Heart Rate Monitors

Before heart rate monitors where invented riders had to either take their own pulse while training, which is difficult and very inaccurate or they had to train on feelings alone, this not a bad thing, but is still not very scientific.

The use of monitors has made training easier and more exact; you can now train more specifically for top end performance, weight loss or general fitness with heart rate zones. Their use have revolutionized training methods.

Heart Rate Monitor Use

There are many HRM’s on the market and they have different functions, the most expensive have more functions than you will ever need, too much information isn’t always helpful and can confuse things, the simple information of the heart rate can tell you everything you need to know, this combined with speed (or pedal revs), steepness of climb (or power) combined with time and distance you will know if you are training properly or just going through the motions.

These are the main functions for when you are actually riding; a heart rate monitor can tell many things when you are at rest.

You can test your fitness level first thing in the morning, a normal heart rate is around 72 beats per minute, trained athletes can have a resting heart rate much lower than this with possible heart rates of as low as 36 beats per minute, in a normal person this would be considered life threatening, but for a strong rider this would show that they were training well and were healthy.

Taking your pulse every morning is a great guide to your health, if you average heart rate is 65 bpm and then shoots up to 75 bpm, then there something wrong, possibly you are tired or over trained and it could be telling you that you have a cold or picked up a virus, this can give you a warning and prevent you from getting sicker and recover sooner.

When you are riding the heart rate monitor read-out can tell you more than just if you are training properly, it can also warn you of tiredness and illness. When your pulse goes higher than normal or it will not recover as quickly as normal then it is probably time to go home and rest up or go to the doctor and find out if you are run down or suffering from an infection or lacking in a mineral or vitamin.

How to Heart Rate Training

There are a few methods of heart rate training, but it depends on what you want to achieve, this is where training zones come into play, but first you must know what your maximum heart rate is.

Heart Rate Zones

• The simple method is to subtract your age from 220; this is a very rough method of finding your MHR (Maximum Heart Rate) and is very approximate.

• The most accurate method is to go to a sports doctor or clinic and have the proper tests which will give you more information to help you in your training.

• The third method you can do with the help of a friend, after a good warm-up, pick a long steady climb and ride up it in as big a gear as you can manage whilst sitting down. You must do this to the point of exhaustion, 100% effort, until you nearly black-out and collapse, this is why you need a friend with you incase you have a problem. The safest method is in the laboratory, especially if it is connected to a hospital!

So now you know your maximum heart rate, if you want to improve speed then you need to be training at over 90% of MHR, this will be done with either flat out sprints or on short climbs, lasting around 15 to 20 seconds, this is anaerobic training.

The first few efforts may not take you over the 90%, but as you do more it will rise. In the recovery faze you should wait until your heart has returned to around 65% of MHR before starting the next repetition, if it does not return then it is time to have a cooling down ride and go home.

If you want to be training for longer distances at a good speed and effort then you should be doing a normal ride at between 70% and 85% of MHR, this is aerobic training. If you are riding at this level you will be training your body and will improve general fitness strength and to some extent speed. This training is for those rides that will be over 3 hours in duration, if you have found the time to be able to do a long ride then you need to make it worth while, if you are not training at this level then you are only fooling yourself, less effort and you are wasting precious time, up to a point.

You can train at that lower level, it wont give you speed and it might build up some strength, but it will burn fat. There are many coaches and doctors that will tell you to train at below 65%, but above 50% to burn fat and lose weight. They believe that at this level you burn more fat than at the higher levels which brakes down the muscle to rebuild strength. At under 65% you will also be on a recovery ride if you are tired or just wanting to go for a bike ride to clear your head.

Which Heart Rate Monitor?

There are many HRM’s to choose from, probably the most popular are Polar heart rate monitors which are the leader in the market. If you want a heart rate monitor that also gives you speed, distance, altitude, time, stop watch and a pile of other things then Polar manufacture many HRM’s that will fit the bill with accuracy.

Of the other makers; Ciclo Sport and Cardio Sport are cycling friendly and have bike functions included which saves you having more than one unit on your handlebars. If you only want pulse information then there are too many to choose from.

All of the above make these and you can add to that Timex, Mio, Reebok and Nike who also have pulse monitors aimed more at the keen runner, but if you want pulse only or don’t want to spend much money then these could suit your pocket as well as your HRM needs.

Fairly new on the market now is cycle computers with GPS, these combine exact positioning for your bike functions with a heart rate monitor, so you have lots of modern technology and all the information at your finger tips. Garmin are the best known manufacturer at the moment, but there will be more soon as this seems to be the way the market is heading.

Heart Rate Monitors, Do We Need Them?

The answer is yes, if you want to train more efficiently and effectively they you need to know what your body is doing and if you are pushing it far enough and improving or not doing the proper training and stagnating or worse going backwards.

A pulse monitor can tell you if you are tired or sick, if you make a heart rate chart you can follow your progress and if all is going well then your average resting heart rate should fall giving you a steady low heart rate, any sudden rising of your pulse is a warning sign and time to rest or see a medical expert if your pulse doesn’t return to its normal resting rate within a few days. Pulse monitors are a must and combined with a power monitor you would know exactly which way your training is going.