Heart-Rate Training Can Make You Faster. Here's How

Most runners gauge their workout intensity by pace: the faster you run, the harder the workout.

- Ashley Mateo

POLAR VANTAGE V

R8 699 Nine heart rate tracking sensors measure blood flow with LED lights to increase accuracy and reduce unreliable readings.

Seldom do you hear someone ask what heart rate zone you’re in, even if you’re clearly wearing the latest heart monitor or activity-tracking tech? But with heart-rate data more accessible than ever (think wrist-based devices, and treadmill training software), more runners are tuning into those numbers and wondering how they can enhance their performance.

That data can be a smart technique to guide your intensity during training and work your various energy systems depending on your goal, says Heather Milton, an exercise physiologist and clinical specialist at the New York University Langone Health Sports Performance Centre.

“Heart-rate training really helps make your easy workouts easier and your hard workouts harder, and ensures that you’re actually working out at the correct intensity for your goal,” says Becca Capell, certified personal trainer and senior product manager at iFit.

What Exactly Is Heart-Rate Training?

Heart-rate training uses – surprise – your heart rate, measured in beats per minute (bpm) or as a percentage of your maximum heart rate (MHR), as a guide for intensity. “Using that individual heart rate, you create specific training zones that help determine your intensity for a given workout,” explains Capell. So instead of training by pace, you use personalized zones and a heart-rate monitor to ensure your cardiorespiratory system is working at a specific effort for a set amount of time.