General Fitness
Howard Johnson's Guide to Training with Heart Rate Zones
by Henry Peacock
NOTE: This article is about a Cyclosport.org reader's experience on heart rate training and how it works specifically to him. Advice and insights may not be applicable to your training, but we thought it'd be interesting to share and see how training can be tailored to Howard's needs and goals. AT
Words by Howard Johnson
When reading through the various websites and forums about training and zones, Howard Johnson was amazed by how so many people do not fully understand or can not translate the huge amount of information on training plans, into a personalised plan of their own. He gives his thoughts on the HR training concept and how it works for him.
From the very start, I must stress I am not a qualified coach or medical professional. I am merely a fully paid up member of the HR Zone fan club; it works for me. If you are new to cycling or coming back from a long lay off, as I was, please visit your doctor for a check up as one of the base lines you need to calculate your training zones is to take your heart rate to maximum. Don't do this alone, have someone with you; it helps for encouragement, and also for safety.
I was lucky, when I was with the Cycling Plus Readers Team we were introduced to TRAINSMART® and we had the opportunity to be tested in order to calculate our HR Zones, VO2 and maximum output power.
There is a rule of thumb for calculating maximum HR, and this is deduct your age from 220. This is a rule of thumb and broad brush calculation, as different people have differing heart rate functions. Have a look at http://www.brianmac.co.uk/maxhr.htm to see some alternative methods, Some people's hearts beat faster than others; some have very slow rates, so this should only be a guide.
As an example, when I did my VO2 max test, I was 45 years old, so 45 from 220 gives 175BPM as my maximum heart rate. My actual maximum was 182BPM, so there is still a good engine in there behind all my fat. Before we started the test, we had to be fasted for 12 hours beforehand. All we could drink was water. Boy was I hungry. The test was carried out on a turbo trainer, and we started out riding at 100Watts for two minutes, and then every two minutes the power had to increase by 20 Watts. It was difficult at first to maintain a constant power because the PowerTap hub was very sensitive and you could easily see if you were stronger with one leg more than the other with your pedalling. You become transfixed in watching the meter and keeping a constant output.
Howie gets tested
It was not long before I peaked at the power I could hold, it was 330 watts and I had to hold this power for a minute, and that is a long time when you're absolutely on the edge. I swear I saw Elvis!
The test over and the chaps at TRAINSMART® produced a very comprehensive report detailing where I burn fat, where my "fat bump" is (this is a technical term and not a snide reference at my beer belly), and the optimum HR range to burn fat as opposed to burning sugars. My fat bump was 115 to 129BPM and I would burn 306Kcal/hour directly from fat. At this time in my return to cycling, my HR would be at 110BPM just putting my socks on, so being asked to ride in this Zone would be difficult, as the tendency is to ride hard, but you need to ride in the zone to burn the fat.
Once all the data had been collated, Joe Beer then devised my training regime, and my HR Zones to work within.
As I had a Garmin 705 it was easy to install these zones into the Garmin, and then download every ride I completed and send to Joe for his feedback.
HR ZONE 1 HR ZONE 2 HR ZONE 3
90 to 145 146 to 165 166 to 185
Now I was under strict instructions; ride in Zone 1. Now that was hard, it was very hard to try and ride in this zone as you felt you were going so slowly. But perseverance prevailed, and within a few weeks I made a lot of progress. Rides where my HR previously was all over the place transformed to the stage where 95% of the ride was in Zone 1. As I progressed in building a base layer of fitness, I found my HR was constantly lower in Zone 1, and I had to work harder to get out of Zone 1. Of course any steep gradient soon had me from Zone 1 and bypassing Zone 2 straightaway into Zone 3, but this was okay. Some Zone 3 work is needed to bring the HR up, and then the test of fitness is to see how quickly you recover back to Zone 1.
As an additional aid to fat burning, I would often ride early in the morning fasted. So it would be up, washed, dressed and out for a 1 or 2 hour ride with no breakfast. I would ride the first 45 minutes without any drinks or gels, and then I would start to take on board energy drinks and gels at the rate of 80g per hour in order to sustain me back home.
