![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.ultrahuman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/zone2-health-endurance-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nHighlights<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n- Some athletes measure their exertion across a scale of 3 zones, some use a scale of 5, while some even go up to 10<\/em>,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Through long-term aerobic training, your heart can improve its ability to pump more blood per beat (cardiac output), and the blood vessels surrounding your muscles can increase in size (vasodilation)<\/em>,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Metabolic flexibility is the body\u2019s ability to process fuel from either source of energy\u2014fat or glucose<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
What are heart rate zones?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Heart rate zones are percentage intervals of your maximum heart rate. These zones, or intervals, are used to determine your exertion during a workout. Too high a heart rate? You\u2019re probably in a higher zone. Is heart rate too low? You\u2019re likely in a lower zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How many zones are there?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It varies. Some athletes measure their exertion across a scale of 3 zones, some use a scale of 5, while some even go up to 10. The higher the number of zones, the more granular the measurements. While many factors besides an athlete\u2019s experience affect the chosen scale, it is popular to go with the scale of 5. It is specific enough to let you feel the difference when you switch between zones, but not too specific that it diverts your focus from the workout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Heart rate is measured in BPM <\/em>(beats per minute). To determine our heart rate zones, we first start by measuring our \u2018maximum\u2019 heart rate (HRmax). The most accurate way to do this is through laboratory testing, but you could also get an estimate with either an exercise, or a formula.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA popular formula supported by the HUNT Fitness Study for men:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n HRmax = [211] – (0.64)*(age)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nSo, for a man aged 32, who has no history of heart disease and isn\u2019t on any heart medications, the maximum heart rate will be calculated in the following manner: HRmax = [211 – (0.64)*(32)] = 191 BPM<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nTraditional formulae like the one above have proven to overestimate HRmax in women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The following formula, based on a women-specific study conducted by Dr Martha Gulati,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A popular formula supported by the HUNT Fitness Study for women:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n HRmax = [206] – (0.88)*(age)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nSo, for a woman aged 32, who has no history of heart disease and isn\u2019t on any heart medications, the maximum heart rate will be calculated in the following manner: HRmax = [206 – (0.88)*(32)] = 178 BPM<\/em>. Once you have your HRmax, you can start creating your zones. Here are the percentage intervals for each of the 5 zones, based on the above HRmax example of a 32-year-old man:<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.ultrahuman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/zone2-training-chart-1-1024x388.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nDuring your workouts, your body can experience heart rates that hit all of these five zones\u2014some even more than once. These zones are named by different colours like blue, green, yellow, orange and red heat rate zone colours<\/em><\/a>. But you don\u2019t always need a heart monitor to notice this. Generally speaking, you can apply the \u2018talk test\u2019 to measure the relative intensity between zones. A talk test lets you know if you\u2019re exercising easy or hard without any equipment. If you can sing during your workout, you\u2019re going too easy, and if you can barely say a word, you\u2019re going too hard. The higher you go up the scale, the harder it will be to speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBreakdown of the Zone Types<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.ultrahuman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/health-endurance-zone2.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nEach zone plays an important role in your fitness. The term \u2018aerobic\u2019 means \u2018with oxygen, and the term \u2018anaerobic\u2019 means \u2018without oxygen\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Zones 1 – 3 rely more on aerobic energy systems.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Zones 3 – 5 rely more on the anaerobic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Through long-term aerobic training, your heart can improve its ability to pump more blood per beat (cardiac output), and the blood vessels surrounding your muscles can increase in size (vasodilation). These cardiac benefits go a long way towards improving your performance and longevity. Anaerobic zones, on the other hand, help your body increase muscle mass, improve strength, and process lactic acid. Lactic acid is the byproduct of strenuous anaerobic activity and contributes to the feeling of soreness after a workout. Each of these benefits depends on your body\u2019s fitness as a whole, and can be targeted through zone training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A general idea of the activities you can do in the 5 Zones<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nHeart Rate Zone 1<\/strong>
