The Five Heart Zones Page

Now that you have figured out your maximum heart rate (see target heart rate page), you need to figure out your own zones. There are five training zones, each based on a percentage of your maximum.

Understanding The Zones

Zones are dependent on maximum heart rate, not age.
Percentage of maximum heart rate begins at 50%.
Each Zone is 10% of your determined maximum heart rate.
Zones are subsets of the wellness continuum:.

Health zone =Zones 1& 2
Fitness zone = Zone 3
Performance zone = Zones 4 & 5

Wellness continuum:
Health zone: blood pressure, cholesterol, weight management, longevity/wellness, active lifestyle
Fitness zone: increase V02, higher anaerobic threshold heart rate
Performance zone: athletic goals, lactate tolerance, maximizing VO2

The Five Heart Zones

Zone 1: Healthy Heart Zone
 … Easiest, comfortable
… Criticized: total calories, sweating, VO2
… Benefits: body fat, blood pressure, cholesterol, muscle mass, risk for degenerative diseases, safety, weight stabilized
… Exercise Law of Diminishing Returns
… Fuels Burned: 10% Carbohydrates, 85% Fat, 5% Protein

Zone 2: Temperate Zone
 … 70% of all calories from fat as the fuel
… Benefits: healthy heart plus gain muscle mass and lose fat mass
… Training your fat mobilization; get the fat out of the cell
… Training your fat transportation; get the fat to the muscle
… Training your muscles to burn fat; increase in mitochondria
… Fat burns in oxygen and not in high lactic acid concentrations
… Train your fat cells to increase the rate of fat release
… Maintain high blood flow to fat cells for transport
… Controversial name: Comfort Zone, Cruise Zone, Fat Burning Zone
… Fuels Burned: 25% Carbs, 70% Fat, 5% protein

Zone 3: Aerobic Zone
… Transition zone from two health zones to fitness to two performance zones
… Still feels comfortable, you break sweat, no burn
… Metabolize fatty acids and still spare carbs
… Functional capacity enhanced; increase in the number and size of blood vessels, increased vital capacity, respiratory rate, max pulmonary ventilation, pulmonary diffusion, increase in difference in arterial-venous oxygen.
… Endorphins
… Shift in fuel ratio utilization towards carbs
… Fuels burned: 60% carbs, 35% fat, 5% protein

Zone 4: Anaerobic Threshold Zone
… Benefits: improved VO2, and higher lactate tolerance ability (OBLA)
… High total calories, high carbs as source of calories
… At-About-Around AT HR training principles
… Fuels burned: 80% Carbs, 15% fat, 5% protein

Zone 5: Redline Zone
… Interval Training
… Limited time in zone; always a two zone workout
… Lactate junkies love it here
… Also called a "Lactate Tolerance Zone"
… Highest total calories and lowest percentage of fat calories
… Painful, injury zone, interference w/ coordination, increased RBC destruction rate from acidosis, diminished ATP energy renewal, damage to aerobic capacity if too much time in zone.
… Fuels burned: 90% carbs, 5% fat, 5% protein

HEART RATE ZONE & CALORIE EXPENDITURE

Zone % of max HR Energy Expended App. Fuels burned
Healthy Heart Zone 50-60% Max HR 4-6 cal per min 85% fat 10% carb 5% protein
Temperate Zone 60-70% max HR 6-10 cal per min 70% fat 25% carb 5% protein
Aerobic Zone 70-80% max HR 10-12 cal per min 35% fat 60% carb 5% protein
Anaerobic Threshold Zone 80-90% max HR 12-15 cal per min 15% fat 80% carb 5%
Redline Zone 90-100% max HR 15-20 cal per min 5% fat 90% carb 5% protein













Figuring Your Own Five Zones

Print Name____________________________ P.E. Period______ Date________

Percentage of Maximum HR Training Zones Wellness Zones Zone Number
90-100% Redline Performance zone 5
80-90% Threshold Performance zone 4
70-80% Aerobic Fitness zone 3
60-70%,/td> Temperate Zone Health zone 2
50-60% Healthy Heart Zone Health Zone 1

My Heart Rate Zones:

Healthy Heart (50-60%) __________bpm to __________bpm (Zone 1)
Temperate (60-70%) __________bpm to __________bpm (Zone 2)
Aerobic (70-80%) __________bpm to __________bpm (Zone 3)
Threshold (80-90%) __________bpm to __________bpm (Zone 4)
Redline (90-100%) __________bpm to __________bpm (Zone 5)

Each zone provides a variety of results and adds change to an exercise program. Variety allows you to gain many benefits while preventing boredom and plateaus. Adapt the heart zone training principle to your specific needs for the rest of your life.

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