haskell in 1971 on a plane ride traveling to a meeting on heart disease *** Heart Rate Reserve (HRR) = HR max – HR rest - *** Karvonen: Target Heart Rate (THR) = HR rest + (HRR x % Intensity)
- #12: - Level 1: Start with age predicted (220 – age) and use your judgment. e.g. In the session, if HR says 106% HR max and client is not breathing heavy and says they feel fine, then you know you have to raise the HR max. If HR says 72% HR max and client is breathing heavy, sweating, and says they are about to pass out, then you know you have to lower the HR max. Once you adjust HR max, it will be more accurate for future workout sessions (based on the individual, not an estimate). - Level 2: Session based HR max. e.g. indoor cycling session with a 50 year old. Age predicted HR max is 170 bpm. After the session, their data says they got up to 183 bpm. HR max is at least 183 and should be adjusted to 185 or so. - Level 3: Maximal Stress test. Very demanding test that should be administered by a cardiologist or exercise physiologist and isn’t for everyone! - *** There are a variety of field sub-max test as well – Cooper test, YMCA bike, Bruce treadmill, step test - *** Treadmill walking test: 2% incline, find comfortable walking pace, every 2 min increase the incline 2%, proceed until client is uncomfortable = Anaerobic Threshold…AT + 15 or 20 bpm = HR max
- #15: - Recovery from previous exercise, quality of sleep, and mental stress can all affect HR rest - *** A lower resting HR usually results in a greater HR range or Heart Rate Reserve (HRR) b/c lower starting point
- #17: - e.g. running on a treadmill at 2% incline, speed of 5mph, for 15 minutes = 155 bpm HR avg - 6 weeks later, after lots of training, same incline, speed, duration = 141 bpm HR avg
- #19: - Improving aerobic fitness takes usually at least 6 weeks of regular training to see a noticeable change - Less fit individuals tend to see improvements quicker - More active individuals typically need more time to see progress
- #20: - Polar Own Index: The individual’s resting heart rate, heart rate variability at rest, age, gender, height, body weight, activity history, and maximal oxygen uptake are combined in the calculation. - Polar Test: Takes 3-5 min with an individual lying down and relaxing…records 255 consecutive R-R interval readings - Own Index is a great tool for charting VO2 max progress over time. See chart.
- #21: - About 3 years ago, I started running/cardio training regularly and my Vo2 was 44 (Average for 32 year old male). Today, my Vo2 is 54 (Excellent for a 35 year old male) and has been in the low-mid 50’s for awhile Very poor Poor Fair Average (44) Good Very good Excellent (54)
- #24: - *** Lower HR rest means a lower “floor” or starting point - *** Higher HR max means a higher “ceiling” or max point
- #25: - The type of training does affect HR (different for swimming, running, cycling, others)
- #26: - Altitude: Body adapts to higher altitude in several days to 2 weeks (Good idea to get there early to get properly acclimated) - Hydration: HR increases as blood volume decreases & low on the fluids required for cooling - Fuel: always using a combination of carbs, fats, protein for energy production - Fuel: as exercise intensity increases, you burn more carbs and less fat (protein metabolism is always fairly small) - Fuel: even at low intensities you need some carbs to burn fats - *** RER – Respiratory Exchange Ratio (ratio of CO2 expired to O2 consumed) *** RER estimates of energy substrate utilization: .71 = 0% carbs, 100% fats .85 = 50% carbs, 50% fats 1.00 = 100% carbs, 0% fats
- #27: Nutrition: if you start to run low on carbs, it will be difficult to come maintain your pace at a given HR (BONKING) Nutrition: Should have readily available carbohydrates (e.g. gels) for long exercise sessions 2 hours+ to combat “bonking”
- #30: Getting the most out of your training doesn’t always mean working faster or harder The best way to improve your fitness and see results is to train at the right intensity - Different intensities have different training benefits - It is good to train at different HR intensities - It is good to train at hard intensities for short periods of time
- #31: - e.g. when training in Zone 3 (70-80% HR max) you may stay around 75% but increase to 80% when climbing a hill, and likewise you may have some time at 72% when focusing on recovery and going downhill perhaps
- #32: - Colors get warmer as intensity gets harder - Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA) – Green, Yellow, Red (70-100%) Going back to our vehicle comparison, the colors are a lot like traffic lights… Green – Go (you are fine) - Yellow – Caution (continue but be careful) - Red – Prepare to stop (shouldn’t stay in the red zone for too long without recovery)
- #33: - Active recovery
