Related
Options

How do heart rate zones change with auto detect settings?

rc99
over 1 year ago

I use heart rate zones for my running training. And I use % lactate threshold as my calculation.

This normally works well. I set my zones on my Epix 2 to be

Zone 1 = 75-79% of lactate threshold

Zone 2 = 80-89% etc etc

I had assumed that when my watch autodetects a new lactate threshold result then all my heart rate zones would simple ‘recalculate’. E.g. if it moved from 165 to 169 then the heart rate zones would stay the same as 75-79% and the beats per minute would adjust correspondingly. On my old Fenix 6 Solar I could have sworn that’s now it worked; that the % ranges would stay the same and the beats to minute change based on the lactate threshold number.


Having moved to the Epix 2 I’m finding that when the lactate threshold number changes, then the % ranges I’ve input change to hold the beats per minute at the same rate as before. So for example, when lactate threshold changes from 165 to 169 then the percentages of my zones would change to something like 71-76% and 77-85%.  This makes no sense to me. If I’m selecting zones based on a specific % range, why is it that the %’s are changing.

Like I say, I don’t recall my Fenix 6 working this way. Am I missing something about how the zones are setup and calculated and adjusted when my lactate threshold is auto detected and changed.

Thanks all, this is slightly frustrating and leading me to question my watches zones for my zone training.  Also can anyone confirm if the Fenix 6 works a different way. I no longer own it to check. 

Thanks all. 

Top Replies

  • over 1 year ago +2 suggested
    rc99 said:
    Having moved to the Epix 2 I’m finding that when the lactate threshold number changes, then the % ranges I’ve input change to hold the beats per minute at the same rate as before. So for example…

All Replies

  • +1 over 1 year ago
    rc99 said:
    Having moved to the Epix 2 I’m finding that when the lactate threshold number changes, then the % ranges I’ve input change to hold the beats per minute at the same rate as before. So for example, when lactate threshold changes from 165 to 169 then the percentages of my zones would change to something like 71-76% and 77-85%.  This makes no sense to me.

    There is a bug by which the % used for heart rate zone definition are messed up when a new auto-detection happens.

    The case is often when there is a new max HR detected and the zones are LTHR based. It is possible that your case (detection of LTHR) have the same impact.

    The only workaround is to reset the zones on the watch and double check that the % are back to default.

    Note: I have my zones based on HRR and the % stay correct when max HR or LTHR is changed after auto-detection.

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to Etupes25

    Thanks. This is helpful. Do you thing your zones stay correct with HRR because that calculation isn’t influenced by the auto detect of Max HR and/or LTHR?

    Sounds like I have to live with this ‘bug’ if that’s the way it’s working in practice. I could have sworn it didn’t work this way before. 

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to rc99
    rc99 said:
    Do you thing your zones stay correct with HRR because that calculation isn’t influenced by the auto detect of Max HR and/or LTHR?

    De facto yes, but I think this is just because the bug is not present in that case, so not for "good" reasons. From what I read on this forum, the bug is mainly (only?) seen when the user uses LTHR zones. HRR uses Rest HR and Max HR so I would guess it could vulnerable to the bug if the bug was there when the user uses Max HR zones only. But who knows? Hard to guess where/why/how the bug is showing up.

  • 0 5 months ago in reply to Etupes25

    I.

    Do I remember well that LTHR does not have any influence on any of the Firstbeat measures, because it is HRmax apart from HRV, of course) which is the base of all of the heart rate based calculations and training classifications (base, tempo etc.) ?

    I deem that if I remember well and I do not explicitly use all the HR zones for my trainings then it is not important at all what zones are set for running, for cycling and for  general use.

    II.

    My way of using HR is

    A) having an "as accurate as it can be" HRmax for running and cycling, respectively, 

    B) remembering LTHRrun and LTHRcycling, and use them as a sort of training compasses for running and cycling, respectively,

    C) I use 64% and 77% of HRmax as intensitiy minutes thresholds, so I set Z1 and Z2 to mirror these thresholds,

    D) and I do not care what are the thresholds for Z3, Z4 and Z5.

    Is there any side effect of not caring with zones more like I detailed in point C)?

  • 0 5 months ago in reply to Etupes25

    Well , it seems that I found a good reference :-), which underpins the correctness of my memory, or at least part of it: forums.garmin.com/.../1782833