Why endurance matters for your training zones
Heart rate zones are important to know if we want to train efficiently. Unfortunately it can be difficult to know our true heart rate zones. This is because it remains a challenge to estimate your maximum heart rate in an easy way and because our heart rate zones depend on our endurance. Driftline is able to solve both these problems.
Heart rate training zones are usually determined as a percentage of your maximum heart rate. Too often, we see a one-size-fits-all approach where the training zones are the same percentage for everybody with the maximum heart rate being the only factor that differs from one individual to the next. However, this method does not accurately represent the true heart rate zones, creating inefficiencies in training. In other words, most people are either going too fast or too slow during training which can cause injuries and overtraining.
Maximum heart rate and training zones
It’s noteworthy to point out that elite athletes don’t follow the heart rate zones as a predetermined percentage of their maximum heart rate. Instead, they use lab and lactate measurements to figure out exactly where their heart rate thresholds lie. This is almost never in the predetermined range of 70 to 80 percent of the maximum heart rate. This would provide a 20-beat interval for someone with a maximum heart rate of 200. Elite coaches know that the difference in running at 140 bpm and 160 beats per minute (bpm) is substantial and will not provide the same training stimulus. It is more common for elite athletes to use a three- to five- beat range around their heart rate threshold during training.
Driftline provides accurate heart rate zones
The barriers to the approach elite athletes take are that it’s expensive, demanding for athletes, invasive due to the lactate measurements, and challenging to determine without expert advice. That method is therefore not a viable option for the weekend warrior, casual jogger, or someone that just wants to track their health and fitness.
Training smarter
We should always aim to train as effectively as possible regardless of the current fitness level. This means aiming to receive the maximum benefits possible within the least possible amount of time. To do that, we need to train at the correct intensities. This however can be difficult, as you either need a lab or costly equipment to conduct the measurements necessary to determine your current fitness. This is where Driftline enters to change the game. We aspire to allow everybody to track their fitness in an easy and accessible way. Driftline works with any type of heart rate tracker, and you only need to do a light exercise to receive lab-grade results and an interactive training plan.
Endurance moves your training zones
Driftline offers a new and innovative lens for looking at your heart rate. Our discoveries in heart rate kinetics have allowed us to accurately determine your heart rate training zones even as they change depending on your endurance level, which ranges from 0 to 100 percent.
It’s true that elite distance runners can maintain a high speed and intensity for a longer period of time than the everyday jogger, but until now, the underlying factors have not been well understood. This means that the endurance training pace for an elite runner could be at 75 percent of their maximum heart rate, but for a novice, the same relative intensity would be at 50 percent of their maximum heart rate. Contrastingly, current methods to determine heart rate zones would suggest that both individuals be at 70 percent of their maximum heart rate to achieve the same training effect. With Driftline’s method, both individuals receive a customized training zone so they can maximize their fitness benefits.
Endurance is therefore a key factor in human performance and is extremely important for optimal training. The other factor Driftline has identified is your maximum running speed. Training at the correct intensities is crucial for effective cardiovascular fitness, but using a one-size-fits-all approach to determine heart rate training zones is not efficient. Elite athletes determine their heart rate thresholds through lab and lactate measurements, but this is not a viable option for most people. Driftline has created an innovative way to determine heart rate training zones, which takes into account endurance levels and maximum running speed. Using Driftline's method, individuals receive customized training zones that maximize fitness benefits.
By understanding the importance of endurance for your heart rate zones, you can optimize your cardiovascular fitness and achieve your fitness goals. Driftline's innovative approach to determining heart rate training zones makes it possible for anyone to train at the correct intensities, regardless of their current fitness level. By taking into account endurance levels and maximum running speed, Driftline provides individuals with customized training zones that maximize fitness benefits. Start training smarter today and take your cardiovascular fitness to the next level with Driftline.