Using Heart Rate to Determine Training Intensity
(I have provided further research on this topic after the section on Fat Burning.)
Tim Noakes recommends using a heart monitor with the capability of downloading to your computer so that you can compare and analyze the results charting your progress and planning future training.
Estimating vs. Determining Your True Heart Rate:
When using your heart rate to determine your exercise intensity it helps to know your true maximum heart rate (MHR). There are a number of equations to estimate MHR but people vary from about 10 to 12 beats per minute from these estimates. Running MHR tends to be close to the 220 - Age estimates.
One equation most of us have encountered is:
220 – your age = MHR.
You can plan your exercise intensity based on this by multiplying the desired % intensity by MHR.
Age really only accounts for about 75% of variability.
The Karvonen formula for Heart Rate Reserve (HRR) may be more accurate as it takes into account your cardiovascular training status. It will result in larger target heart rates for untrained people since they have larger resting heart rates which will not be subjected to the percentage multiplication.
(Take your resting heart rate while still lying in bed on waking):
HRR = MHR – Resting HR.
You can determine your exercise intensity based on this by multiplying the desired % intensity by HRR and then adding Resting Heart Rate back to the results:
(% Intensity) (HRR) + RHR = Target Heart Rate.
Testing your MHR:
Bicycling MHRs will tend to be around 18 beats per minute less than running. Because of this you need to test your MHR for each exercise mode such as cycling and running. Update your tests periodically during the training program. There are several protocols but mainly you have to become progressively exhausted in 12 to 15 minutes. You may even want to test yourself on the flat with speed and compare that to hill exhaustion.
In Advanced Marathoning, Pete Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas recommend a series of three all-out 600 M repeats up a moderate hill, jogging down right away, which should bring your heart rate to within 2 – 3 beats of your maximum.
Warning: Testing MHR can be risky for certain people because it requires exercising to exhaustion and hypoglycemia.
Don’t forget to take heart rate drift into account when using it to determine intensity. During a long run or lactate threshold workout you can expect your HR to gradually increase a few beats so start at the low end to end at the high end of the range.
The calculated rates will be about right on low humidity days in the 60s but you need to add about 3 in the 70s and more with high humidity on up to 8 with high humidity in the 80s.
(The American College of Sports Medicine estimates a standard aerobic training range from 70% to 85% of the maximum heart rate reserve.)
Advanced Marathoning by Pete Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas contains a chart that recommends ranges of % HRR for various training runs that indicate:
93 – 98% for VO2 max
76 – 88% for lactate threshold
65 – 78% for long runs and
below 70% for recovery.
If you are training for a marathon; “the most important adaptations for marathon success are a high level of endurance, a fast pace at lactic threshold, and the ability to store a large quantity of glycogen in the muscles and liver.”
VO2 max sessions should be included sparingly. This goes for any drills that are sufficiently stressful as to require extended recovery before full training capability returns. They should not be performed more often than once per week for most of us, 20% of sessions for elite athletes.
“The most effective way to improve lactic threshold is to run at your current lactate threshold pace or a few seconds per mile faster. This can be either as one continuous run (tempo run) or as a long interval session at your lactate threshold pace (cruise intervals or LT intervals).” Lactate threshold occurs at about your competitive half marathon pace.
In The Lore of Running, Tim Noakes, MD points out, “the fastest athletes in endurance events of 5 km or longer tend also to be the fastest over the short distances from 100 m to 1500 m.” Because, “…it is the maximum achieved work rate rather than the VO2 max that is the best predictor of running potential.” and VO2 max is only a measurable end product of a complex interaction of heart and musculoskeletal factors, some of which can be improved by training. His main point here is that once athletes have at least VO2 max around 68 it is the most economical runners who have the fastest times even when compared to those with VO2 max of 78. Much of the benefit of VO2 max training may be in improving form, power and efficiency rather than oxygen handling.
(Running economy is frequently measured as oxygen consumption (VO2) at a constant sub-maximal running velocity but the concept of efficiency can include measures such as time per distance, sense of fatigue, self-pacing or even measures of tissue damage with all other factors held constant.)