Where you do your warm-up routine or cool down during interval training. It’s a great zone for getting your heart rate up through dynamic stretches before a workout.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHeart Rate Zone 2<\/strong>
Where most of your energy needs are coming from fat. Low-intensity workouts like light jogging or exercises using low-resistance bands fit well in this zone and help you build a strong aerobic base to recover from.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHeart Rate Zone 3<\/strong>
Where you might first start to break a sweat and feel the intensity of your exercise, without feeling the pain. The tendency to overtrain in this relatively comfortable and \u2018rewarding\u2019 area is the main reason why some trainers recommend skipping this zone\u2014though, when practised in moderation it can provide aerobic benefits like an increase in cardiac output and in the size of your blood vessels.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHeart Rate Zone 4<\/strong>
The anaerobic zone, where your breathing can become laboured and you begin to feel the \u2018burn\u2019 from your exercise. Most of your energy needs are coming from the breakdown of carbohydrates, which releases lactic acid into your bloodstream. Zone 4 exercises include high-intensity training like boxing, medicine-ball slams and heavy weightlifting.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHeart Rate Zone 5<\/strong>
Where you go all out. You will usually last in this zone for about 15\u201360 seconds at a time, and the majority of your energy will be derived from fast-burning carbohydrates or simple carbs. Exercising in Zones 4 and 5 can be very stressful for the body, but it can also help improve your body\u2019s lactate threshold (i.e. improving the rate at which your body processes lactic acid)<\/p>\n\n\n\nRemember, a heart rate zone is just a percentage interval of one\u2019s maximum heart rate. So, no matter how many zones your workout buddy or your favourite athlete uses, just knowing the percentage interval of their zone can help you understand and compare. For example, a \u2018low-intensity aerobic\u2019 workout would be deemed \u2018Zone 1\u2019 if there are a total of 3 zones. But it would be the same as \u2018Zone 2\u2019 if there are a total of 5 zones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Focusing heavily on just one or two of the zones will mean missing out on the advantages of the rest. Your fitness goals, however, will remain the true dictators of the zones you pick. Higher zones help increase your total calorie expenditure and therefore your weight loss. But they also carry the risk of inefficient metabolism, overtraining, and injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zone 2 provides the bulk of aerobic benefits for longevity and is key to building your endurance, efficiency, and performance. It is interesting to note here that many endurance athletes spend over 70 percent of their training in Zone 2. Incorporating a mix of different zones will help you optimize your metabolism and improve the efficiency of the energy systems that drive your health and body composition. The science behind the energy systems supporting these heart rate zones is how we understand important factors like aerobic threshold, mitochondrial efficiency, Zone 2 training, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is Zone 2 heart rate training?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Zone 2 exercises are steady, slow-paced workouts performed between easy to moderate levels of intensity. Think of a light swim, a brisk walk or a bike ride\u2014 anything that keeps your heart rate between 60\u201370 percent of your HR max. It is common to feel like you\u2019re not working out hard enough\u2014 that\u2019s part of the charm. The health benefits of such aerobic training are many and are foundational to your performance. Right from the point of energy supply, training in Zone 2 allows your body to burn fat as a fuel source instead of relying on energy drawn from carbohydrates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Metabolic flexibility is the body\u2019s ability to process fuel from either source of energy\u2014fat or glucose. This not only helps you lose weight but also helps your body build an aerobic base from which you can begin to improve your performance. Building an aerobic base means improving your body\u2019s capacity to generate energy using oxygen. This improves your aerobic fitness, which is why it helps you exert your maximum power during high-intensity training, and also lets you recover faster after you\u2019ve maxed out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.ultrahuman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/pexels-munbaik-cycling-clothing-6929302-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHave you ever run full-sprint for 10 seconds, then ended up clutching your sides in pain, gasping for air, and altogether collapsing for hours? That was your body recovering from a Zone 4 or Zone 5 physical exertion. Training at a high intensity without a strong aerobic base means that post-workout you\u2019ll be exhausted for longer and spend more time recovering. With an aerobic base, you recover faster from high-intensity interval training<\/a><\/em><\/span> (or HIIT), while also lowering the risk of injuries and fatigue. It is also common to eventually start going for longer Zone 2 workouts, thereby increasing your total calorie expenditure through these safer, low-intensity exercises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u2018Long slow distance training\u2019 (popularly referred to as LSD training) is one example of building aerobic endurance. Endurance cannot be improved without supplying the increasing amounts of oxygen demanded by your muscles. Sustained efforts over long distances, like in LSD training, help improve your aerobic capacity by maximizing your body\u2019s utilization of oxygen. This is also known as improving your \u2018peak oxygen uptake\u2019, or your VO2 max.<\/p>\n\n\n
