Heart Rate Guided Training for Endurance Athletes

Darrin Bright, MDMAX Sports Medicine Institute

Overview Epidemiology Training Zones Physiology Performance Training

Epidemiology 50,000,000 adult runners in US 720 Marathons Columbus 16th Largest 518,000 Marathon Finishers in 2011

2.2% increase from 2010 (9.9% in 2009 & 8.6% in 2010) 59% Male 41% Female

Gender Difference Male average age 39.6 (4:15:54 average time) Female average age 36.0 (4:40:53 average time)

Training Zones Zone 1: Active Recovery

Easy aerobic activity Zone 2: Aerobic

Long Slow Distance Zone 3: Tempo

Comfortably hard Zone 4: Interval

Introducing anaerobic intensity Zone 5: Maximum Capacity

High anaerobic

Training Zones Most endurance athletes

spend nearly all training workouts in upper zone 3

Training never, never land Not hard enough to become

race fit Not easy enough to recover

and rid body of fatigue

Train Smarter … Not Harder What is your GOAL? Over-training Prevent Injury Maximize Performance Determine Training Pace

Perceived exertion Percentage of targeted race

pace Heart Rate Zones

Maximum Heart Rate

MHR Determined by: Genetics Age NOT fitness level

Calculated by: VO2 max testing

Maximum Heart Rate Estimated by:

Straight Estimate % (220-age) Conservative Example: 70% of 200 bpm = 140 bpm

Karvonen formula RHR + % (MHR-RHR) More aggressive Example: 60 bpm + 70% (200-60) = 158 bpm

VO2max Testing

Measure Individual Exercise Physiology

Determine Maximum HR Prescribe Accurate

Training Zones Maximize Performance

Endurance Physiology Key Parameters of Aerobic Fitness

Maximal Oxygen Uptake (VO2max )

Running Economy Lactate Threshold

Maximal Oxygen Uptake - VO2max

Defined Maximum amount of oxygen

consumed by the body during one minute of exercise

Maximum ability to deliver oxygen from the air to the exercising muscles

Maximal Oxygen Uptake - VO2max

Determinants of Maximal Oxygen Uptake Cardiac Output Oxygen Carrying Capacity Skeletal Muscle Mass

& Oxygen Utilization

Maximal Oxygen Uptake - VO2max

Cardiac Output Stroke Volume X Heart Rate

Adaptations of Training Increased Cardiac Output

Increased Plasma Volume Increased Stroke Volume Maximal Heart Rate Unchanged

Runner’s Bradycardia

Maximal Oxygen Uptake - VO2max

Oxygen Carrying Capacity Red Blood Cells Hemoglobin Erythropoietin Extraction

Maximal Oxygen Uptake - VO2max

Skeletal Muscle Mass & Oxygen Utilization Aerobic enzyme activity Free fatty acid metabolism Capillary density

Running Economy Defined

Oxygen uptake required by a given exercise intensity

Considerable variability among athletes

Running Economy

Affects of Training on Running Economy Higher values seen with

Typical / Comfortable pace Older more experienced runners Higher weekly miles

Improvements take time in trained athletes

Running Economy

Methods for Improving Varying training pace Resistance Training Improve technique Possibly improve elasticity / flexibility

Lactate Threshold (LT) Defined

Exercise intensity at which blood lactate levels increase above resting levels.

Specific to exercise task

Lactate Threshold

Lactate Threshold Training at LT allows high

intensity stimulus without lactate accumulation that decreases training duration

Sources of Energy

ATP is the Energy Three Source of ATP

Creatine Phosphate Anaerobic Glycolysis Oxidative Phosphorylation

Energy Metabolism

Creatine Phosphate Minimal Amounts Stored in Cell Very Rapid Reaction Short Bursts of Speed or

Power (10 seconds or less)

Energy Metabolism

Anaerobic Glycolysis Utilizes local glycogen stores Supplies energy for 1-3 minutes Lactic Acid is formed as byproduct

Energy Metabolism

Oxidative Phosphorylation Utilizes Glucose and Free Fatty Acids Exercise greater than 1 minute

Energy Source Based on Distance

Take Home Points Train Smarter…Not Harder! Determine your unique physiology Commit to HR based training

Thank You