When running on a cool day on a flat course; 95 to 100 % of VO2 max occurs at about your current 3K to 5K race pace. This intensity is about 94 to 98% of your maximum heart rate or 93 to 98% of your heart rate reserve. Longer intervals, 1,200 M vs 400 M allows you to spend longer at VO2 max which provids more stimulus. Avoid running the intervals too fast as it shortens the time at VO2 max.
Physiological Determinants of Three-Kilometer Running Performance in Experienced Triathletes; Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2006, 20(1), 47-52
"For triathletes; three of the strongest predictors of 3K race time are: Lactic threshold, VO2 max and Vmax which is the fastest velocity run at VO2 max (Also called vVO2 max)."
The Fat Burning Zone:
(If you are concerned with maximizing the fat you burn during exercise try to spend a lot of your time below 80% maximum heart rate reserve. This should have you burning about 4 or 5 times as much fat as when you are at rest but keep in mind, this only amounts to about 10 grams of fat per ½ hour of running.)
“Quantifying Differences in the “Fat Burning Zone” and the “Aerobic Zone”:
Implications for Training”
Daniel G. Carey in the October 2009 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research October 2009
"So far we do not have solid research that answers the question as to whether it is better to exercise in a way that optimizes fat oxidation or whether simply burning calories is most important."
The study compared the fat burning zone and aerobic zone in a group of 35-year-old male and female competitive endurance runners who had fasted all night. (Notice that they were running on an empty stomach.) (We also need to be careful about generalizing the results to untrained or older groups.)
The runner’s measured aerobic zone ranged from 67% to 87% of the maximum heart rate reserve. 90% of these runners had their maximum fat burning rate between 60% and 80% of their maximum heart rate reserve which is a broad range. Consider training within a tight range between 70% and 80% if you want to combine aerobic training and fat burning.
The amount of fat burned also had a broad range of over 50% which means that one runner may be burning significantly more or less than another at the same speed or pulse rate. Total calories burned in the aerobic zone ranged between 9 C and 14 C per minute where as the fat burning zone burned 6.7 C to 11.5 C per minute. This includes calories from carbohydrate, fat and protein. The aerobic zone burned 3 fat calories per minute at the lower heart rate and 1.7 fat calories per minute at the highest due to a large decrease in fat burning at above 80%. The fat burning zone burned between 3 and 3.5 fat calories per minute.
“In fact, in a 2004 study; 55.6% of the subjects were oxidizing 100% carbohydrate and no fat when exercising at anaerobic threshold.”
“Ingestion of carbohydrate before exercise will facilitate carbohydrate oxidation and suppress fat oxidation.”
“A high-fat diet will favor the oxidation of fat under both rest and exercise conditions.” While attempting weight loss, you may want to try a diet providing 40% Carbohydrate / 30% Protein / 30% Fat and controlling total calories to produce the rate of loss. Be certain to consume quality foods, eliminate junk, minimize grains such as pasta and bread and get your fruits and vegetables.
“For any given exercise intensity, females have higher fat oxidation rates than males.”
If you want an estimate of total calories burned walking or running you can calculate it from the following paper but the paper's equation is presented in a confusing format.
Comparison of energy expenditure to walk or run a mile in adult normal weight and overweight men and women.
Loftin M, Waddell DE, Robinson JH, Owens SG. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Oct;24(10):2794-8.
I believe their equation is more clear if stated as:
For men: kcal = kg X 0.789 + 43.5. For women: kg X 0.789 + 35.8
If I weigh 170 pounds, 170 / 2.2 = 77.3 kg. 77.3 kg x 0.789 = 61.
So for me: 61 +43.5 = 104.5 Cal / Mile.
Studies Providing Additional Related Information:
Is There an Optimal Training Intensity for Enhancing the Maximal Oxygen Uptake of Distance Runners?: Emmpirical Research Findings, Current Opinions, Physiological Rationale and Practical Recommendations.
Midgley AW, McNaughton LR, Wilkinson M.Sports Med. 2006;36(2):117-32.