If anyone has seen me out on a sportive, often I am riding alone, because I still maintain my Zone 1 riding for the events. Zone 1 can get me from big hill to big hill, and I am recovering and feeding and keeping energy in the bank at Zone 1. Zone 2 is my transition zone; I want to be in here as little as possible, it is wasted energy, it's like sand slipping through your fingers. You can not replace the energy with gels or drinks as quickly as it is being used. Zone 3 hurts, but this is where I am on most climbs. I know I will be here; this is where the muscles burn, this is the big effort. This is the challenge of the climbs. I accept it. But once over the top, I want to get back into Zone 1 for recovery. And by using these principles I have hauled my larger frame around courses where others have given up. I am not the fastest, I never will be, but with the help and guidance from TRAINSMART® and Joe Beer I have a plan that works.
I would like to thank Joe Beer and Dr Giles Croft for their help you can follow Dr Croft on Twitter http://twitter.com/drfrot and Joe Beer at www.jbst.com
9 Comments
Just a point of correct - you do burn fat across all three zones, but you will burn more fat in zone 1.
I'd recommend Carmichael and Rutberg's "Time Crunched Cyclist" as an aid to training for anyone short of time and using a HRM or Power Meter.
Hi Howard,
I'm delighted you managed to stick to your zones and the training programme Joe designed for you. This is proof that by staying in zone 1, you train slower to ride faster. It does take time to build base - but it really does work! Well done and safe miles.
Yes it is through you burn a higher percentage of fat in your "fat burning Zone" but this is a higher percentage of a smaller total number of calories expended per hour. So for example (these are made up numbers to illustrate my point), HR ZONE 1 = 50% fat burnt of 100 calories an hour = 50 calories an hour burnt is fat;HR ZONE 2 = 30% fat burnt of 200 calories an hour = 60 calories an hour burnt is fat; Plus carbs consumed post training will go to replenishing glycogen levels (stored sugar). as opposed to being converted to fat unless of course you consume an excess of carbs which will be converted to stored fat.
Does anyone out there know where I can get a TRAINSMART test like this done in the South Wales / Cardiff area?
Just a point to ensure we speak the right physiological language. You do NOT burn fat once you pass a point called RQ1. That cannot be argued. Bring it on - I have the data (and tons of boos to argue the toss)... This no-more-fat-burn occurs somewhere about 82 up to possibly 90% maximum heart rate. It is highest in zone 1, tapers away in zone 2 and is non existent in zone 3.
Hey wints,
You can get a Trainsmart test from Simon Harling at Elite Fitness http://www.elitefitness.co.uk/ | 029 2055 5272
Regards
Mark
I question where "Coach Joe Beer" advises that there is no fat burn in Zone 3. The simple fact is that, you burn energy significantly quicker in the higher your exertion / power output, and hence heart rate.
Physiologicall speaking, we have broadly four basic thresholds relating to our efforts, 1) Fat threshold, activity below this is low intensity and we burn almost exclusively fat, 2) Carbohydrate adsorption threshold, below this level but above Fat threshold we burn carbohydrate as well as fat but at a rate at which we can still ingest it, this is in the range of 60 to 90g per hour for most people, this prevents us from 3) Lactate Threshold; below this threshold and above the previous threshold the body the body is burning an increased level of carbohydrate whih cannot alone be sustained by ingestion and the boy begins to use up its glycogen stores in muscles and the liver; the bi-produt of burning carbohydrate is lactate, but below the lactate threshold the body can still process and extrete the lactate at last as quickly as it builds up. 4) The final threshold is the VO2 Max, or maximal power output - this is the peak short term sustainable power the body can produce; this will burn very high levels of carbohydrate and will produce massive amounts of lactate very quickly.
It is a myth that the body stops burning fat, it is simply that the amount of fat burnt plateaus at a relatively low intensity level and that carbohydrate becomes more important with less than 20% of energy coming from fat at high intensity levels; just don't lets get confused between the % and the absolute number - 15% of 1500 Kcal/hr is the 225 Kcal/hr, exactly the same as 75% of 300 Kcal/hr.