- #34: - George example: - New to running, I started a prescribed running program. My first long run was 1 hour and 20 min in zone 1-2 (not to exceed 70% HR max). - Living in Austin, TX at the time and running around the lake on a popular trail, this was a very humbling experience! - I was committed and did a very slow jog as people constantly passed by me. I felt great at the end of the run but my average pace was 15:52 min/mile and my HR avg was 68% HR max - About 7 weeks later, after consistent training which included running about 4-7 miles every other day at varying HR training zones, I ran the same 1 hour and 20 min around the same lake and in zone 1-2 (HR avg was 70% HR max) - This time around my average pace was 11:54 min/mile, last time 15:52 min/mile…4 min/mile improvement in 7 weeks
- #35: Date & Time stamp: Accountability
- #36: Years worth of data: I went back 3 years and still can view all of my workouts and details from my sessions Date: 02/03/2012 – 03/24/2012 (7 weeks) HR avg: 123 – 128 bpm (+5 bpm) Distance: 5.51 – 7.73 miles (+2.22 miles) Speed avg: 3.8 – 5 mph (+1.2 mph) Speed max: 7.6 – 8.8 mph (+1.2 mph) Pace avg: 15:52 – 11:54 min/mile (- 3.98 min/mile) Pace max: 7:54 – 6:50 min/mile (- 1.04 min/mile) Duration: 01:27:41 – 01:32:06 (+ 4 min 35 sec)
- #37: Aerobic training
- #38: - Most people reach their anaerobic threshold in zone 4 and training becomes uncomfortable at that point
- #41: - In athletics, coaches will often look at time spent above AT to get a better idea of the demands of a session on an individual
- #43: - Cardio equipment, posters, recommendations often suggest a target zone of 65-85% HR max
- #45: Every workout should include these four phases - The exception would be steady state training (3 phases – warm-up, work, cool down). 1 long working phase (no recovery since no need to recover for another working phase) - A workout may include many repeating work/recovery phases depending on the type of training
- #46: No Zone 5 time Very little Zone 4 time
- #47: - Roughly the same amount of time spent in zones 2, 3, and 4 (slightly more in zone 4) - Still only a very short time in Zone 5 (1 min)
- #48: - Nearly half the session spent in zones 4 & 5 - Pyramid with zones 3 & 4 being in the center (majority of time spent there) - Some time spent in zones 2 & 5
- #50: - As a recreational runner, I can speak confidently about these programs as I have trained with them and seen great improvement
- #55: - These various runs are all done at specific HR zones and have specific purposes
- #56: - Volume – long runs help to get your weekly mileage in
- #57: - Also referred to as “basic run”
- #60: - Individuals with low fitness level will struggle to keep their HR in zone 2 while running
- #62: - Polar Flow is a free web service in which individuals can plan their workouts and track their progress.
- #63: If someone is training with a newer/connected Polar watch, then they or their trainer/coach can login to Polar Flow and create a training target This is an example of a planned interval run which includes a 10 min warm-up in zones 1-3, a hard ¼ mile run in zones 4-5, followed by a 1 min 30 sec rest (repeated 10 times) in zones 2-3, and finally a 5 min cool-down in zones 1-2.
- #64: - This is the summary/result of the interval run
- #65: This is the detailed HR curve of the interval run Notice recovery was on the high side of zone 3, want to get to the lower part of zone 3 (may have to lengthen the recovery period) Notice that in sets 5-8 the individual barely got any zone 5 time? The cause was lack of effort or not enough recovery. Increase speed, incline, etc. to ensure more zone 5 time This individual did finish strong for the last 2 sets
- #66: - Can view pace as well in mph or min/mile
- #67: The raw data is available and easily exportable for future analysis, research studies, etc. Raw HR data is provided every second.
- #69: - HR is more applicable to endurance & cardiorespiratory training but can still have value in strength training - FITT, overload, and specificity should be the main principles guiding a strength program
- #70: - Proper interset recovery is one of the parameters of successful training - The function of the interset recovery period is to recover muscle energy level & neuromuscular performance for the following set of repetitions - When several workout, individual, and exercise specific variables are taken into consideration, time can be an inadequate ruler to judge suitable recovery
- #81: Polar heart rate monitors include: Heart rate: bpm or % of HR max - Smart calories - Time (min and %) spent in the five HR Sports Zones - 24/7 activity tracking - Steps & distance - Sleep: duration & quality - Polar flow: web service & app - Polar coach: training targets & feedback
- #94: In closing, I would like to finish the same way we started… When exercising, if you want to know… - How hard you are going? How much gas/energy you have left? Or whether or not you are red lining/maxing out? Simply monitor your heart rate.
- #95: HR based training will enable you to train smarter, not harder!!