“Well trained distance runners have been reported to reach a plateau in VO2max enhancement; however, many studies have demonstrated that the VO2max of well trained runners can be enhanced when training protocols known to elicit 95-100% VO2max are included in their training programs. This supports the premise that high-intensity training may be effective or even necessary for well trained distance runners to enhance VO2max.”
In moderately trained runners, lower training intensities may induce similar adaptation because the physiological stress can be imposed for longer periods however; in distance runners competing at a relatively high level all cardiorespiratory adaptations that could be gained by submaximal training have probably already been elicited.
Very short (15s-15s) interval-training around the critical velocity allows middle-aged runners to maintain VO2 max for 14 minutes
Billat VL, Slawinksi J, Bocquet V, Chassaing P, Demarle A, Koralsztein JP.
Int J Sports Med. 2001 Apr;22(3):201-8.
When training with short intervals it probably is best to spend as long in the VO2 Max vicinity as possible. Keeping the recovery and interval velocities as close as possible and at moderate levels permits this. The two intensities that achieved this best in this study were: 15 seconds each: 90% VO2 Max interval with 80% VO2 Max rest or 100% interval with 70% rest.
Interval training at 95% and 100% of the velocity at VO2 max: effects on aerobic physiological indexes and running performance.
Denadai BS, Ortiz MJ, Greco CC, de Mello MT. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2006 Dec;31(6):737-43.
(vOBLA) = 3.5 mmol/L of blood lactate concentration (vVO2 max) = running velocity associated with VO2 max (RE) = running economy (VO2 max) = maximal oxygen uptake
“We conclude that vOBLA and 5K running performance can be significantly improved in well-trained runners using a 4 week training program consisting of 2 High Intensity Training (HIT) sessions (performed at 95% or 100% vVO2 max) and 4 submaximal run sessions per week. However, the improvement in vVO2 max, RE, and 1500 m running performance seems to be dependent on the HIT program at 100% vVO2 max.”
Manipulating high-intensity interval training: effects on VO2max, the lactate threshold and 3000 m running performance in moderately trained males.
Esfarjani F, Laursen PB. J Sci Med Sport. 2007 Feb;10(1):27-35. Epub 2006 Jul 28.
(HIT) = high-intensity interval training (vVO2 max) = running velocity associated with VO2 max (Tmax) = the time for which vVO2max can be maintained (vLT) = the running speed at LT (lactic threshold) (Group 1, 8 x 60% of Tmax at vVO2max, 1:1 work:recovery ratio); (Group 2, 12 x 30s at 130% vVO2max, 4.5 min recovery); control group. Group 1 and Group 2 performed two HIT sessions and two 60 min recovery run sessions (75% vVO2max) each week. Control subjects performed four 60 min recovery run sessions (75% vVO2max each week.
The present study has shown that 3000 m running performance, VO2max, vVO2max, Tmax and vLT can be significantly enhanced using different HIT programs in moderately trained runners, but that changes in performance and physiological variables may be more profound using prolonged HIT at intensities of vVO2max with interval durations of 60% Tmax.
“Validity of a Nomogram to Predict Long Distance Running Performance” Coquart, Jeremy, et al J Strength Cond Res 23(7)/2119-2123
If you are using a nomogram (The charts that have values matching times run for different distances) to estimate your performance and training goals; the best predictions will be for races that most closely match what you are predicting.
Are the courses similar in contour? Is the weather similar? Did you run with the same intensity? How long ago was the performance and has your conditioning changed?
Training to enhance the physiological determinants of long-distance running performance: can valid recommendations be given to runners and coaches based on current scientific knowledge?
McNaughton LR, Jones AM. Sports Med. 2007;37(10):857-80.
“Scientists should be cautious when giving training recommendations to runners and coaches based on the limited available scientific knowledge. This limited knowledge highlights that characterizing the most effective training methods for long-distance runners is still a fruitful area for future research.”
An interesting technical paper is:
A practical model of low-volume high-intensity interval training induces mitochondrial biogenesis in human skeletal muscle: potential mechanisms
Jonathan P. Little1, Adeel Safdar1,2, Geoffrey P. Wilkin, Mark A. Tarnopolsky2 and Martin J. Gibala1
Tim Noakes recommends using a heart monitor with the capability of downloading to your computer so that you can compare and analyze the results charting your progress and planning future training.
