Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Heart Rate and Exercise Intensity During Sports Activities

Practical Application

  • Research Review
  • Published:
Sports Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Variations in heart rate during exercise correlate with changes of exercise intensity and may be measured directly by radiotelemetry and continuous ECG recording. The heart rate can also be recorded in the memory of a microcomputer, which can be carried on the wrist as easily as a watch. The device has a transmitter and a receiver.

By recording the heart rate during a training session or a segment of training, and calculating the average of the heart rate and comparing this average to both the maximum heart rate of the individual and his heart rate at rest, the relative heart rate to the intensity of the work load (% maximum heart rate) can be calculated. These results are useful in planning optimal training intensities for both the healthy and rehabilitating athlete.

The use of target heart rate as a tool for exercise prescription is common. It represents the percentage difference between resting and maximum heart rate added to the resting heart rate. For calculating target heart rate there are also 2 other methods. The first represents the percentage of the maximum heart rate (%HRmax) calculated from zero to peak heart rate. The second represents the heart rate at a specified percentage of maximum MET (V̇2max).

An appropriate individual heart rate for each level of an endurance performance is best determined in the laboratory. This is carried out by increasing the speed of the runner in stages on a treadmill and by measuring the oxygen uptake, the lactic acid concentration in the blood and corresponding variations in the heart rate. From these results the running speed and heart rate corresponding to aerobic, partly anaerobic or strongly anaerobic running can be determined. The %HRmax values obtained by continuous ECG recording and telemetry have been used to measure the physical work load in alpine skiing. Alpine skiing has been recorded as exercise which improves general physical fitness and aerobic capacity. However, it has been found to increase more the anaerobic capacity than the aerobic capacity. This should be taken into consideration when planning the training of general physical fitness of alpine skiers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • American College of Sports Medicine. Position statement on the recommended quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining fitness in healthy adults. Medical Sciences in Sports 10: 7–10, 1978

    Google Scholar 

  • Åstrand PO, Rodahl K. Physical work capacity; textbook of work physiology. 2nd ed., pp. 290–292, 352. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1970

    Google Scholar 

  • Aunola S, Nykyri R, Rusko H. Strain of employers in the machine industry in Finland. Ergonomica 21: 510–514, 1978

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldberger E. Long period continuous electrocardiography of active persons. American Journal of Cardiology 8: 603, 1961

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hinkle Jr, LE, Meyer J, Stevens M. Tape recordings of the ECG of active men: limitations and advantages of the Hoher-Avionics instruments. Circulation 36: 752–765, 1967

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs J, Sjödin B, Kaiser P, Karlsson J. Onset of blood lactate accumulation after prolonged exercise. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica 114: 461, 1981

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kamon E, Kent PP. Maximal aerobic power during treadmill running, uphill climbing and cycling. Journal of Applied Physiology 32: 467, 1972

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karvonen J. Follow-up of training of an endurance runner. Stadion 6: 76–79, 1975

    Google Scholar 

  • Karvonen J. Koristenje telemetriskog mjerenja kod vjezbaizdrzajnosti. Proceedings of II Kongres Sportske Medicine Balkana, Nis, Jugoslavia, 27–31 October, 1976a

    Google Scholar 

  • Karvonen J. Keskimääräisten kilometriaikojen laskeminen kestävyysharjoittelua varten. Suomen Lääkärilehti 31: 954–958, 1976b

    Google Scholar 

  • Karvonen J. Über das Ausdauertraining einer Skiläufergruppe in der Periode des Grundlagentrainings. Medizin und Sport 17: 60–62, 1977

    Google Scholar 

  • Karvonen J. Treiningu izdrzljibvosti grupe skijasa uperioudu osnovovnog treininga. Sportnomedicinske Objave 17: 196–200, 1980

    Google Scholar 

  • Karvonen J. Physiological follow-up of endurance runners. Report for the Finnish Sports Foundation, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  • Karvonen J, Chwalbinska-Moneta J, Pekkarinen H, Kangas J. Die Belastungsintensität während Lauf- und Rollerski-Training bei Skilangläufern. Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Sportmedizin 30: 101–105, 1982

