If your heart rate is a certain value when doing a specific effort, say it’s 150 on a certain climb in a specific gear, cadence and speed, if you get fitter, is your heart rate usually lower doing the same ride scenario ? i.e same climb, same gear, same cadence, same speed.

I know it will feel easier and the rider will be less out of breath etc, but does HR actually reduce ?

Brother in law has been practicing maffetone method for about 7 months now (180 minus your age, this is the hr you base train at).

He had to really slow his running down to keep at 136, about 8.15 min per mile. 7 months later he’s at 7 min per mile.

That’s useful to know, appreciated !

When at peak fitness I ride at 140 bpm for 200 watts#. When less fit it’s 145 bpm. When very unfit or ill it will be 150 bpm. So yes. Fitness Gains show by increased transport efficiency, increased blood volume and lower HR for same effort. Size is a predictor of HR for power. Bigger heart means bigger stroke volume and lower bpm. Compared to Alex Dowsett who publishes his power and HR on Strava, I’m a mouse!

EDIT btw climbing is not really a good measure as you will be beat and extreme effort. Better for middle of the road efforts. I time myself over a closed circuit at 200 watts. I also do time trials to look at the same effects. You need a reasonable steady Zone 2 course to time yourself over if you don’t have a power meter. Ride to HR and measure time or ride to power and measure HR.

#calibrated power meter watts.

Thanks TiRed

Yep, you will produce more power at the same HR.

Here are my test results showing the effect of one season base training on my blood lactate and HR (sat on a watt bike on a ramp test, where the watts go up every few minutes and they take blood from your earlobe at the end of each level).

You can see that for a given power, my HR and blood lactate have dropped as I was fitter.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2gHZ4xE]Lactate test results[/url] by Ben Freeman, on Flickr

Brother in law has been practicing maffetone method for about 7 months now (180 minus your age, this is the hr you base train at).

Given your max HR by age can vary by +/-30 per person any formula based on age for working out training levels is going to be very hit and miss. You’d be better off deriving it based on HR you can maintain for a given effort; either power if you have a power meter of constant speed on a flat course as an approximation. Blood lactate test would be the best method.

Are you still stalking my HR on Strava Iain?

Given your max HR by age can vary by +/-30 per person any formula based on age for working out training levels is going to be very hit and miss

Aye, agree, but his gains are not insignificant.

Aye, agree, but his gains are not insignificant.

Possibly more by luck than science though…

If you want to train based on HR zones, it’s fairly easy to figure out your max, just find a big long hill and attack it far too quick and keep trying till you literally fall off your bike as you’re run out of gas. Assuming you really gave it everything you’ll have found your max HR close enough. If you just give up when it gets a bit tough then you could be miles off. Hanging on for dear life with a chain gain of Cat 1 / Elite riders is another strategy…

Ah,science,that old chestnut.

yes it will – what changes is “stroke volume” ie the amount of blood pumped with each beat – so you get more blood flow per beat. Simply because your heart is a muscle and also gets fitter and the chambers get larger