Heart Rate Training - Explained

Heart rate training has brought a new science to training.By using the rudimentary math of 220-your age, you can figure out what your approximate heart rate max is.
   During cardiovascular exercise, you would want to be at least 60% of your max, to get benefits for your heart. I'm 57, so the heart rate reading on my watch or on the treadmill itself should at least be at least 98 beats per minute.  A range of 60-80% is considered your "fat-burning zone." That would be 98-130 beats for me. At this level, I can hold short conversation, my perceived rate of exertion (PRE) is probably a six or seven on a 1-10 scale, and my body is burning a higher percentage of fat than carbohydrates. I'm not breaking down muscle. Bodybuilders training for a show like to do cardio at this rate, to shed pounds without losing muscle.
    As you push yourself harder, your heart rate will increase, and you are breaking down some muscle,.You are burning more total calories and more fat, just not as high a percentage of fat as in your "easy" cardio - get it?
   High intensity workouts will improve your performance, as long as their duration is not too long, or too frequent. Then you are risking injury or the general staleness and fatigue of over-training. I've read that thoroughbred horses only run "all-out" during their races!
   The average person can only sustain effort at maximum heart rate for a minute or two. After that, the heart can't pump the blood out efficiently enough to sustain that effort. The brain also tends to go into self-preservation mode, and you slow down.
    Everyone's maximum heart rate drops as they age, but the key to maintaining athletic performance is the ability to sustain near-maximum levels for longer periods of time. When I was in my 20's, I'd see guys in their 50's running not too far behind me, and I always felt I was just working harder. "They're old, they're content just being out there." Now, in my late 50's, I realize how much more pain I have to endure to run a respectable time, because my "speedometer" has dropped from about 200 to just over 160! Maintaining 150 beats per minute isn't too bad when your 20 - when your almost 60....!
      "Heart rate training,"  when you gauge the intensity of your effort, is popular now with all the gadgetry available to keep a constant monitor on your heart. Program design is tricky, though. To maintain a 135 heartbeat, for example, during a 45-minute treadmill run, my speed would need to decrease as I went along, as body fatigue and atmospheric conditions kick in. I put more credence in what my heart rate average was for the duration of the workout, as in the beginning it will naturally be lower, and at the end, it should be higher, if I'm working hard enough!
    Also, your heart rate will tend to be higher when running then (under equal effort) swimming or biking. The load bearing nature of running (where your body weight leaves and then returns to ground), makes it innately more stressful on the heart. Bicycling and swimming are non-impact, and in biking, the wheels are assisting with the effort. Also, the body tends to stay cooler when biking than running, and much more so in the pool. You can still be working just as hard, and your heart rate readings will be 20 to 30 beats less. I see the difference when I'm on the Concept 2 rower, which is also non-weight bearing. On the treadmill, I can get my heart rate to 170, and I'm pretty tired, but still withing myself. On the rower, if I hit over 155 beats, it feels like I'm about to explode!
   So, gauge the effort of each activity you do separately. Monitor your heart rate, but don't get consumed by it. Easy workouts where your heart rate doesn't exceed 120 still have a benefit in building your fitness base. Work hard when you have it in you, it's the fastest way to improve. But don't do it all the time, because you'll end up burnt out or injured. Ten "B" workouts are better than an A-plus" workout followed by an injury, where you miss 10 days. Know what your capable of right now, and try to improve on that. Be realistic!