Why is knowing your heart rate important to you? Do you measure it to check your health? Do you use it to ensure you get an adequately vigorous workout?

I dont know much. I use it and hope it calculate my calories burned correctly. I have run 2 phone apps and Garmin Edge 520 and all three of them report calories by +/- 200 calories or more/less.

Various apps/websites use HR data for training load. I like seeing it to gauge my effort level. In other words, you get to know what you can sustain and what HR that typically is. It's good to keep yourself from overdoing it at the start of a long ride. If you have a power meter you might use that instead.

When it reads zero I know there is a problem.

I find it most valuable when it is particularly hot out. HR recovery is a relatively predictable thing-- regardless of how close I am to my max, if I stop working, my HR will drop to ~110bpm in ~90 seconds. If I'm out riding and notice that when stopped at a light, my HR is kinda hovering around 140 or 150, I know that's a sure sign the heat and/or effort is getting to be too much, and I need to dial it back, hydrate, etc.

I made the mistake of ignoring that poor recovery just once-- climbing a decent grade in 90º+ temps, my HR shot up to about 160, which at that time was above my LTHR. I didn't think anything of it, and noticed too late on the descent that it wasn't coming down. I had to finish about 12 miles to get home, and my HR never went below 150, even when finally (too late!) stopping to drink a quart of water. It was way too late. As a reward I got to find out how fun heat exhaustion is. It is not fun at all.

It's too late to find out when it stops.

I have used HR monitors to pace myself for the early miles of rides with major climbs. For example, I rode the Barlow Century (a dozen years ago) knowing I wanted to make the most of the climb up to Lolo Pass. My max HR at the time was a little under 180. I knew if I never went into "the zone" early, I could do the whole climb at 165 and not blow up. So I limited myself to 155 on the early climbs. A lot of riders left me, most for good. That was OK. They were for the most part young and I was in my 50s. I rode the entire climb to Lolo Pass with the HR glued on 165 and felt great. Had a rider easily 15 years younger staying with me until the last mile or so when he dropped off.

I ignored the monitor the rest of the ride. The late hills got tough but I still was passing a lot of riders including more than a few that dropped me hours earlier.

On long, hard rides, a monitor can be a very good tool if: you adhere to it AND it is not a race or situation where the drafting element and being at the right place at the right time rules. (We just saw a Grand Tour won by a rider going way beyond any "advisable" HR, etc. in the very early miles of a mountain stage with a summit finish. He made the break, the race leader didn't. That move decided three weeks of racing.)

Ben

In group rides and "races", I'm often a bit too enthusiastic for my own good. The HRM offers a better tool than feel alone to pace myself by.

Same here. I have chronic anemia and when my red cell and hemoglobin counts are low, my heart rate goes up to compensate for it. Normally, it doesn't affect my riding but there are times, especially during breakaways and sprints, when my HR goes over max and doesn't come down after a few minutes. Since the doc says no more than three minutes over max HR, I need to know where my HR is at so I can back down when I need to.

I dont measure it, i dont see the need so i gave away the HR monitor that came with my Garmin 500

I use mine for Zone Training, a pre-power meter technique, mainly to make sure that in Base Miles and on Recovery Days I stay in Zone 1 or 2 which means going Easy Enough.
Just going hard all the time doesn't get it for a Periodic training plan, a solid Base and good Recovery are just as important as Power & Speed work.

Here's how to "Find your Parameters":

Heart rate monitor training for cyclists - BikeRadar USA

At my age keeping an eye on HR on difficult climbs in high temperatures is not such a bad idea either.

-Bandera

Intensity, duration and volume are the keys metrics to effective training.

Heart rate is a way to measure the intensity of any given workout.

An orthostatic test will tell you if you are overtrained or ready for the next workout.


-Tim-

I track my H/R using a Polar HR monitor. However, it's not necessary, but I just like tracking certain things during my rides and runs. One thing you learn when you first start monitoring your HR is that it's not set in stone; it's extremely variable.

First thing, forget the 220 – your age, or any other formulae. If you HR matches any formula, then it's just a coincidence and if you are just starting to get into shape, chances are your max HR will change. It also depends on how well you're feeling, when I'm sick, my max HR can either be higher or lower than what it is normally; furthermore, it is not the same for when I ride a bike or go for a run.

I also like checking my resting HR, which also varies, especially if I'm sick or recovering from several hard days of exercise.