For any physiology geeks, there is one final cog the ATP system, this provides instant, not sustainable, power and is why we can do something quite heroic for a second or two but cannot continue. When working at very high intensity, our bodies struggle to replenish this system effectively and is why part of why it becomes harder to change intensity upwards when working at high (>Lactate threshold) levels for any period of time. In cycling terms, responding once again to the attack on a hard sustained climb, when several attacks / changes in gradient have already occurred.
I feel compelled to comment on a few misconceptions about what happens to the body and the fuel it uses at different intensities.
The main issue seems to be the belief that one burns fat at high exercise intensities. I've tested approx 6,500 athletes and regular "Joe's" and every single one follows exactly the same pattern as my exercise metabolism and sports physiology books describe:
1. At "low" intensities, the body burns fat as the major source of fuel to convert into ATP. All fuel substrates (Fat, carbs, lactate, proteins are broken down and metabolised to provide ATP > the universal unit of energy).
2. Everyone has an intensity where they burn the optimum amount of fat (as a % of total calories burned) and the maximum amount of fat (Kcal/min)
3. In an untrained individual, this max fat point is at relatively low intensity. Often, they equate this to a 2 or 3/10 RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) i.e. super easy
4. With training, as one becomes more aerobically conditioned, the fat burning point moves higher up the HR. Often, max fat is around 5 to 6/10 RPE.
5. In my own experience, I moved my max fat from 116 bpm to 148 bpm (62% HRmax to 80% HRmax) over 9 months. My fat burning increased from 3.1 Kcal/min to 9.2 Kcal/min - an increase of 300%! I lost 21lb of lard and did not do any extra volume of training.
6. As HR (and intensity) increases, the body is unable to meet the energy requirements quickly enough from metabolising fat, and makes up the deficit by burning CHO
7. At Lactate Threshold (LT), as a general rule, the body approx burns 25-30% fat and 75-80% CHO. This denotes an individual's maximum, sustainable race pace. For runners, this is marathon race pace. For cyclists, a 50m TT would be done approx 5 beats above LT and 100m TT, 5 beats below.
8. As intensity increases, the body generates all ATP from metabolising CHO. There is no fat burned above RQ1, the point where the body goes exclusively anaerobic. This point is often associated with a burning sensation in the working muscles.
A previous post stated the need to recognise the difference between % fat burned and total calories burned. This is correct. However, in all my experience, I have never met anyone burning 1500 Kcal/hour while still remaining aerobic. The highest I have ever seen in the most conditioned athlete is burning 25 Kcal/min (1500 Kcal/hour) at HRmax and VO2max. Most people go completely anaerobic (no fat being burned) at approx 1,000 Kcal/hour and 15% fat occurring around 800 Kcal/hour. .
So to use the same math, 75% of 300 Kcal/hour = 225 Kcal from fat. 15% of 800 Kcal/hour = 120 Kcal from fat. So you still burn way more fat working at a lower intensity than hammering it.
Obviously, there are massive performance benefits from working at high intensity and I prescribe this to all my athletes. However, get the facts right ... base training/aerobic conditioning/fat burning > whatever you want to call it, has a time and a place in everyone's training schedule. Most athlete's spend 75-80% of their time building base and then lay the high intensity, performance training on top of this.
Base training is powerful and provides long-term, deep, lasting fitness. On top of that, it strips off fat and gets you lean. There are conditions, i.e. you must do >5 hours/week for it to be effective and a few others that I won't go into, but don't underestimate the power of base!
Regards
Mark Clarke
www.trainsmart.com
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I agree that it's hard to stay in Zone 1 but it's important especially in Winter to avoid the beer gut and getting ill - i use an old MTB with road tyres (on the road bike I always think I have to look fast) and heart monitor. I just plod away November to March, works wonders as you can ramp up to Zone 2 and 3 quite quickly in April, May but for me sportives have to be almost all Zone 2 & 3 apart from Zone 1 warm up for first 30 to 40 mins.