Estimating vs. Determining Your True Heart Rate:
When using your heart rate to determine your exercise intensity it helps to know your true maximum heart rate (MHR). There are a number of equations to estimate MHR but people vary from about 10 to 12 beats per minute from these estimates. Running MHR tends to be close to the 220 - Age estimates.
One equation most of us have encountered is:
220 – your age = MHR.
You can plan your exercise intensity based on this by multiplying the desired % intensity by MHR.
Age really only accounts for about 75% of variability.
The Karvonen formula for Heart Rate Reserve (HRR) may be more accurate as it takes into account your cardiovascular training status. It will result in larger target heart rates for untrained people since they have larger resting heart rates which will not be subjected to the percentage multiplication.
(Take your resting heart rate while still lying in bed on waking):
HRR = MHR – Resting HR.
You can determine your exercise intensity based on this by multiplying the desired % intensity by HRR and then adding Resting Heart Rate back to the results:
(% Intensity) (HRR) + RHR = Target Heart Rate.
Testing your MHR:
Bicycling MHRs will tend to be around 18 beats per minute less than running. Because of this you need to test your MHR for each exercise mode such as cycling and running. Update your tests periodically during the training program. There are several protocols but mainly you have to become progressively exhausted in 12 to 15 minutes. You may even want to test yourself on the flat with speed and compare that to hill exhaustion.
In Advanced Marathoning, Pete Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas recommend a series of three all-out 600 M repeats up a moderate hill, jogging down right away, which should bring your heart rate to within 2 – 3 beats of your maximum.
Warning: Testing MHR can be risky for certain people because it requires exercising to exhaustion and hypoglycemia.
Don’t forget to take heart rate drift into account when using it to determine intensity. During a long run or lactate threshold workout you can expect your HR to gradually increase a few beats so start at the low end to end at the high end of the range.
The calculated rates will be about right on low humidity days in the 60s but you need to add about 3 in the 70s and more with high humidity on up to 8 with high humidity in the 80s.
(The American College of Sports Medicine estimates a standard aerobic training range from 70% to 85% of the maximum heart rate reserve.)
Advanced Marathoning by Pete Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas contains a chart that recommends ranges of % HRR for various training runs that indicate:
93 – 98% for VO2 max
76 – 88% for lactate threshold
65 – 78% for long runs and
below 70% for recovery.
If you are training for a marathon; “the most important adaptations for marathon success are a high level of endurance, a fast pace at lactic threshold, and the ability to store a large quantity of glycogen in the muscles and liver.”
VO2 max sessions should be included sparingly. This goes for any drills that are sufficiently stressful as to require extended recovery before full training capability returns. They should not be performed more often than once per week for most of us, 20% of sessions for elite athletes.
“The most effective way to improve lactic threshold is to run at your current lactate threshold pace or a few seconds per mile faster. This can be either as one continuous run (tempo run) or as a long interval session at your lactate threshold pace (cruise intervals or LT intervals).” Lactate threshold occurs at about your competitive half marathon pace.
In The Lore of Running, Tim Noakes, MD points out, “the fastest athletes in endurance events of 5 km or longer tend also to be the fastest over the short distances from 100 m to 1500 m.” Because, “…it is the maximum achieved work rate rather than the VO2 max that is the best predictor of running potential.” and VO2 max is only a measurable end product of a complex interaction of heart and musculoskeletal factors, some of which can be improved by training. His main point here is that once athletes have at least VO2 max around 68 it is the most economical runners who have the fastest times even when compared to those with VO2 max of 78. Much of the benefit of VO2 max training may be in improving form, power and efficiency rather than oxygen handling.
(Running economy is frequently measured as oxygen consumption (VO2) at a constant sub-maximal running velocity but the concept of efficiency can include measures such as time per distance, sense of fatigue, self-pacing or even measures of tissue damage with all other factors held constant.)
