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Establishing HR max and zones
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Hey everyone. Trying to track down info here related to setting up / establishing HR zones for training purposes.
I've read a bunch of different techniques and opinions.

I'm mostly looking for running specific if possible.

Everything I've read is that the 220-age equation is very basic.

What is everyone else using? I couldn't find any "establish HR max" articles here on ST, but I'm sure they are here.

Thanks in advance.....
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Re: Establishing HR max and zones [MaverickSD] [ In reply to ]
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I had a metabolic test done. Wore the mask, got on the treadmill etc. A friend of mine is a coach and a member of Lifetime Fitness. They do those all the time. To me, seems pretty accurate. Worth the cost IMO since it will be as accurate as you can get.
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Re: Establishing HR max and zones [MaverickSD] [ In reply to ]
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Treadmill Conconi test?
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Re: Establishing HR max and zones [MaverickSD] [ In reply to ]
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Most likely the 220 minus age will not be the best indicator for you. I have never found it to be very accurate. Do you have a recent 10k race time that would work where you used your monitor. That's likely the easiest way to get a starting point.
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Re: Establishing HR max and zones [ggeiger] [ In reply to ]
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I'm JUST starting with a HR monitor.....

I have a 1/2 marathon coming up in a month, then my first 70.3 in April.

I'm a sketchy and not confident runner......so I'm hoping the HR monitor will help me.

FYI - I had a PR for 10K in June this year (50.29).....and then in an Olympic Tri in Sept this year, I finished in 2:55, but the run splits were 26:00 and 36:00. I consider that a bonk, lack of nutrition plan execution, but also not having feedback during the run that I was too high at the start.
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Re: Establishing HR max and zones [MaverickSD] [ In reply to ]
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I used this method to find my HR max. several years ago: https://www.runnersworld.co.uk/...r-maximum-heart-rate

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Re: Establishing HR max and zones [Timtek] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks Timtek. That looks fairly straightforward......
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Re: Establishing HR max and zones [MaverickSD] [ In reply to ]
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I use the data off of a cardiac stress test that I get every year (because I have a normal abnormal heart beat). They always shut it down before I hit the "wall" so I add 10% to that number. My Connect data seems to reflect my perceived effort, so I assume it pretty close.

That puts my MHR at 187 as a 56 year old white male that has been a life long athlete.

The 2 formulae would put it at 164 and 170. I exceed those 2 numbers routinely on the last 400m tempo run of a 6 lap set.

"...the street finds its own uses for things"
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Re: Establishing HR max and zones [AutomaticJack] [ In reply to ]
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I had a cardiac stress test done at a local hospital. They liked having me there because all they normally get are people with heart disease. They called in all of the interns to watch me.

Interestingly enough my numbers match Friel's predicted zones from submaximal testing and the 220-Age formula. For some reason I'm right in the middle of average curve for everyone.
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Re: Establishing HR max and zones [jaretj] [ In reply to ]
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jaretj wrote:
I had a cardiac stress test done at a local hospital. They liked having me there because all they normally get are people with heart disease. They called in all of the interns to watch me.

Interestingly enough my numbers match Friel's predicted zones from submaximal testing and the 220-Age formula. For some reason I'm right in the middle of average curve for everyone.


I like it somewhat less when I do ETT's on my athlete patients. It takes much longer if you really want a 'max effort' test and that will often put me behind with other patients. Plus, the more fit they are the less likely it is that I'll hold my record of being in the top 3 for people who have gone the longest on the treadmill.
:)

The formulas are more accurate for the population-less fit, and far less likely to be lifelong athletes. Another formula is 200-1/2 age. Both are often inaccurate in being too low if you have been active doing aerobic activities your entire life.

Your max HR is highest in youth and degrades variably with age and somewhat more so with inactivity. My kids wore my HR monitor many, many years ago when they were doing JR OLY cross country, and were playing various sports. My 7 year old had a NORMAL max HR of 235 and my 10 year old 230.

I'm now 56 and my max measured HR by 5K races at the end of sprinting like my hair was on fire and a true very hard effort was 160, pretty close to the formula. N=1. But over the 20+ years that I've done stress tests on my thousands of patients, it's pretty close...

To the OP, max HR is less useful for training. The more important number is the tempo/threshold HR. There are various field tests you can do but as others have alluded to, best to test with a hard effort 10K. You can use Daniel's/McMillian or others charts to get guides of training zones after that.

Dale
Last edited by: dtoce: Nov 23, 17 4:20
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Re: Establishing HR max and zones [MaverickSD] [ In reply to ]
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220-age = incorrect data. This would mean my max HR should be 164. That's 23 bpm off what it's been tested at.

Run the stress test in the treadmill if it's a available and you can afford it. In a pinch, use a couple of 5K running races where you're maxing out your effort. You should get some better numbers to work with.

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Re: Establishing HR max and zones [TrierinKC] [ In reply to ]
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So how close to '220 minus your age' was the test?
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Re: Establishing HR max and zones [Pathlete] [ In reply to ]
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Pathlete wrote:
So how close to '220 minus your age' was the test?

Interestingly enough it was pretty close. I maxed out at 172 and I was 49 at the time.
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Re: Establishing HR max and zones [TrierinKC] [ In reply to ]
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Do a conconi test.

I am 54 and my heartrate has not altered one iota fot the last 35 years.
ALL formulas are bunk.
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Re: Establishing HR max and zones [lyrrad] [ In reply to ]
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Then you are a genetic freak
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