Heart Rate Guided Training for Endurance Athletes Darrin Bright, MD MAX Sports Medicine Institute

Overview Epidemiology Training Zones Physiology Performance Training

Epidemiology 50,000,000 adult runners in US 720 Marathons Columbus 16 th Largest 518,000 Marathon Finishers in % increase from 2010 (9.9% in 2009 & 8.6% in 2010) 59% Male 41% Female Gender Difference Male average age 39.6 (4:15:54 average time) Female average age 36.0 (4:40:53 average time)

Training Zones Zone 1: Active Recovery Easy aerobic activity Zone 2: Aerobic Long Slow Distance Zone 3: Tempo Comfortably hard Zone 4: Interval Introducing anaerobic intensity Zone 5: Maximum Capacity High anaerobic

Training Zones Most endurance athletes spend nearly all training workouts in upper zone 3 Training never, never land Not hard enough to become race fit Not easy enough to recover and rid body of fatigue

Train Smarter … Not Harder What is your GOAL? Over-training Prevent Injury Maximize Performance Determine Training Pace Perceived exertion Percentage of targeted race pace Heart Rate Zones

Maximum Heart Rate MHR Determined by: Genetics Age NOT fitness level Calculated by: VO2 max testing

Maximum Heart Rate Estimated by: Straight Estimate % (220-age) Conservative Example: 70% of 200 bpm = 140 bpm Karvonen formula RHR + % (MHR-RHR) More aggressive Example: 60 bpm + 70% (200-60) = 158 bpm

VO 2max Testing Measure Individual Exercise Physiology Determine Maximum HR Prescribe Accurate Training Zones Maximize Performance

Endurance Physiology Key Parameters of Aerobic Fitness Maximal Oxygen Uptake (VO 2ma x ) Running Economy Lactate Threshold

Maximal Oxygen Uptake - VO 2max Defined Maximum amount of oxygen consumed by the body during one minute of exercise Maximum ability to deliver oxygen from the air to the exercising muscles

Maximal Oxygen Uptake - VO 2max Determinants of Maximal Oxygen Uptake Cardiac Output Oxygen Carrying Capacity Skeletal Muscle Mass & Oxygen Utilization

Maximal Oxygen Uptake - VO 2max Cardiac Output Stroke Volume X Heart Rate Adaptations of Training Increased Cardiac Output Increased Plasma Volume Increased Stroke Volume Maximal Heart Rate Unchanged Runner’s Bradycardia

Maximal Oxygen Uptake - VO 2max Oxygen Carrying Capacity Red Blood Cells Hemoglobin Erythropoietin Extraction

Maximal Oxygen Uptake - VO 2max Skeletal Muscle Mass & Oxygen Utilization Aerobic enzyme activity Free fatty acid metabolism Capillary density

Running Economy Defined Oxygen uptake required by a given exercise intensity Considerable variability among athletes

Running Economy Affects of Training on Running Economy Higher values seen with Typical / Comfortable pace Older more experienced runners Higher weekly miles Improvements take time in trained athletes

Running Economy Methods for Improving Varying training pace Resistance Training Improve technique Possibly improve elasticity / flexibility

Lactate Threshold (LT) Defined Exercise intensity at which blood lactate levels increase above resting levels. Specific to exercise task

Lactate Threshold

Training at LT allows high intensity stimulus without lactate accumulation that decreases training duration

Sources of Energy ATP is the Energy Three Source of ATP Creatine Phosphate Anaerobic Glycolysis Oxidative Phosphorylation

Energy Metabolism Creatine Phosphate Minimal Amounts Stored in Cell Very Rapid Reaction Short Bursts of Speed or Power (10 seconds or less)

Energy Metabolism Anaerobic Glycolysis Utilizes local glycogen stores Supplies energy for 1-3 minutes Lactic Acid is formed as byproduct

Energy Metabolism Oxidative Phosphorylation Utilizes Glucose and Free Fatty Acids Exercise greater than 1 minute

Energy Source Based on Distance

Take Home Points Train Smarter…Not Harder! Determine your unique physiology Commit to HR based training

Thank You