Training & Nutrition - My heart rate during a criterium has me totally baffled

OK, I don't have very sophisticated training tools. But I decided to wear my heart rate monitor during a criterium tonight. This device logged my heart rate at each minute. Didn't log my max or average heart rate, though.

The criterium was a 0.8 mile loop with a bit of an elevation change. The race was pretty much hammering up a hill, then trying to recover while cruising around the rest of the course until hill time again.

Anyway, here is my HR vs. time for the race:


0:00:00 137
0:01:00 124
0:02:00 171
0:03:00 173
0:04:00 178
0:05:00 186
0:06:00 180
0:07:00 182
0:08:00 182
0:09:00 184
0:10:00 187
0:11:00 194
0:12:00 183
0:13:00 194
0:14:00 191
0:15:00 191
0:16:00 180
0:17:00 191
0:18:00 182
0:19:00 187
0:20:00 181
0:21:00 184
0:22:00 183
0:23:00 186
0:24:00 186
0:25:00 187
0:26:00 184
0:27:00 180
0:28:00 178
0:29:00 184

This is wild! I had thought that my lactate threshold heart rate was 176 or so - based on average heart rate of a one hour effort, and that my max was 192. Obviously my max is at least 194, but I doubt it is much higher. The wild thing to me is that the average HR of the last 20 minutes (Freil definition of LTHR) is 186. What the...? Is my lactate threshold heart rate really 96% of my max?

Or is my HR getting pushed up artificially by race anxiety? My HR at 0:00 - before the race started - was already 137.

If it's relevant, I'm thirty years old.

its the nerves form racing i get much higher hrs when racing too, did you use caffinated products to?

It's the nerves and adrenaline. HR during a crit is pretty much useless.


OK, I don't have very sophisticated training tools. But I decided to wear my heart rate monitor during a criterium tonight. This device logged my heart rate at each minute. Didn't log my max or average heart rate, though.

The criterium was a 0.8 mile loop with a bit of an elevation change. The race was pretty much hammering up a hill, then trying to recover while cruising around the rest of the course until hill time again.

Anyway, here is my HR vs. time for the race:


0:00:00 137
0:01:00 124
0:02:00 171
0:03:00 173
0:04:00 178
0:05:00 186
0:06:00 180
0:07:00 182
0:08:00 182
0:09:00 184
0:10:00 187
0:11:00 194
0:12:00 183
0:13:00 194
0:14:00 191
0:15:00 191
0:16:00 180
0:17:00 191
0:18:00 182
0:19:00 187
0:20:00 181
0:21:00 184
0:22:00 183
0:23:00 186
0:24:00 186
0:25:00 187
0:26:00 184
0:27:00 180
0:28:00 178
0:29:00 184
This is wild! I had thought that my lactate threshold heart rate was 176 or so - based on average heart rate of a one hour effort, and that my max was 192. Obviously my max is at least 194, but I doubt it is much higher. The wild thing to me is that the average HR of the last 20 minutes (Freil definition of LTHR) is 186. What the...? Is my lactate threshold heart rate really 96% of my max?

Or is my HR getting pushed up artificially by race anxiety? My HR at 0:00 - before the race started - was already 137.

If it's relevant, I'm thirty years old.

Does it mean anything?

Is a 185 HR due to nerves physically equivalent to a 175 HR without the nerves?


Would I be a lot faster if I learned to relax?

What physically is occuring when the HR is high due to nervousness?


Caffiene was probably not a factor.

Caffeine is a factor, especially if you don't take any during the week. I'll down a lot of caffeine before a race and will start with a HR near 75% of my max. It looks like your max HR is closer to 202ish, and I'm sure you weren't trying as hard as you could have for a 1hr test (probably could have pushed it a few beats).

With that being said, you've just discovered why power meters are so popular.

I usually drink a lot of coffee every day. I had stopped drinking coffee 2-3 hours before the race. I think it may have dehydrated me, so I sipped through a water bottle full of Gatorade in the 45 minutes before the race.

I was also racing on pretty short sleep.


I would love a power meter, but they cost $$$.

Sounds like you haven't tested yourself to find your true max-HR. Go out and warm up for an hour, do some sprints and intervals. Then do an accelerating sprint/interval of about 45-60 seconds where you continually ramp up the effort. Start out at 50-60% effort than pick it up to 75-80%, then 90-95%. The last 10-15 seconds go all out at 100% sprint until you collapse. Max-HR should be hit anywhere from 5-seconds to 10-seconds after the collapse. I bet your max is 198-201.

Sounds like you haven't tested yourself to find your true max-HR. Go out and warm up for an hour, do some sprints and intervals. Then do an accelerating sprint/interval of about 45-60 seconds where you continually ramp up the effort. Start out at 50-60% effort than pick it up to 75-80%, then 90-95%. The last 10-15 seconds go all out at 100% sprint until you collapse. Max-HR should be hit anywhere from 5-seconds to 10-seconds after the collapse. I bet your max is 198-201.

Okay, I'll try that. I'd be surprised if I can get it up to the high 190's, but who knows?

I suppose I need to try the LTHR test again and try to suffer a little more this time?



