is 94 per cent of 177, and an effort of 94 per cent of your MHR for 40 minutes or more would be incredibly debilitating, if not near impossible. In fact, it’s best to get away from the idea at working at a percentage of your MHR anyway, and think instead

Q I’m in my mid-40s, push myself quite hard in training, and feel great and in good shape. However, after buying a heart rate monitor, I was shocked to find that my resting heart rate was 46, and that I could reach a maximum of 202bpm during hard efforts. Is this safe, or am I p...

is the enormous variation between individuals, especially in factors such as maximum heart rate (MHR). I assume that you are using the term ‘threshold’ to refer to the lactate accumulation threshold. Using heart rate to control threshold sessions carries two big

accurate? A In general terms, at the start of your 20s, the MHR is about 200 beats per minute (BPM). From then on, the heart gradually slows down, by approximately one beat per year. In endurance athletes, the MHR also slows as a response to prolonged

GETTY IMAGESIf you're the proud owner of a new heart rate monitor, you’ll doubtless be wondering just how high you can make it go. And it wouldnt be a bad idea. Coaches and athletes often like to establish a maximal heart rate (or MHR) in order

Q I regularly run hill reps at 85 per cent of my maximum heart rate (MHR) but when I’m halfway through the session, I feel like giving up. What should I concentrate on to get me through the repetitions? A Training in the 85 per cent MHR zone

of maximal heart rate is another option, but the appropriate percentage does vary between individuals. In elite male middle- and long-distance runners tested in my lab, the average heart rate at threshold was as high as 93 per cent of MHR, compared to 85 per

of the paces is likely to be slightly too fast or too slow.Jog recovery - a period of extremely slow running in between the efforts in a speed session:Easy - Easy - a gentle jog at below 75% maximum heart rate (MHR):Slow - conversational pace (73-78% MHR

often see round figures quoted in general guides, ranging from 70-90 per cent of MHR. Unfortunately, the reason they’re so vague is that – as we’ve found out – we’re all different.In the early days, you’d have needed a physiological lab test to find