What are heart rate zones?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Heart rate zones are percentage intervals of your maximum heart rate. These zones, or intervals, are used to determine your exertion during a workout. Too high a heart rate? You\u2019re probably in a higher zone. Is heart rate too low? You\u2019re likely in a lower zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How many zones are there?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It varies. Some athletes measure their exertion across a scale of 3 zones, some use a scale of 5, while some even go up to 10. The higher the number of zones, the more granular the measurements. While many factors besides an athlete\u2019s experience affect the chosen scale, it is popular to go with the scale of 5. It is specific enough to let you feel the difference when you switch between zones, but not too specific that it diverts your focus from the workout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Heart rate is measured in BPM <\/em>(beats per minute). To determine our heart rate zones, we first start by measuring our \u2018maximum\u2019 heart rate (HRmax). The most accurate way to do this is through laboratory testing, but you could also get an estimate with either an exercise, or a formula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A popular formula supported by the HUNT Fitness Study for men:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n HRmax = [211] – (0.64)*(age)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n So, for a man aged 32, who has no history of heart disease and isn\u2019t on any heart medications, the maximum heart rate will be calculated in the following manner: HRmax = [211 – (0.64)*(32)] = 191 BPM<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Traditional formulae like the one above have proven to overestimate HRmax in women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The following formula, based on a women-specific study conducted by Dr Martha Gulati,<\/p>\n\n\n\n A popular formula supported by the HUNT Fitness Study for women:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n HRmax = [206] – (0.88)*(age)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n So, for a woman aged 32, who has no history of heart disease and isn\u2019t on any heart medications, the maximum heart rate will be calculated in the following manner: HRmax = [206 – (0.88)*(32)] = 178 BPM<\/em>. Once you have your HRmax, you can start creating your zones. Here are the percentage intervals for each of the 5 zones, based on the above HRmax example of a 32-year-old man:<\/p>\n\n\n During your workouts, your body can experience heart rates that hit all of these five zones\u2014some even more than once. These zones are named by different colours like blue, green, yellow, orange and red heat rate zone colours<\/em><\/a>. But you don\u2019t always need a heart monitor to notice this. Generally speaking, you can apply the \u2018talk test\u2019 to measure the relative intensity between zones. A talk test lets you know if you\u2019re exercising easy or hard without any equipment. If you can sing during your workout, you\u2019re going too easy, and if you can barely say a word, you\u2019re going too hard. The higher you go up the scale, the harder it will be to speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Breakdown of the Zone Types<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n Each zone plays an important role in your fitness. The term \u2018aerobic\u2019 means \u2018with oxygen, and the term \u2018anaerobic\u2019 means \u2018without oxygen\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through long-term aerobic training, your heart can improve its ability to pump more blood per beat (cardiac output), and the blood vessels surrounding your muscles can increase in size (vasodilation). These cardiac benefits go a long way towards improving your performance and longevity. Anaerobic zones, on the other hand, help your body increase muscle mass, improve strength, and process lactic acid. Lactic acid is the byproduct of strenuous anaerobic activity and contributes to the feeling of soreness after a workout. Each of these benefits depends on your body\u2019s fitness as a whole, and can be targeted through zone training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Heart Rate Zone 1<\/strong> Heart Rate Zone 2<\/strong> Heart Rate Zone 3<\/strong> Heart Rate Zone 4<\/strong> Heart Rate Zone 5<\/strong> Remember, a heart rate zone is just a percentage interval of one\u2019s maximum heart rate. So, no matter how many zones your workout buddy or your favourite athlete uses, just knowing the percentage interval of their zone can help you understand and compare. For example, a \u2018low-intensity aerobic\u2019 workout would be deemed \u2018Zone 1\u2019 if there are a total of 3 zones. But it would be the same as \u2018Zone 2\u2019 if there are a total of 5 zones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Focusing heavily on just one