You might be well-versed in measuring your runs to time, distance, and pace,
but have you ever considered that heart rate may actually be an important
measurement too? I'm Anna,
And I'm Rick and we're going to be guiding you through how to use heart rate as
a useful tool when it comes to running.
Yep, whether that is finding out what heart rate zones mean,
what each of them are,
how to set them and how you can apply all of this to your training,
don't you worry,
we have got you covered and don't forget to stay watching right to the very end,
because we have got a top tip about how a heart rate monitor can potentially
give you early warning signs of illness or over-training.
And don't forget to hit subscribe and tap the bell icon.
So you get notified when we upload new videos to help you with your running,
which we do every single week.
Why is heart rate such a useful metric for runners? Well,
when you do any kind of cardiovascular exercise,
it means your heart rate is elevated.
And so it's a really good indicator of just how hard you're working.
And when you run at different heart rates,
they impact your physiology in different ways.
Training different systems and changing the emphasis of the type of workout.
You're looking to complete knowing what heart rate range or zone you're training
in can help maximise the benefits of your training or recovery.
It's important to note that different heart rate levels at rest
and during exercise and corresponding heart rate zones will vary wildly from
person to person. And that's all down to a number of different factors,
including age, weight, gender, fitness levels,
temperature, and even things like medication or stress.
For example,
fitter runners tend to have a lower resting heart rate and keep watching for
more on resting heart rate and why it's important to keep an eye on it.
You may find that your heart rate varies from day to day and from run to
run. For example, one day a pace that might have felt easy, may feel
much harder another day. This can be down to a number of different factors.
Maybe you didn't sleep very well the night before,
maybe you're coming down with something and feeling a bit poorly and stress can
also play a part in this too,
which is why it's really useful to keep an eye on your heart rate
when you're running, to factor in all of these different variables that you may
not actually have noticed.
Now, when it comes to measuring your heart rate when running,
there are two main options. The first is optical based sensors on your wrist.
So for example, on my Garmin, you'll see,
there are flashing led lights on the underside that sit on your wrist.
So light of different wavelengths is refracted by the movement of blood under
your skin,
your device then interprets that into heart rate data to give you a figure of
beats per minute or BPM. Now the second option is a chest
strap warn against the skin under any clothing you're wearing. These measure,
your heart rate in a different way, using something called electrocardiography.
So a simplified version of the way your heart rate would be measured in
hospital, when you would have lots of electrodes stuck onto your skin.
So there's a transmitter that sits at the front and it sends the data
that it's collecting to your watch or your phone.
So if you are wearing a chest strap, as well as a watch,
then the watch automatically takes the data from the strap over the wrist based sensor.
Which you choose, that's up to you. It's probably easier just to wear a watch.
So it probably comes down to a question of accuracy. With the latest technology
using optical senses and clever algorithms,
it means that risk-based monitoring is probably enough.
But in certain circumstances,
the accuracy can be affected by a user's physical characteristics,
the fit or the type of activity.
For maximum accuracy,
make sure that you keep your sensor clean regularly,
and that you have a nice snug fit around your wrist.
Be aware that things like tattoos and skin tone can affect
the accuracy of readings.
A lot of high level athletes
will use a chest strap to ensure the most accurate and consistent data.
They need to fit snugly,
to stay in place and also require moisture to pick up the electrical signal.
So sweat, once you get going or a little water or saliva,
before you start.
Heart rate zones are a way of measuring the training effect that you're going to
be getting from your run. So some people will use a three zone system,
and there's no reason why you can't use any number of zones
really. What we're going to be running through today is the five zones
that you find most commonly on all Garmin watches and is probably
most regularly used. So in a five zone system, zone one is the easiest,
probably just a very easy run or a brisk walk.
Zone five is where you're really training hard.
We're going to talk you through what each zone means,
but first we're going to talk you through how to work yours out.
There are a number of different ways,
but almost all of them require you to know or work out what
your maximum heart rate is.
Now the most basic and easiest way of doing this is by using,
what's known as the Fox Formula,
where you take the number 220 and subtract your age from it.
Now, of course,
this most certainly isn't the most accurate way of doing it because what might
apply to one 30 year old, for example, may not apply to another,
especially when you take into consideration things like gender, height
and general fitness for example.
There are two other formulae that are slightly more technical that you could
use as an alternative
if you're looking for a really quick way to try and get this number.
But if you want to find an
accurate figure for your maximum heart rate,
which is how you use heart rate to improve your running,
you'll need to consider doing what's called a stress test.
Since you'll be trying to get as close as possible to your maximum heart rate,
you shouldn't attempt this,
if you have a medical condition or injury and should seek some medical advice
if you're in doubt.
