Recovery heart rates are utilized by fitness professionals to gauge exercise intensity and the efficiency of a participant's cardiovascular system. Determining the recovery rate of clients aids the fitness professional in assigning safe and effective intensities for the client. Comparative norms have been established to rate levels of fitness based on age ranging from "excellent" to "very poor." Recording heart rate recovery zones is an effective and repeatable measurement that can monitor cardiovascular progress or improvement.
Function
The purpose of the recovery heart rate zone is to illustrate how fast the heart returns to near pre-activity levels at the succession of exercise. The faster the recovery or return to resting heart rate beats per minute, the more efficient the heart iis said to be working. If there is a slow recovery, meaning the heart rate stays elevated at the conclusion of exercising, then it points to the heart having to work extremely hard to deliver oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. This overexertion could lead to premature decline in heart functioning capabilities.
Application
The process of gauging heart rate zones begins with the measurement of the resting heart rate, or RHR. The RHR is taken after the participant has sat quietly for approximately five minutes. This number is then recorded. Typically, normal RHR range between 60 to 100 bpm. A RHR less than 60 bpm is considered a slow RHR and is termed "bradycardia." Conversely, "tachycardia" describes a fast RHR, which is anything greater than 100 bpm. Upon determining the RHR, the client then begins the predetermined exercise for the designated time. At the end of the activity, the heart rate is again taken for one minute. The bpm at the end of the one minute recovery is the recovery heart rate.
Classifications
Norms comprised by Morrow et al. in a 2000 study categorized recovery heart rate zones distinguished by both age and gender. For men, one minute recovery bpm ranges were: Excellent 70-78 bpm; Good 80-95 bpm; Above average 91-102 bpm; Average 101-104 bpm; Below average 107-114; Poor 118-126 bpm; Very poor 131-164 bpm. For women, in every category, the beats per minute average 5 to 10 beats higher than the men.
Methods
There are two methods used for measuring heart rates. The first is by way of a heart rate monitor. Heart rate monitors include two pieces, a strap that goes around the chest area and a wristwatch. The watch registers the bpm which are detected by the strap around the chest. The other method is via manual palpation, or touching, of the radial pulse--thumb side--of the wrist or the carotid artery at the side of the neck. Heart rate monitors can be expensive, but they alleviate the potential for human error. Some prefer manual palpation for the obvious reason of it being a free alternative to the monitor.
Warning
When incorporating manual techniques to measure one minute recovery, it is imperative that the palpation begin immediately at the conclusion of exercise. The longer the delay in taking a postexercise HR, the more inaccurately the result will reflect the actual exercise HR. In well-trained individuals, the HR can drop by as much as 20 bpm within the first 30 seconds post exercise. The misleading results can cause the fitness professionals to prescribe higher and potentially dangerous target heart ranges for clients. Furthermore, clients who have pre-determined target heart rate ranges during exercise may feel as though they are not working hard enough and begin to overexert themselves. This, also, could lead to cardiovascular complications.
References
- ACSM's Health and Fitness Journal, Monitoring Exercise HR Using Manual Palpation; D. John, G. Sforzo, and T. Svensen; Nov/Oct 2007, Vol. 11:6
- NSCA's Essentials of Personal Training, National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2004
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