You can use our Heart Rate Zones Calculator for cycling to calculate your maximum heart rate beat per minute. You can either use your Lactate Threshold Heart Rate or Maximum Heart Rate for the calculation. Once you provide the appropriate heart rate value to our heart rate power ftp calculator, press the calculate button, and it will calculate your Heart rate for different training zones.
What is the Maximum Heart Rate in cycling?
Maximum Heart Rate is just what it means; it is the maximum number of times your heart can beat per minute. Usually, your heart beats at this rate when you are doing extremely hard or even brutal physical exercises.
The best way to measure your maximum HR is to do a maximum test while riding; it is very similar to an FTP Calculator by age, just more intense. You start riding, usually on a turbo trainer or a stationary bike. You start slow and then gradually increase the intensity of training until you reach your Maximum.
At that time, make an all-out sprint for as long as you can and keep doing it until you faint. Another way to calculate your Maximum HR is by using a general formula of 220 – age. This method is easy compared to a brutal test, but unfortunately, it can be inaccurate.
Everyone has different physical conditions, even when they are the same age, so you need to use heart rate power ftp calculator to determine your true Maximum Heart rate. Your actual MHR is usually slightly lower or higher than the general MHR.
Your Maximum Heart Rate doesn’t mean your heart can’t go any faster than this. It can, but that only happens during extreme situations, and there are consequences when it happens. Your heart can temporarily or permanently lose the ability to pump blood efficiently or stop altogether.
What is the Lactate Threshold Heart Rate in cycling?
Lactate Threshold Heart Rate is the heart rate at which your body starts producing lactate acid faster than it can clear; this extra acid makes your blood acidic. You can only pass this limit for short periods of time; extended training over LTHR can rapidly deplete your endurance.
To determine your LTHR, you need to do a test; this trial lasts 30 minutes. You should ride as quickly as you can throughout that time. Don’t hold back because of sweat, hard breathing, and nose pouring; take no breaks and paddle for 30 minutes straight.
Do not take this test in places where you have to go uphill or downhill; instead, find a flat deserted track with as little traffic as possible. Take this test alone because the results will most likely change if you go with a training partner.
When you finish the test, take the average heart rate from the past 20 minutes; This is your LTHR value.
What are the Heart Rate Training Zones for Cycling?
Usually, We calculate MHR and Lactate THR to train ourselves more accurately during different training zones. The commonly used training zones in cycling are as follows:
Zone 1: Active Recovery
Intensity: 50 – 60% of Max HR or lower than 81% of LTHR
Active Recovery in cycling is also called “Easy spinning” or “light pedal pressure.” It is a very low-level exercise that doesn’t help much in physical training and strengthening. It requires no concentration to maintain this pace and produces almost zero fatigue; you can even converse with your fellow riders comfortably.
This training zone is usually used for active Recovery after strenuous exercise days.
Zone 2: Aerobic Endurance
Intensity: 65 – 75% of Max HR or 81 – 89% of LTHR
This should be the basis of your training and most of your exercises if you’re a novice cyclist. It’s where you’ll develop your foundation and burn fat, and it should be an intensity you can easily keep for a lengthy amount of time.
Although breathing in this zone is more regular than at Active Recovery, a sustained discussion is still feasible. Numerous moderate-duration training sessions at this zone are achievable if your carbohydrate intake is adequate. But full Recovery from a very long training session in this zone may take more than 24 hours.
Zone 3: Tempo
Intensity: 83 – 87% Max HR or 90 – 93% LTHR
This exercise enhances aerobic fitness, blood circulation, power, and strength and is frequently combined with Aerobic Endurance training. We can describe this training as “comfortably hard.” You’re working, it’s hard, but you can keep going.
Maintaining this zone requires focus, concentration, and deeper and more rhythmic breathing than zone 2. Any sort of communication becomes somewhat halting but not as tough as at zone 4.
Recovery from zone 3 workouts is more difficult than Recovery from zone 2 workouts. But successive days of zone 3 training are still doable if the length of training sessions is not excessive and the dietary carbohydrate intake is acceptable.
Zone 4: Lactate Threshold
Intensity: 84 – 94% Max HR or 94 – 99% LTHR
This sort of exercise, also known as anaerobic threshold training, boosts peak performance capacity and improves lung capacity and high-speed endurance. Nevertheless, because this sort of training is difficult to sustain for long periods of time, it is best to use it in intervals with times of active Recovery in between.
Due to the depth and frequency of breathing, it is difficult to have a continuous conversation in this zone. Sustained activity at this level is mentally demanding; that’s why most athletes undertake this training as multiple repeats, modules, or blocks of 10-30 minutes duration.
Consecutive days of level 4 training are achievable, but you can only do so when you have had enough rest to recover from previous training sessions.
Zone 5: +VO2 Max
Intensity: 95 – 98% Max HR or greater than 99% of LTHR
This is the zone when you are at or over VO2 Max (VO2 max = maximum oxygen intake your body can handle). This is one of the most rigorous forms of exercise, and it requires a sustained effort of 3 to 8 minutes.
When you pedal your bike ahead, your legs will burn, and you’ll be gasping for oxygen. While this sort of ride is incredibly hard, it helps teach your heart to swiftly deliver blood to where it is required in your body, making you a more effective rider and racer at high intensities.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can you remain at Maximum Heart Rate?
Exercising at your Max HR is extremely taxing, and your body can only handle this intensity for a limited period of time. This limit depends on your physical fitness and age, so it is different for everyone, but usually, it is between 10 seconds to 1 minute.
Why is MHR important?
Max HR is important because it tells you your limit, and you can use it to fine-tune training zones to get the best effect.
What is a healthy Lactate Threshold value?
The Lactate Threshold of most experienced athletes is usually around 90% of their Maximum Heart Rate. And for most inexperienced cyclists, their LTHR is somewhere below 90% of their Max HR.s