I guess I've been blessed (?) with a heart that can still beat pretty fast...

Okay, I'll try that. I'd be surprised if I can get it up to the high 190's, but who knows?

I suppose I need to try the LTHR test again and try to suffer a little more this time?

I guess I've been blessed (?) with a heart that can still beat pretty fast...yeah, you've got a pretty strong heart. :) Every training-regimen based upon HR is pegged to the max-HR figure. LT and its percentage of MHR gives useful data. The various training zones are based upon MHR and LT. So having an accurate max-HR figure is vitally important. And I meant to say "from 5-seconds before to 10-seconds after you collapse". Being able to hit max-HR at will is also an important part of training as well; you'll be able to find where that edge of no return is and get right up to it in a race, but not over.

And the LT-HR test is also pegged to RPM due to the coupling of muscle-effort and cardiovascular capacity. You should do the 2x20 test in a similar gear and RPM each time. As an experiment, you can do the test twice in the same day, but in different gears at different RPM, and you'll find that the LT-HR will be different each time.

yeah, you've got a pretty strong heart. :)

It can beat fast, but I don't know if the stroke volume is anything special. I'm going to try to wear the monitor more -- and pay attention to it -- and really get a better idea of what's going on in there, plus do some more tests to see where my LT and max really lie.

Higher RPM makes for a higher HR at lactate threshold, right? I believe this has to do with some effect of the legs literally pumping blood or something..? This HR stuff is confusing; I need a Powertap.

Higher RPM makes for a higher HR at lactate threshold, right? I believe this has to do with some effect of the legs literally pumping blood or something..? This HR stuff is confusing; I need a Powertap.Yes, that's correct. Using a lower-gear and spinning higher-RPMs will require lower muscle-force effort from the legs for the same power-output. This will then end up taxing the cardio system more. So the LT-HR will end up being higher. Interestingly enough, depending upon your form and pedaling-technique, you'll find that power-at-LT maybe higher at the higher-RPMs.

i have been taking part in some research to determine the most efficient cadence for each indicidual looking at various wattages and cadences. we found that
A)it's wattage specific i.e. a certain cadence will be more hr efficient at a certain wattage
B) increasing cadene does amplify inefficiencies in the action becuase you do the action more times thus higher cadences suit riders with a better pedal action
C) it makes a small difference unless you are very, very good its best just going on feel

OK, I don't have very sophisticated training tools. But I decided to wear my heart rate monitor during a criterium tonight. This device logged my heart rate at each minute. ...

This is wild! I had thought that my lactate threshold heart rate was 176 or so - based on average heart rate of a one hour effort, and that my max was 192. Obviously my max is at least 194, but I doubt it is much higher. The wild thing to me is that the average HR of the last 20 minutes (Freil definition of LTHR) is 186. What the...? Is my lactate threshold heart rate really 96% of my max?
Or is my HR getting pushed up artificially by race anxiety? My HR at 0:00 - before the race started - was already 137.

you're trying to equate a few things that really aren't. Racing a crit is way different from the steady-state process that usually gets used to determine AT or LT, as in a TT. Your heart rate is detemined by body/cell chemistry. So when you do go heavily into anaerobic the heart works to clear that condition.
So, considering this crit and most others; the 'effort' required varies throughout the course, but is repeated in fairly quick cycles. By that I mean when you go over your AT for a period, the heart will continue to maintain a high rate, even though you may have reduced the effort. Think of going up the hill you mentioned. 1st time up you raise the HR and possibly go well over AT/LT. Then you try to 'recover'. During that recovery time your heart is still keeping a rate above what you see as AT level, because it needs to bing your system back into aerobic operation. You go around a corner and again put yourself into 'debt' and again the heart continues to maintain a high HR even after you settle back into a slightly easier effort. Because of the quick 'cycle' nature of crits, your HR never really gets to recover to what you have determined as AT, because its always trying to catch up to the oxygen debt.
SO these HR numbers are exactly as expected.
To see what I mean you'd need to lay a power meter reading above it, showing corresponding power readins along the course. You'd see great power variations during the race period, along with this 'steady' high HR readings. Once deeply over AT you wouldn;t be able to maintain the high power constantly. You'd have to find a way to reduce power requirements during periods of doing any lap otherwise you'd detonate and go off the back. Yet your HR will stay high as the system works to get back to predominantly aerobic chemistry.
The AT heart rate is really a steady state number. Stay below and you will be aerobic enough to maintain the effort for a while. Go increasingly over it and how much will determine how long you can maintain the effort. A TT is done at or very near to AT as possible, since that should give you the max steady power for the extended effort. Go over AT for any lenght of time and again, you will slow down dramatically (deliver less power) to get back to an aerobic state you can hold.

Race anxiety has nothing to do with this. Race conditions and requirements FAR overshadow any lingering nervousness you might have after the first 1/2 lap. 'PRE-race' anxiety, however, and the accompanying adrenalin pump can go a long way to draining you long before the whistle sounds.

you're trying to equate a few things that really aren't...

Thanks for your post! What you're saying makes a lot of sense and explains what I was seeing. Now I'm not so baffled.