When running on a cool day on a flat course; 95 to 100 % of VO2 max occurs at about your current 3K to 5K race pace. This intensity is about 94 to 98% of your maximum heart rate or 93 to 98% of your heart rate reserve. Longer intervals, 1,200 M vs 400 M allows you to spend longer at VO2 max which provids more stimulus. Avoid running the intervals too fast as it shortens the time at VO2 max.
Physiological Determinants of Three-Kilometer Running Performance in Experienced Triathletes; Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2006, 20(1), 47-52
"For triathletes; three of the strongest predictors of 3K race time are: Lactic threshold, VO2 max and Vmax which is the fastest velocity run at VO2 max (Also called vVO2 max)."
The Fat Burning Zone:
(If you are concerned with maximizing the fat you burn during exercise try to spend a lot of your time below 80% maximum heart rate reserve. This should have you burning about 4 or 5 times as much fat as when you are at rest but keep in mind, this only amounts to about 10 grams of fat per ½ hour of running.)
“Quantifying Differences in the “Fat Burning Zone” and the “Aerobic Zone”:
Implications for Training”
Daniel G. Carey in the October 2009 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research October 2009
"So far we do not have solid research that answers the question as to whether it is better to exercise in a way that optimizes fat oxidation or whether simply burning calories is most important."
The study compared the fat burning zone and aerobic zone in a group of 35-year-old male and female competitive endurance runners who had fasted all night. (Notice that they were running on an empty stomach.) (We also need to be careful about generalizing the results to untrained or older groups.)
The runner’s measured aerobic zone ranged from 67% to 87% of the maximum heart rate reserve. 90% of these runners had their maximum fat burning rate between 60% and 80% of their maximum heart rate reserve which is a broad range. Consider training within a tight range between 70% and 80% if you want to combine aerobic training and fat burning.
The amount of fat burned also had a broad range of over 50% which means that one runner may be burning significantly more or less than another at the same speed or pulse rate. Total calories burned in the aerobic zone ranged between 9 C and 14 C per minute where as the fat burning zone burned 6.7 C to 11.5 C per minute. This includes calories from carbohydrate, fat and protein. The aerobic zone burned 3 fat calories per minute at the lower heart rate and 1.7 fat calories per minute at the highest due to a large decrease in fat burning at above 80%. The fat burning zone burned between 3 and 3.5 fat calories per minute.
“In fact, in a 2004 study; 55.6% of the subjects were oxidizing 100% carbohydrate and no fat when exercising at anaerobic threshold.”
“Ingestion of carbohydrate before exercise will facilitate carbohydrate oxidation and suppress fat oxidation.”
“A high-fat diet will favor the oxidation of fat under both rest and exercise conditions.” While attempting weight loss, you may want to try a diet providing 40% Carbohydrate / 30% Protein / 30% Fat and controlling total calories to produce the rate of loss. Be certain to consume quality foods, eliminate junk, minimize grains such as pasta and bread and get your fruits and vegetables.
“For any given exercise intensity, females have higher fat oxidation rates than males.”
If you want an estimate of total calories burned walking or running you can calculate it from the following paper but the paper's equation is presented in a confusing format.
Comparison of energy expenditure to walk or run a mile in adult normal weight and overweight men and women.
Loftin M, Waddell DE, Robinson JH, Owens SG. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Oct;24(10):2794-8.
I believe their equation is more clear if stated as:
For men: kcal = kg X 0.789 + 43.5. For women: kg X 0.789 + 35.8
If I weigh 170 pounds, 170 / 2.2 = 77.3 kg. 77.3 kg x 0.789 = 61.
So for me: 61 +43.5 = 104.5 Cal / Mile.
Studies Providing Additional Related Information:
Is There an Optimal Training Intensity for Enhancing the Maximal Oxygen Uptake of Distance Runners?: Emmpirical Research Findings, Current Opinions, Physiological Rationale and Practical Recommendations.
Midgley AW, McNaughton LR, Wilkinson M.Sports Med. 2006;36(2):117-32.