or two of the zones will mean missing out on the advantages of the rest. Your fitness goals, however, will remain the true dictators of the zones you pick. Higher zones help increase your total calorie expenditure and therefore your weight loss. But they also carry the risk of inefficient metabolism, overtraining, and injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Zone 2 provides the bulk of aerobic benefits for longevity and is key to building your endurance, efficiency, and performance. It is interesting to note here that many endurance athletes spend over 70 percent of their training in Zone 2. Incorporating a mix of different zones will help you optimize your metabolism and improve the efficiency of the energy systems that drive your health and body composition. The science behind the energy systems supporting these heart rate zones is how we understand important factors like aerobic threshold, mitochondrial efficiency, Zone 2 training, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Zone 2 exercises are steady, slow-paced workouts performed between easy to moderate levels of intensity. Think of a light swim, a brisk walk or a bike ride\u2014 anything that keeps your heart rate between 60\u201370 percent of your HR max. It is common to feel like you\u2019re not working out hard enough\u2014 that\u2019s part of the charm. The health benefits of such aerobic training are many and are foundational to your performance. Right from the point of energy supply, training in Zone 2 allows your body to burn fat as a fuel source instead of relying on energy drawn from carbohydrates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Metabolic flexibility is the body\u2019s ability to process fuel from either source of energy\u2014fat or glucose. This not only helps you lose weight but also helps your body build an aerobic base from which you can begin to improve your performance. Building an aerobic base means improving your body\u2019s capacity to generate energy using oxygen. This improves your aerobic fitness, which is why it helps you exert your maximum power during high-intensity training, and also lets you recover faster after you\u2019ve maxed out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Have you ever run full-sprint for 10 seconds, then ended up clutching your sides in pain, gasping for air, and altogether collapsing for hours? That was your body recovering from a Zone 4 or Zone 5 physical exertion. Training at a high intensity without a strong aerobic base means that post-workout you\u2019ll be exhausted for longer and spend more time recovering. With an aerobic base, you recover faster from high-intensity interval training<\/a><\/em><\/span> (or HIIT), while also lowering the risk of injuries and fatigue. It is also common to eventually start going for longer Zone 2 workouts, thereby increasing your total calorie expenditure through these safer, low-intensity exercises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018Long slow distance training\u2019 (popularly referred to as LSD training) is one example of building aerobic endurance. Endurance cannot be improved without supplying the increasing amounts of oxygen demanded by your muscles. Sustained efforts over long distances, like in LSD training, help improve your aerobic capacity by maximizing your body\u2019s utilization of oxygen. This is also known as improving your \u2018peak oxygen uptake\u2019, or your VO2 max.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
A general idea of the activities you can do in the 5 Zones<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Where you do your warm-up routine or cool down during interval training. It’s a great zone for getting your heart rate up through dynamic stretches before a workout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where most of your energy needs are coming from fat. Low-intensity workouts like light jogging or exercises using low-resistance bands fit well in this zone and help you build a strong aerobic base to recover from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where you might first start to break a sweat and feel the intensity of your exercise, without feeling the pain. The tendency to overtrain in this relatively comfortable and \u2018rewarding\u2019 area is the main reason why some trainers recommend skipping this zone\u2014though, when practised in moderation it can provide aerobic benefits like an increase in cardiac output and in the size of your blood vessels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The anaerobic zone, where your breathing can become laboured and you begin to feel the \u2018burn\u2019 from your exercise. Most of your energy needs are coming from the breakdown of carbohydrates, which releases lactic acid into your bloodstream. Zone 4 exercises include high-intensity training like boxing, medicine-ball slams and heavy weightlifting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where you go all out. You will usually last in this zone for about 15\u201360 seconds at a time, and the majority of your energy will be derived from fast-burning carbohydrates or simple carbs. Exercising in Zones 4 and 5 can be very stressful for the body, but it can also help improve your body\u2019s lactate threshold (i.e. improving the rate at which your body processes lactic acid)<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is Zone 2 heart rate training?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/blog.ultrahuman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/luis-quintero-qKspdY9XUzs-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\")
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