3 Minutes to Understand: The Best Exercise Heart Rate and Physiological Load for Slow Running!
The optimal physiological load varies from person to person. To determine the appropriate slow running physiological load for each individual, it is necessary to fully consider factors such as gender, age, health condition, etc. Based on the principles of over-recovery and over-loading, maximal oxygen uptake determination and evaluation, and heart rate measurement, a comprehensive assessment must be conducted to achieve the most suitable level.
The physician's examination, tests, and diagnosis, followed by the prescription of medication and dosage, are essential. If slow running, as a means of aerobic exercise, is likened to medication, then the physiological load is equivalent to the dosage of the drug. If the dosage is too small or too large, it will not only fail to cure the illness but may also lead to adverse effects contrary to the therapeutic purpose.
The factor that plays a decisive role among the factors influencing the physiological load is the intensity of exercise. The following introduces some knowledge on correctly selecting intensity for runners to refer to.
The physiological load of slow running is determined by the percentage of maximal oxygen uptake and heart rate, generally ranging from 40% to 60% (or 70%, which varies from person to person).
Why does maintaining a heart rate of 120 to 140 beats per minute, or a maximal oxygen uptake of 40% to 60% (or 70%) achieve the best exercise effect? I believe this is because the amount of blood output per beat (cardiac output) reaches its limit when the heart rate is between 120 and 140 beats per minute.
When the physiological load of slow running does not reach a heart rate of 120 beats per minute, or exceeds 140 beats per minute, the output volume and corresponding minute output cannot reach the limit of output per beat and per minute, therefore, it cannot achieve the best oxygen uptake effect.
During actual slow running, the heart rate between 120 beats per minute and 140 beats per minute, or maximal oxygen uptake of 40% to 60% (or 70%), can be regarded as a range (boundary), called the effective value of physiological load for physical exercise, as a scientific standard for arranging exercise load and controlling the best exercise effect. Over-recovery should also be based on this effective value as a standard.
The maximal heart rate limit, i.e., the percentage of maximal oxygen uptake of 40% to 60% (or 70%), is also known as the 'effective value of physiological load', which is the scientific basis for controlling exercise load and over-loading to achieve optimal exercise effects. However, there must still be a feasible approach in the actual physical exercise process for each individual. Therefore, there must also be a reliable scale, which is closely related to the percentage of maximal oxygen uptake. Since the consumption of oxygen and the output of the heart are proportional, the instantaneous heart rate can be roughly grasped by calculating the exercise's heart rate. The 'Cooper 12-minute run test' to indirectly determine maximal oxygen uptake was proposed, assuming that the heart rate during the extreme intensity exercise is 200 beats per minute, the heart rate that is most beneficial to the human body should be (200 - resting heart rate) × 0.7 + resting heart rate.
At this time, the human body is in the physiological load of maximal oxygen uptake and maximal heart output, therefore, the heart rate at this time is the optimal heart rate for exercise.
