How to Use Running Heart Rate in Your Training

For many years, measuring running heart rate was only really that athletes or scientists in a lab could do. But thanks to advances in tech, it’s now much easier for anyone to track their heart rate when running. All you need is a wearable device and a connected smartphone - and you can start collecting some really interesting data.

Being aware of your running heart rate can potentially be a useful way of managing your training schedule. Let’s learn more about heart rate running, how to calculate your own heart rate, and how to use this information.

Understanding your heart rate in running

Any time you exercise, your heart rate increases (among other changes). Your heart pumps blood faster around your body, so it can deliver more oxygen and energy to your muscles. Heart rate is measured in beats per minute (BPM).

Depending on what you’re doing, your heart rate varies a lot:

Resting heart rate: This is your ‘regular’ heart rate when you’re awake but not being active. Everyone is different, but for adults, normal resting heart rate ranges from 60-100 BPM, according to the British Heart Foundation.

Exercising heart rate: Your heart rate will vary significantly depending on effort. There are different running heart rate zones, depending on the intensity of your exercise (more below).

Maximum heart rate: This is the highest number of times your heart can beat per minute.

Why monitor your running heart rate?

There are many ways you can track your training. These often focus on traditional things like pace, distance, or simply how hard or easy running feels. So, why monitor running heart rate?

Helps you avoid over- or under-training

On a typical training schedule, it’s common to have a variety of different types of runs. Some days the focus is on hard and fast tempo runs. Other days, the focus is on easier, long distance runs. However, if you just rely on pace, distance or feeling to track your efforts, you may be over- or under-training.

For example, you might actually have quite a high heart rate when doing long distance runs - this would suggest you’re training too hard and won’t recover as well. On the other hand, on ‘hard’ runs, your running heart rate might actually be relatively low, which could suggest you’re not training hard enough.

By contrast, tracking your heart rate gives a much more consistent measure of effort.

May improve performance

There isn’t a huge amount of research into the effects of tracking running heart rate on overall performance. However, one review of studies concluded that there appeared to be a “small positive, but statistically insignificant effect on parameters related to performance”.

The researchers found that people tended to perform better when they followed training programmes that focused on heart rate compared to more traditional approaches. But they also stressed there wasn’t enough evidence to draw definitive conclusions.

Factors that affect heart rate

There are many factors that will affect your personal heart rate - both when running, but also when at rest. These include:

• Age: The older you are, the lower your maximum heart rate.
• Sex: Males and females have slightly different heart rates on average. Women typically have a slightly higher resting heart rate than men.
• Genetics: There’s a general consensus that each individual has their own physiological limit for maximum heart rate, and that this doesn’t change that much, regardless of training.
• Fitness level: In elite athletes, resting heart rate may be lower than other people since their hearts are bigger and stronger (so their hearts require fewer beats to pump blood around the body).
• Temperature and humidity: In warmer, more humid conditions, your heart rate increases.
• Altitude: The higher you go above sea level, the higher your resting and submaximal heart rate.
• Emotions: Stress, anxiety, anger and other emotions can all raise heart rate.
• Other factors: The time of day, how much sleep you’ve had, drinking coffee and many other factors can all influence heart rate from one day to the next.

Tips for monitoring your heart rate when running

If you’re interested in monitoring your heart rate when running, the following tips can help you get the most out of this approach.

Note: If you’ve ever had a heart condition, speak with your doctor before starting to monitor your heart rate - particularly when exercising.

General ‘rule of thumb’ for running heart rate zones

A running heart rate zone is simply a range of BPM for different levels of effort:

• Maximum effort heart rate: Your personal maximum, beyond which you physically cannot go. This is equivalent to sprinting at your top pace.
• High effort heart rate: This is fairly challenging running, where you’d struggle to maintain a conversation, but are not yet sprinting.
• Intermediate effort heart rate: These are your easier, long runs. You’d be able to maintain a conversation and keep running for a long time.

There are various ways to estimate your running heart rate zones. But the most common is to simply subtract your current age from the number 220 to get your maximum heart rate. Then, lower effort heart rates are a percentage of this total.

For example, if you were 25, your maximum heart rate would be 195 BPM (220-25 = 195. Low effort heart rate might be about 50% of the maximum (i.e. 98 BPM or below).

The following table can serve as a reference for running heart rate zones:

It’s worth reiterating that these figures are averages. Everyone is different, and your personal zones for heart rate running will vary depending on many different factors.

How to use tech to monitor your heart rate

Probably the most accurate way to monitor your running heart rate is to wear a purpose-built heart monitor. There are several companies which sell devices that can be strapped across your chest, and which will record heart rate precisely. This data can then be transferred to an app or computer programme.

Many smart watches and sports wearables are also able to monitor your heart rate by sensing your pulse at your wrist. These may be a little less accurate than chest monitors (since they may slip out of place). However, the advantage is that they let you instantly see your heart rate while you’re running. You can then increase or decrease your pace based on that.

If you run in a gym, many treadmills also have heart rate monitors built in. You place your hands on the sensors, and they detect electrical signals in your skin to estimate your heart rate. Again, they’re not as accurate as chest monitors - and can be a bit unnatural to hold while running. But they’ll give you a reasonable idea of your heart rate when running.

How to use heart rate running data

Once you’ve calculated your average running heart rate, your maximum heart rate and your resting running heart rate, what should you do with all this information?

1. Change nothing to begin with: To start with, don’t change anything. Instead, for a couple of weeks continue to follow your usual running routine while measuring your heart rate. Do your regular ‘easy’ runs, tempo runs, and also a few maximum effort sprints. Just keep a record of your average heart rate on each of these sessions. Analyse your data
2. Analyse your data: Now, take the time to study the data you’ve collected. This will give you some interesting insights. For example, your personal maximum heart rate might be 180 BPM. But your results might show that you have a BPM of 130 on your tempo runs. That might suggest you should be running them at a higher pace.
3. Adjust your running in line with your data: After analysing your data, adjust your running routine. Your aim is for your BPM to sit fairly consistently within a range during different kinds of runs. For example, a range of 110-130 for easy runs, and 150-160 for tempo runs.

Heart rate running: a helpful tool

By tracking your running heart rate - and adjusting your efforts in line with that information - you may notice real improvements to your overall performance. While it will require more planning and preparation, it also offers a potentially more rigorous and consistent approach to your running routine too.

For more tips and ideas for getting more out of your training, explore our running advice blogs.