Understanding Heart Rate Training

Q: What is Max Heart Rate?
Maximum heart rate is the highest heart rate an individual can safely achieve through exercise stress.

Q: How does Myzone calculate my MAX heart rate?
Myzone uses the HUNT formula (2013) as we have found that this is the most accurate maximum Heart Rate calculation for the mass population:

Max HR = 211 – (0.64 x age)

This is based on population norms. If you are able to push your maximum HR past this limit and hold the change for 30 seconds, your Myzone profile will automatically adjust to this new limit. You can also ask your coach/trainer/teacher to adjust your maximum heart rate if it does not appear to be accurate or if you have completed a maximum heart rate test.

Q: Will my MAX heart rate change over time?
Your maximum heart rate will reduce as you get older. It will not change aside from this although your ability to maintain a higher heart rate will increase with training.

Q: What is resting heart rate and will my resting heart rate change over time?
Resting heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute at rest. It is best to measure this first thing in the morning. As you become fitter, your resting heart rate will reduce as your heart becomes more efficient. Resting heart rate is not used in the calculation of MEPs for any information on your tile. It is only for informational purposes.

Q: How does Myzone establish my resting heart rate?
Myzone sets your resting heart rate to 100bpm (beats per minute) as standard. When you first register your belt it is recommended that you perform a resting heart rate test. This involves sitting or lying comfortably while wearing your belt for 10 minutes, ideally in the morning. When you next upload your data at the Myzone Console your resting heart rate will recalculate to your actual resting value. You can also ask your coach/trainer/teacher to adjust your resting heart rate if it does not appear to be accurate or if you have completed a resting heart rate test.

Q: How does Myzone calculate the 5 intensity Zones?
Myzone uses five color-coded Heart Rate Zones to establish the effort that users exert based on their maximum heart rate (Max HR). The effort is expressed as a percentage of the user’s Max HR.
The five Heart Rate Zones are:
• Grey = 50% to 59% of Max HR
• Blue = 60% to 69% of Max HR
• Green = 70% to 79% of Max HR
• Yellow = 80% to 89% of Max HR
• Red = 90% to 100% of Max HR

Q: What are Myzone Effort Points (MEPs)?
Myzone Effort Points (MEPs) are earned based on the effort exerted by the user. Time spent in each Heart Rate Zone earns different numbers of MEPs:

• Grey = 1 MEPs per minute
• Blue = 2 MEPs per minute
• Green = 3 MEPs per minute
• Yellow = 4 MEPs per minute
• Red = 4 MEPs per minute

The red zone does not exceed 4 MEPs per minute because Myzone does not want to encourage overtraining, which can be harmful.

Q: How does Myzone calculate caloric expenditure?
Myzone calculates the number of calories burnt by taking into account a number of personal details including your gender, age, weight, and every heartbeat.

Q: Is it important for me to update my body metrics regularly?
Yes. As calories burnt are calculated based on your weight, it is important that you regularly update your weight. You can do this either manually in your Outcomes Page or by using Approved compatible Myzone scales. For more information on using Myzone compatible scales, see the “more info tab” within your account under health report.

Q: What’s the best way to determine if my fitness has improved using heart rate?
By measuring your resting heart rate over a period of time or by repeating an identical exercise session and comparing your average heart rate in your Myzone Activity report. When your resting or average heart rate goes down, your heart is becoming more efficient and therefore you are increasing your level of fitness.

Q: What affects my heart rate response day to day?
Many factors affect your resting and heart rate during exercise including the amount of sleep you have had, stress, nutrition, hydration, heavy training, fatigue, adrenaline, competition, and mental focus.

Q: Why is it so important to monitor heart rate and how much effort I am putting in?
Knowing what intensity you are working at is essential to ensure you get the most from your exercise sessions and get the results you want. It also assists you to train safely and effectively when not under the guidance of a trainer or coach.