Execution:
- Calculate the patient’s maximal heart rate (HRmax) by 220-age in years if not available from a maximal HR test
- Determine the resting heart rate (HRrest), ideally by measuring upon waking up in the morning or by having the patient lie down for 30 minutes with relaxed breathing and without moving or talking
- Determine the intensity in order to calculate your target heart rate (HRtarget)
- Calculate your HRtarget by the following formula:
HRrest + Intensity x (HRmax – HRrest)
The intensity should be chosen according to the desired training goals. Following overview is an example of different training intensities and their possible effect:
| Zone | Intensity | Effect |
| Zone 5:
Anaerobic |
90-100% | Develops Speed:
This is maximum effort. Athletes can & should train in this area for short durations. Lactic acid builds up quickly and muscles are in oxygen debt |
| Zone 4:
Anaerobic threshold |
80-90% | Increases Performance:
At this zone the body fails to remove lactic acid from the muscles at the same rate it is produced. Training in this zone helps increase Anaerobic Threshold and lactate tolerance |
| Zone 3: Aerobic | 70-80% | Improves aerobic fitness:
This zone is the most efficient place to train to increase cardiovascular fitness. Athletes improve capacity to transport oxygenated blood to the muscles and carbon dioxide away |
| Zone 4: Aerobic | 60-70% | Weight Management/Endurance:
This is the so-called “Fat burning zone”* as fat is increasingly metabolized as an energy source at this intensity. Training here is low stress and helps train muscles to better utilize oxygen |
| Zone 5: Aerobic/ Recovery |
50-60% | Improves health & aids recovery:
Training in this zone constitutes very light aerobic or recovery work. The muscles are under a very low level of stress. This zone should be utilized either pre or post race |
*This doesn’t mean that the patient will lose more fat in this training zone as the overall burned calories are the decisive factor and those increase with the chosen intensity
| Study |
Reliability |
Sn | Sp | LR+ |
LR- |
| Karvonen et al. (1988) |
NA |
NA | NA | NA |
NA |