If you've already worn your watch or your heart rate strap for a hard intervals
session, then you may save yourself the pain of having to do a stress test and
simply just take the highest heart rate measurement from that session,
because chances are, you were pretty close to your max heart rate during it.
However, we're going to show you the way that you can perform a stress test if you
are up for it.
So you'll be looking to do a thoroughly easy warm up at first,
building up to a maximum exertion within 10 to 12 minutes at
hard effort.
So, that could be an all out 3k at race pace.
It could be two times 800 metres,
or it could be two to three minute intervals at hard effort.
Or it could be starting out around five minutes away from the bottom of a long
hill and building up speed gradually to the bottom,
and then running at full pace for two minutes back up it.
That will give you your max heart rate figure.
And it's entirely possible to set up all five zones just with this one figure
as a percentage of your max heart rate.
But there is one other thing that we would recommend that you do in order to
personalise your zones even further. And that's taking your resting heart rate.
So a couple of ways of doing this are to wear your watch for a few
days and get a good baseline of your average resting heart rate from
that. Or you can simply take your pulse first thing in the morning and use that figure.
Now that you have your own personal maximum and resting heart rates.
You can work out your heart rate reserve,
which is essentially the difference between the two.
And this is your useful heart rate range for your training.
You can then work out your zones in the way I'm about to show you, though
thankfully, using Garmin connect all you need to do is select,
HRR in the based on dropdown and pop in your maximum and
resting values.
So zone one is from 50 to 60% of your heart rate reserve,
or HRR. You can work out your reserve by subtracting your resting heart
rate from your maximum.
Then work out 50 and 60% of this number. Add these numbers to your
resting heart rate, to give you the bottom and top heart rates for zone one.
You can repeat this for other zones, using 60 to 70% for zone two,
70 to 80% for zone three, 80 to 90% for zone for four,
and 90 to a 100% percent for zone five.
Finally, if you're really keen to get the most accurate,
possible measurement of your heart rate zones,
then it is possible to go to a lab and have these tests carried out by a
professional. This involves you running on a treadmill at various intensities.
They'll take blood usually from a pinprick in your ear to measure the level of
lactate in it, as well as measuring your oxygen through a mask.
As I say, it's possible to get this done in a lab,
but you will of course pay for the privilege.
So now that you've set your zones,
here's a quick run through of what each of the zones mean.
So if you haven't gone and had a lab test done,
but you've merely checked your max heart rate using a stress test,
or maybe you've used one of the formulae from earlier in the video,
then try and use our examples of each of the zones with perceived effort,
how much you can talk and how heavy your breathing is.
As you may want to tweak your zones,
as you go. Zone one is a very light intensity effort.
So it should feel very relaxed and easy. Your breathing is controlled.
Your able to hold a conversation.
And your perceived rate of exertion is very low.
Zone two is easy running.
This is what you should aim for in your recovery runs or your warmups or cool
downs. You should still be able to have a full conversation.
It should feel like a four or five out of 10 effort.
Zone three is steady aerobic running.
You might consider your long runs at this pace. So breathing is still,
well-managed not ragged, but getting a little bit harder.
Zone four is a hard sustained effort like a threshold run.
You should only be able to reply to questions with a few words.
Zone five is very hard.
So this is intervals and sprints.
Your breathing is a lot harder. Conversation is impossible.
Think almost at your max effort. For any runs that you're doing to a
specific heart rate.
You can set up a heart rate alert on your Garmin.
So it will let you know and give you feedback with a buzz or bing to
let you know if your heart rate exceeds or drops below a certain range.
So that's a really good way of being able to monitor your heart rate on the run
without having to constantly look down and check your watch.
And if you're using your watch,
you can set your screen to let you know which zone you're in,
according to colours. So you don't have to remember all the numbers.
Now we told you we'd have a top tip at the end. So here it is.
If you ever show up to a threshold run and have a good idea about the type of
heart rate you'd expect, given the pace and conditions,
but you find it's significantly higher,
it could be an early sign of illness or fatigue,
and it'd be a really good idea to pull back on those expected rates,
even if that means running slower. And if you turn up and find
that you're more or less hitting your paces,
but it's actually difficult to get your heart rate up into the zone that you're
aiming for.
Then it may be an early sign of being under the weather or perhaps being
over-trained and so best to call it a day, head home, and make sure you recover.
Hopefully this video has answered your questions about heart rate training and
how it can help your running. If you've got any questions,
let us know in the comments below,
or maybe you're going to start looking in more detail at that heart rate data
after you finished training, tell us,
and hopefully we'll see you next time here on The Running Channel.