Training & Nutrition - heart rate and gears

Hi,

If I am climbing a very mild slope, how do I increase my heart rate? By cycling at a higher gear or lower gear? I want to exercise at a higher heart rate for a few minutes and exert myself.

Thanks.

Hi,

If I am climbing a very mild slope, how do I increase my heart rate? By cycling at a higher gear or lower gear? I want to exercise at a higher heart rate for a few minutes and exert myself.

Thanks.

Either way will produce a higher HR. You are just working different metabolic pathways when you mash vs. spin.

I think answer could also be NEITHER, if you don't try to maintain your speed somewhat. Your heart rate won't increase if your power drops off, regardless of what gear you use.

It probably depends on whether you're working at a cadence that's comfortable. If you are, then shift up to the next higher gear and try to maintain the same cadence. That'll get your heart rate up in a hurry.

Yes, like va cyclist said, increasin gear, (making it easier to pedal) will incresase the heart rate. If you are looking to do hill intervals, just shift into a lower gear and push harder.

Increasing cadence (lower gear) will allow you to sustain a higher heart rate for longer. If you put it in a big gear you will most likely go anarobic, causing a short lived, high spike in heartrate. If you put it into a lower gear, and get a 110+ cadence going you will elevate your heartrate (not as high as going anarobic) to a high, but sustainable level. Another benifit is you will be able to quickly adjust if you start to go anarobic, whereas if you're pushing a bigger gear by the time you realize you're going to hard it's pretty much too late to stay aerobic.

I am going to post another thread on this in the road cycling forum but here is an answer...

Today I did hill repeats (1 mile, 8 - 10 percent, 8 min intervals)

Gear selection - 39-21, 50 RPMs at 7.3 MPH, HR +4 over LT (172 BPM) for 8 minutes

Optional Gear Selection - 39-27 at about 80 RPMs, HR + 4 over LT, 7.3 MPH. You are then asking which is better to work on... well it depends on your purpose, the higher cadence will work your aerobic system better (i.e. less pain in the legs but higher breathing rate per speed) while a lower cadence kills the legs (agonizing pain) but does not work the aerobic system at much.

Point is for specific training you really have a choice. I find that it is easier to spin a high cadence (90 RPM+) on most normal riding conditions than push a high gear. That means in a normal circumstance I can as long as my aerobic system holds out my legs do not fatigue much... meaning I can ride alot longer. Basically I stay in the small ring longer...