This is a pretty good article on the myths behind HR: 5 Max Heartrate Training Myths, Busted | Bicycling


However, this is a longer, but more detailed version and it shows just how formula for max HR is NOT based on science; it's more of a thing the fitness industry picked up and ran with. Very good article: https://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/24/he...nged.html?_r=0

BTW, since this thread is in the Electronics/Gadgets forum, I'll post this link with a video of various HR monitors being compared to an actual EKG machine in the doctor's office. Hint: The HR monitors that have an optical sensor built into watches are mostly junk; the chest straps are still the best way to go... https://www.cnet.com/news/how-accura...rate-monitors/

Heart rate is a good way to measure and describe intensity. Power is a better way, but it's expensive to measure, and not really available for running and swimming.

I have a Garmin Fenix 3 HR, a GPS wrist watch with an optical heart rate monitor built in. It came bundled with a chest strap. Why? Because Garmin and their customers know that chest straps work better.

More recent tests of more recent wristband HRMs (like the Mio Link, for instance) have shown them to be within 2-3bpm of an EKG machine. More than accurate enough for the typical consumer.

Since getting a cheap power meter, I quit using mine.

I'm not training for anything and the power meter produces more accurate calorie burn numbers.

I do check my resting heart rate periodically and its varies between 42-50 bpm.

A lot of misinformation on this thread.

Someone posted a link to an article which says to use max heart rate to set up zones. This is incorrect for cycling. Heart rate zones for cycling should be set up as a percentage of lactic threshold. Lactic threshold is highly trainable. A higher LT is what allows a cyclist to go harder for longer periods of time. Max heart rate however, does not change as one gets more fit and so there is no way to know if one has improved fitness with zones based off a metric that never changes.

Also, optical heart rate sensors currently available are far from "junk". Every link posted or article cited here was based on a clinical health care setting. The level of accuracy required in a clinical setting is not required for sports training. Even so, the current optical sensors put out by MIO and others are comparable to chest straps. Those who dismiss optical sensors as "Junk" are dismissing a whole class of devices that are used by some of the world's top athletes with excellent results.

DC Rainmaker actually tested optical and chest straps side by side on the same exercise as far back as 2014 and the graphs speak for themselves. https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2014/05/s...h-optical.html


-Tim-

Zone 1 & 2 HR for Base & Recovery have worked for me for the last couple of decades.

Argue it w/ Eddie Fletcher: Consultant Sport & Exercise Physiologist who consulted for the linked article:

https://wattbike.com/uk/eddie-fletcher

-Bandera

Just a fun aside: in my 20s, I observed my heart rate at various times everywhere from the low 40s to 200 and once at 0. (For about 10 seconds, then I hit the floor flat on my back and my heart restarted. Previous to that I had full line voltage running from one sweaty hand to the other while standing on a step ladder.)

I highly recommend keeping the resting heart rate in 2 digit range. It took me a full 24 hours to recover from that that short spell at the lower number.

Ben

I didn't say zones based on HRMax won't work. I said there is "no way to know if one has improved fitness." Zones based on HRMax are certainly better than nothing and in many cases will get you in the ballpark. In your case it is a tool to keep you from going too hard during recovery rides and as such it is probably a very good tool for you.

I am saying however, that you can't measure increases in fitness with a zone system based on something like HRMax which never changes. A better way to measure fitness for cycling is lactic threshold based zones. LT is what allows you to go faster and further - fitness - and it can change a lot as fitness improves.

LT based zones may or may not apply to other sports. Running is a perfect example. I have no idea who Eddie Fletcher is or what sports he coaches. I could throw out names like Dr. Edmund Burke and others who clearly see zones based on LT as superior to zones based on HRMax for cycling.

Zones based on %LT for cycling is widely accepted as superior to HRMax zones for cycling. This isn't something I made up.


-Tim-

Lactate threshold applies very much to running. High end running watches will even figure out your LTHR and T-Pace for you while you run. (You don't even have to run a 10k and assume your LTHR happens to be your avg HR for the run, either, you can go out and run as you like and have your LTHR discovered, as long as you cross it a few times.)

I stand corrected. Thanks!

My memory was from a book by Burke which covered a dozen or so sports and I likely have the sports mixed up.

Interesting that they determine LTHR for you now. I've not seen this for the bike but have always tested with a time trial. Do they have this for the bike too, automatic LTHR?