The Karvonen Formula- Does it work?

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1timstewart

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I was reading the new Polar catalog for heart rate monitors and they this formula for calculating your target zones. by subtracting your morning resting heart rate from your HR Mx as follows:

220 - age = [estimated max. HR (HRMx)]
HRMX - Morning Resting HR(MRHR) ( they use an average over 3 days)

HRMx-MRHR = a multiplier to use in the following formula to calc your Target Zone

If your Zone is 60% of HRMx then you would use:
(multiplier) x .60 = ________ + MRHR = Target Limit HR

Their example of a 40 yr old with MRHR of 38 calculates:

220- 40 = 180 - 38 = 142(multiplier)
142 X .60 = 85 = 38 = 123 (Target HR)

What if our example were in much poorer condition and has a MRHR of 60?

220 - 40 =180 - 60 = 120
120 x .60 = 72 + 60 = 132 (Target HR) or 9 beats higher for a person in poorer condition?

Who knows about this? I am going to stick to just the regular calculations.
 
The advantage of the Karvonen formula is that it takes into consideration individual heart rate reserve (max heart rate - resting heart rate). If you take the same example you gave with the 40 year-old, the person with a resting heart rate of 38bpm has a heart rate reserve of 142 (180-38) while the one with a RHR of 60bpm has a HRR of 120 (180-60). The intensity is calculated according to this heart rate reserve, so 60% of 120 is less than 60% of 142 (72 vs 85.2). However, the resting heart rate you are then adding back to this value is more. The reason the person in poorer condition has a higher target heart rate is because to reach that same 60% intensity, the person in poorer condition will reach a higher heart rate, in part due to this person's resting heart rate. You kind of have to look at it backwards. If you subject both of these individual to an exercise of the same intensity, the individual in poorer condition will reach a higher heart rate. The opposite being true, the target heart rate they need to maintain to work at a certain intensity is therefore also higher (than the more trained individual).
Hope this helps :)
 
Thanks, Mogwai,
The basic method of calculating Max hr is simple and works. I'll use it. sometimes some of these complicated formula things sound good but I wonder how many of them are really in existance just to sell books.
 
The Karvonen formula - Hoax?

Mogwai said:
The advantage of the Karvonen formula is that it takes into consideration individual heart rate reserve (max heart rate - resting heart rate).
Click to expand...

What exactly is that said advantage?

That lesser trained individuals should put greater stress on their hearts? Or that well-trained individuals should put lesser stress on their hearts? What's the (scientifically supported) advantage with that?

Please present scientifically sound research supporting the Karvonen formula. But I would not hold my breath, since not even Karvonen himself has done that!

In fact, the more one tries to find scientific reasons supporting the Karvonen formula, the more counter-arguments one finds.

In my eyes the Karvonen formula seems to be one of the most persistent hoaxs in fitness history.
 
The Karvonen method was developed by two doctors who needed a guideline for their heart patients to follow. They basically pulled the numbers out their a$$ - as numbers that these people who had underwent heart surgery could follow to stay in a regulated range. They NEVER intended for the fitness industry to use them as gospel!!

I believe there is an article in the New York Times from these doctors discussing this.

Basically, use your heartrate monitor as a tool, not as a guideline. If you followed those numbers you would quit working out when your watch beeped and said you were in a high zone, when in reality, you weren't even close (if you can still hold a conversation easily, you are NOT in your anerobic zone!!!!).

Try to figure out your own zones -- if you are not very fit, check your heart rate before you exercise, then go for a walk and see where the numbers are when you are starting to warm up, getting fatigued/a little breathless, then breathless, etc. Check these numbers again after you have been walking for a few weeks, and see if they have gotten better - adjusting your 'zones' accordingly. You can do the same if you are fit just take it up a notch.

Personally for me, when I spin, my average heartrate for a ride is 167, with my max being about 182. If I followed the Karvonen method, I would be over 100% of my max at my top heartrate and my average ride would be at 92% of my max. If I slowed down, or tried to stay in my Karvonen 'zones', I would get a horrible workout.

Just my $0.02.
 
F**k me, i didn't know threads got this old.
 
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