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Heartrate zones based on Lactate Treshold vs Max. Heartrate

sseddie
over 5 years ago

On the Garmin 645 and also in the Garmin Connect app it's possible to setup the heartrate zones based on the Max. Heartrate (default) or the Lactate Treshold.

I don't know my exact max. heartrate, I'm just using one of the popular formulas. But I've got a Lactate Treshold in BPM which has been computed automatically by the Garmin 645.

What's the better option for the heartrate zones definition now - by Max. HR or Lactate Treshold?

  • 0 over 5 years ago

    All of the popular formulas are based on statistics, of varying accuracy and we're all varying degrees away from average.  Therefore, in theory, the lactate threshold should be better, because even if it too is based on statistics it's to a lesser extent. . Be aware some people have said it needs several attempts before it gets to know you and the figure stabilises. 

  • 0 over 5 years ago

    To give you an idea how far off the typical formula can be, 220 - my_age = 181, which is just a few beats higher than my 645-detected LTHR of 177 or so. I routinely see measurements above that, up to 196 bpm with a chest strap. (So, I would be off by up to 2 zones if I used that formula!) If you want to try to detect your max, the standard field test (easily found with a Google search) is a series of steadily faster hill repeats. But LTHR is generally regarded as better, and because it can be trained, you should let your watch automatically detect it, or perform the LTHR Guided Test every few months.

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to Roedema

    Thanks for your answers. So I'll stay with the HR zone calculation based on the Lactate Treshold.