HR threshold Variations

[iain]

I have recently read that the average HR at anaerobic threshold in some wide studies was about 75% of HRmax. Another study of trained individuals was 88%, much closer to the 85% generally used for setting HR bands. Is the former realistic? I ask because threshold happens to be around 75% of VO2 Max in trained individuals, so this could have been a mistake. If it is not, then untrained individuals may well have lower thresholds that make all the HR based training often pushed at those trying to get some base fitness and lose weight pretty meaningless! I know that threshold increases with training, but assumed that the majority of the change was in stroke volume rather than HR.

Does anyone reading this have any data from the progression of their threshold through a period of significant fitness improvement? Or kow of any studies on this that I can access?

Many thanks

Iain

[nick rockliff]

I have recently read that the average HR at anaerobic threshold in some wide studies was about 75% of HRmax. Another study of trained individuals was 88%, much closer to the 85% generally used for setting HR bands. Is the former realistic? I ask because threshold happens to be around 75% of VO2 Max in trained individuals, so this could have been a mistake. If it is not, then untrained individuals may well have lower thresholds that make all the HR based training often pushed at those trying to get some base fitness and lose weight pretty meaningless! I know that threshold increases with training, but assumed that the majority of the change was in stroke volume rather than HR.

Does anyone reading this have any data from the progression of their threshold through a period of significant fitness improvement? Or kow of any studies on this that I can access?

Many thanks

Iain

I've been tested over a seven year period at various levels of fitness. LT1 and LT2 have been at very similar HR.

LT1 was around 89% MHR
LT2 was around 95% MHR

[iain]

I've been tested over a seven year period at various levels of fitness. LT1 and LT2 have been at very similar HR.

LT1 was around 89% MHR
LT2 was around 95% MHR

Many thanks, useful to show how high LT2 can go! I appreciate that your fitness has varied, but I was hoping for data from people who had changed more radically (ideally from basically sedentary to significantly trained) as you were coming off a very high level of fitness.

It would be good to get data even if not lab tested (ie extrapolations from HR at paces that demonstrated inflections).

[nick rockliff]

I've been tested over a seven year period at various levels of fitness. LT1 and LT2 have been at very similar HR.

LT1 was around 89% MHR
LT2 was around 95% MHR

Many thanks, useful to show how high LT2 can go! I appreciate that your fitness has varied, but I was hoping for data from people who had changed more radically (ideally from basically sedentary to significantly trained) as you were coming off a very high level of fitness.

It would be good to get data even if not lab tested (ie extrapolations from HR at paces that demonstrated inflections).

Can't help you there, not sure what would Indicate what you're asking from paces alone?

[iain]

Its not the paces that would help (too individual), but HR profiles. On harder 10k+ sessions at constant pace I find most people find that the increase in HR slows down for a while before picking up again. This is the inflection that is broadly LT2. What I am looking for is if anyone has noticed and recorded the HR this occurs at changing over a period when they have been radically changing their fitness level. I only started measuring HR fairly recently. Initially I believe on restarting I have inadvertently pushed past threshold when restarting and so initially only been able to do a few k and the graphs rarely show a definitive inflection until I have reestablished a base fitness. Someone starting out erging might not have the same inclination or belief in what they can achieve and so do more rows at tough but sustainable paces to generate the graphs I am looking for.

[p_b82]

For me 170-175bpm 90-93% Max is a HR which stays pretty much there if that's the pace I'm going at.

I may be subconsciously keeping myself below any thresholds... 180bpm which would be 95% max = running out of puff typically.

https://log.concept2.com/profile/1627958/log

My log's open if you're logged in - feel free to have a look yourself though - 2:20-2:25 pace is what's sustainable for me currently over the longer distances.