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Under Construction ![]() Maximun Rate (HRmax)Maximal heart rate generally declines with age from about 220 beats per minute in childhood to about 160 beats per minute at age 60. This fall in heart rate is fairly linear, decreasing by approximately 1 beat per minute per year. There is no strong evidence to suggest that training influences the decline in maximal heart rate. It should be remembered that individuals of the same age may have quite different maximal heart rates-therefore it is more accurate to calculate this value by undergoing a stress-test instead of relying on the formulas below. See stress tests at: Sports Coach, Polar FAQ's.Target Heart RateYour target heart rate is the maximum you should reach during a workout. It will vary depending on your objectives:Fat Burn: 60%-75% of HRmax: - Maintain/reduce weight. Fat supplies nearly 86% of total calories. Aerobic Conditioning: 75-85% of HRmax: -Improves Cardio-Respiratory Endurance (CRE). Trains the body's tissues to use O2 efficiently. Anerobic Excercise 85-90% of HRmax: -Builds muscle. At this level there is not enough oxygen to use aerobic metabolism and the muscles start using carbohydrate in the muscle for its energy. However, fat is burned indirectly as a result of other reactions resulting from the muscle building process. Note: The Anerobic Threshold is lower for untrained individuals according to Eoin Fahy, Ph.D..
Formulas for estimating Max Heart Rate (HRmax) and Target Rate Examples
Karvonen Formula: Resting Rt. + XX% (220-age-resting) + 10 (if resting <60) XX=60-75% (Easy), 85-90% (AT), 90-100% (VO2) = 126-143 (Easy), 154-159 (AT)Easy: Aerobic - Run at this pace for most of your workouts. Running at this pace is almost entirely aerobic with fats being the predominant energy source and glycogen being utilzed to a lesser extent. AT: Anaerobic threshold - The amount of available oxygen is no longer sufficient to meet the body's energy demands and a second pathway called anaerobic ("without oxygen") glycolysis is recruited. The end product of anaerobic glycolysis is lactic acid (lactate). As running pace is increased futher, the lactate concentration in the exercising muscles increases rapidly and this point is referred to as tha anaerobic threshold (AT) or lactate turnpoint. Subjectively, this is where a pace at which breathing becomes more labored and the dreaded burning sensation in the legs begins to appear. Well-trained athletes usually reach their AT at approximately 85-90% of their VO2max heart-rate, but for untrained individuals this threshold is much lower (50-70% of VO2max heart-rate). VO2 - This represents the maximum rate of oxygen consumption for a person. Usually around 95% of your maximum. A good rule of thumb is to run no more than 10% of your weekly mileage at this pace. Source: Eoin Fahy, Ph.D. The talk test is another good way of establishing how hard you are working, if you find it difficult to say a few words, you are probably working out anerobically. For a good indication of aerobic exercise, you should be able to say a few words, catch your breath, and then carry on talking.Ê Note: The generally accepted error in the age-predicted formula is ± 10-12 bpm, which is due to different inherited characteristics and exercise training. I've seen articles which say individuals can vary by up to -20 to +30 beats/min. The most accurate way of determining your individual maximum heart rate is to have it clinically tested (by treadmill or bicycle stress test) by a cardiologist or exercise physiologist. References:
aerobics vs strenght trainingAn article on aerobics vs strength training, by Greg Anderson claims that "Steady state activities such as running, cycling, dancing, etc. do not burn a significant number of calories! Aerobics can actually cause you to lose muscle tissue! It promotes strength training for a variety of reasons. Every pound of muscle added to the body of an adult female will require an additional 75-100 calories per day just to keep it alive. Irving Dardik, MD, former vascular surgeon, contends that: "The basic concept of aerobics conditioning is wrong." He also contends that the best way to train the vascular system is to build flexibility into its response by using short bouts of elevation followed by sudden recovery, then demanding activity again.Return to Health |