A swimming leg is part of a triathlon.
Triathlons are a trio of sports combined for one long endurance event. Athletes swim anywhere from 500 yards to 1.5 miles, bike for several miles and then finish off with a run of a few kilometers up to a full marathon distance of 26.2 miles. Triathlon training is challenging, and monitoring the heart rate is a helpful tool for successful training.
The duration, intensity, frequency and volume of exercise are the four things that affect training, racing and recovery in the triathlon. Understanding the different target heart rate (THR) zones will help you to train for and triathlon and recover more efficiently. The zones are different for each of the three phases of the event.
Aerobic and Anaerobic
There are two primary target heart rate zones that athletes need to consider while training: aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic (without oxygen). Aerobic exercise is done while the body fuels itself with a consistent flow of air, and it uses carbohydrate and fat stores in the body. Anaerobic exercise is short and harder in effort; it requires immediate energy and air sources. Aerobic exercise would be a long walk, and anaerobic exercise would be a 100-meter sprint.
Karvonen Heart Rate
The Karvonen Heart Rate formula is a very accurate way to estimate THR zones. It includes your resting heart rate as well as your maximum heart rate. A low resting heart rate is a reliable indication of fitness.
To figure your aerobic THR zone, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends a 60 to 75 percent intensity of your maximum heart rate minus your resting heart rate (RHR). Calculate your heart rate zones by subtracting your age and your RHR from 220. Then multiply that number by 60 o 75 percent. Then take that number and add it to your RHR to predict your heart rate.
BORG Scale of Exertion
The BORG Scale of Exertion is another tool to determine how hard an athlete is working. It is used most often during exercise, when the athlete does not have the time to stop and monitor HR zones. It is also used when an athlete is not feeling well, or getting accustomed to altitude, humidity or extreme temperatures. BORG is a simple rating system of 1-20 with the mid ranges of 11-14 being light exertion and the high ends being very very hard exercise. A triathlete would want to perceive their level of effort to be in the range of 12-15 to be within the aerobic THR and over those numbers for anaerobic activity.
Heart Rate Monitor
Bike training.
Using a heart rate monitor keeps track of training zones. Most models have a strap that goes around the chest and a wrist device that displays the numbers. An athlete can easily check the monitor while training to determine whether he or she is working hard enough or too hard to achieve training goals for that workout.
Swimming Biking and Running
Changing from swimming to biking.
The three different sports of triathlon offer different THR zones. Swimming has a lower zone because of the water pressure slightly lowering the heart rate of the swimmer. Biking has a zone similar to running but is a bit higher. An athlete needs to figure out THR is for each activity and plan workouts accordingly. This can be done using both the Karvonen method and the BORG rating system.
Tags: heart rate, heart rate, heart rate zones, resting heart, resting heart rate