“Well trained distance runners have been reported to reach a plateau in VO2max enhancement; however, many studies have demonstrated that the VO2max of well trained runners can be enhanced when training protocols known to elicit 95-100% VO2max are included in their training programs. This supports the premise that high-intensity training may be effective or even necessary for well trained distance runners to enhance VO2max.”
In moderately trained runners, lower training intensities may induce similar adaptation because the physiological stress can be imposed for longer periods however; in distance runners competing at a relatively high level all cardiorespiratory adaptations that could be gained by submaximal training have probably already been elicited.
Very short (15s-15s) interval-training around the critical velocity allows middle-aged runners to maintain VO2 max for 14 minutes
Billat VL, Slawinksi J, Bocquet V, Chassaing P, Demarle A, Koralsztein JP.
Int J Sports Med. 2001 Apr;22(3):201-8.
When training with short intervals it probably is best to spend as long in the VO2 Max vicinity as possible. Keeping the recovery and interval velocities as close as possible and at moderate levels permits this. The two intensities that achieved this best in this study were: 15 seconds each: 90% VO2 Max interval with 80% VO2 Max rest or 100% interval with 70% rest.
Interval training at 95% and 100% of the velocity at VO2 max: effects on aerobic physiological indexes and running performance.
Denadai BS, Ortiz MJ, Greco CC, de Mello MT. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2006 Dec;31(6):737-43.
(vOBLA) = 3.5 mmol/L of blood lactate concentration (vVO2 max) = running velocity associated with VO2 max (RE) = running economy (VO2 max) = maximal oxygen uptake
“We conclude that vOBLA and 5K running performance can be significantly improved in well-trained runners using a 4 week training program consisting of 2 High Intensity Training (HIT) sessions (performed at 95% or 100% vVO2 max) and 4 submaximal run sessions per week. However, the improvement in vVO2 max, RE, and 1500 m running performance seems to be dependent on the HIT program at 100% vVO2 max.”
Manipulating high-intensity interval training: effects on VO2max, the lactate threshold and 3000 m running performance in moderately trained males.
Esfarjani F, Laursen PB. J Sci Med Sport. 2007 Feb;10(1):27-35. Epub 2006 Jul 28.
(HIT) = high-intensity interval training (vVO2 max) = running velocity associated with VO2 max (Tmax) = the time for which vVO2max can be maintained (vLT) = the running speed at LT (lactic threshold) (Group 1, 8 x 60% of Tmax at vVO2max, 1:1 work:recovery ratio); (Group 2, 12 x 30s at 130% vVO2max, 4.5 min recovery); control group. Group 1 and Group 2 performed two HIT sessions and two 60 min recovery run sessions (75% vVO2max) each week. Control subjects performed four 60 min recovery run sessions (75% vVO2max each week.
The present study has shown that 3000 m running performance, VO2max, vVO2max, Tmax and vLT can be significantly enhanced using different HIT programs in moderately trained runners, but that changes in performance and physiological variables may be more profound using prolonged HIT at intensities of vVO2max with interval durations of 60% Tmax.
“Validity of a Nomogram to Predict Long Distance Running Performance” Coquart, Jeremy, et al J Strength Cond Res 23(7)/2119-2123
If you are using a nomogram (The charts that have values matching times run for different distances) to estimate your performance and training goals; the best predictions will be for races that most closely match what you are predicting.
Are the courses similar in contour? Is the weather similar? Did you run with the same intensity? How long ago was the performance and has your conditioning changed?
Training to enhance the physiological determinants of long-distance running performance: can valid recommendations be given to runners and coaches based on current scientific knowledge?
McNaughton LR, Jones AM. Sports Med. 2007;37(10):857-80.
“Scientists should be cautious when giving training recommendations to runners and coaches based on the limited available scientific knowledge. This limited knowledge highlights that characterizing the most effective training methods for long-distance runners is still a fruitful area for future research.”
An interesting technical paper is:
A practical model of low-volume high-intensity interval training induces mitochondrial biogenesis in human skeletal muscle: potential mechanisms
Jonathan P. Little1, Adeel Safdar1,2, Geoffrey P. Wilkin, Mark A. Tarnopolsky2 and Martin J. Gibala1
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