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karvonen J, Chwalbinska-Moneta J, Säynäjäkangas S. Comparison of heart rates measured by ECG-recorder and microcomputer. Physician and Sportsmedicine 12: 65–69, 1984

    Google Scholar 

  • Karvonen MJ, Kentala E, Mustala O. The effects of training on heart rate: a longitudinal study. Annales Medicinae Experimentalis et Biologiae Fenniae 35: 307–315, 1957

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karvonen J, Rauhala E, Chwalbinska-Moneta J. The effect of three months slalom training on physical performance capacity. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 25: 194–197, 1985b

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karvonen J, Rauhala E, Chwalbinska-Moneta J, Hänninen O. Metabolic changes caused by slalom training. Scandinavian Journal of Sports Sciences 7(2): 51–53, 1985a

    Google Scholar 

  • Karvonen J, Rauhala E, Hänninen O, Linderholm H, Kronström A, et al. Le travail physique au cours de la descente en slalom. Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Sportmedizin 323: 117–120, 1985c

    Google Scholar 

  • Maritz JS, Morrison JF, Peter J, Strydom NB, Wyndham CH. A practical method of estimating an individual maximum oxygen uptake. Ergonomics 4: 97, 1961

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mihalev VI. Effect of training intensity on physical performance capacity in skiers (translation). Juoksija 4: 72, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  • Nagel JR. Comparison of physical response to a varying of submaximal work in swimming and treadmill running. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 11: 203, 1971

    Google Scholar 

  • Pekkarinen H, Karvonen J, Chwalbinska-Moneta J, Ripatti I. The evaluation of the intensity of running and rollerskating training by heart rate telemetry. In Bachl, et al. P(Eds) Current topic; in sports medicine, pp. 511–516, Urban & Schwarzenberg, Vienna, 1984

    Google Scholar 

  • Pollock ML, Forster G, Ward A. Exercise prescription for rehabilitation of the cardiac patient. In Pollock & Schmidt (Eds) Heart diseases and rehabilitation, pp. 413–445, John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1979

    Google Scholar 

  • Rauhala E, Karvonen J. The physical load of downhill skiing. 6th International Symposium on Circumpolar Health, Anchorage, Alaska, 13–15 May, 1984

    Google Scholar 

  • Rauhala E, Karvonen J, Chwalbinska-Moneta J. Zur physischer Belastung beim Slalom. Medizin und Sport 27: 27–28, 1987a

    Google Scholar 

  • Rauhala E, Karvonen J, Kumpula Y, Kalli S. Aerobic and anaerobic energy production in speed skiing. International Symposium on Exercise Physiology, Baranow Sandomierski Castle, Poland, June 18–20, 1987b

    Google Scholar 

  • Roitman J, Pavlisko JJ, Schulz GW. Exercise prescription by heart rate and met methods. Physician and Sportsmedicine 6: 98–102, 1978

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenblat VV. Fiziologiceskom normirovanij nagruzog pri tjazelom trude. Proceedings of a Symposium on Ergonomics in Machine Design, Prague, Occupation Safety and Health Series, 1967

    Google Scholar 

  • Säynäjäkangas S. Microcomputers for sportsmen: technology from Finland, The Finnish Academy on Technical Sciences, 1983

    Google Scholar 

  • Verma SK, Sidhu LS, Kansal DK. A study of maximum oxygen uptake and heart rate during work and recovery as measured on cycle ergometer on national Indian sportsmen. British Journal of Sports Medicine 13: 24–28, 1979

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Physiology, University of Umeå, Umeå, Sweden

    Juha Karvonen & Timo Vuorimaa

  2. Finnish Amateur Athletic Association, Helsinki, Finland

    Juha Karvonen & Timo Vuorimaa

Authors
  1. Juha Karvonen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Timo Vuorimaa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Karvonen, J., Vuorimaa, T. Heart Rate and Exercise Intensity During Sports Activities. Sports Medicine 5, 303–311 (1988). https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-198805050-00002

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-198805050-00002

Keywords

Search

Navigation