Guide to training zones for endurance athletes

[PB Triathlon Editor]

Training zones allow you to structure training in the most effective manner to ensure that you successfully reach your objectives. There are 4 methods commonly used for incorporating training zones into your weekly training schedule, these are heart rate, pace (running), power (cycling) and perceived effort

1. Using Heart Rate (HR) to Establish Training Zones
You will need a heart rate monitor if you wish to use heart rate training zones, as taking your pulse will not be accurate enough and not practical. When purchasing a heart rate monitor the basic features required are a visual HR display, the ability to set lower and upper limits and an alarm which warns you when you go outside these limits.

Heart rate training is an easy way to ensure your weekly training is structured and effective and there are 2 ways to establish HR zones, they are:

• Maximum HR
• Threshold HR

At the most basic level, establishing zones from maximum HR generally involves either a simple calculation to estimate your maximum HR such as 220-age. Ideally though, you should look to complete a progressive maximal exercise test to find your true maximum HR. Using threshold HR is more complex but more accurate for athletes, this involves the calculation of threshold by completing either a laboratory or field test such as the running T15 test and cycling CP20 test.

Benefits of Heart Rate Training

• Cost – HR monitors are relatively cheap to purchase
• Intensity - HR monitors give an accurate gauge to how hard your body is working.

Limitations of Heart Rate Training

• Fatigue – if you are a little tired from the previous day your HR may be elevated, by contrast if you have completed several days or weeks of hard training and you feel very ‘run down’, your HR will be lower than normal.
• Weather – HR will be higher in hot weather and lower in cold weather.
• Adrenaline – when excited such as race conditions, your HR will be higher.
• Response time – HR is very slow to respond to changes in pace, even when running very hard it may take several minutes for your HR to rise to the expected level.
• Cardiac drift – HR does not stay stable if you run at one pace, you may exercise for 40 minutes and your running speed may not change but HR will progressively rise throughout the workout.


2. Using Pace to Establish Training Zones (Running)
Pace can be used for running but you will need a GPS system to use pace training zones. The use of GPS systems is becoming increasingly common and they worn on the arm or as a ‘pod’ on the running shoe. A GPS system can be calibrated to display your current running speed in MPH or Kph. If you have access to a GPS system it can be used very effectively to establish training zones, to calculate the zones you must first calculate ‘Threshold Speed’ by completing a field test such as running the T15 test.

Benefits of Pace Training

• Real time – HR can take time to rise to the expected level, a GPS system informs you from the first step if you are running within a correct zone
• Accuracy – Irrelevant of temperature, fatigue and weather conditions, a GPS system gives accurate feedback
• Pace practice – If your goal is to run a specific time for a particular distance, a GPS system will enable you to run at the exact race pace required

Limitations of Pace Training

• Cost – Good GPS systems are generally more expensive to buy than HR monitors
• Intensity – They do not tell you how hard your body is working, only the speed you are running at.


3. Using Power to Establish Training Zones (Cycling)
Power is increasingly being used as a measure of performance in cycling but you will clearly need a power system such as SRM or Powertap if you wish to use power training zones. Alternatively, you may have a power reading function on your turbo trainer. If you do have access to a power system, it can be used very effectively to establish training zones. To calculate the zones you must first calculate “Threshold power output” by completing a field test such as the CP20 test.

Benefits of Power Training

• Real time – While HR can take time to rise to the expected level, a power system informs you from the outset if you are within the correct zone
• Accuracy – Irrelevant of temperature, fatigue and weather conditions, a power system gives accurate feedback
• Pace practice – If your goal is to ride a specific time for a particular distance, power can be used to accurately to gauge the effort required

Limitations of Power Training

• Cost – Power systems are far more expensive to buy than HR monitors
• Intensity – They do not tell you how hard your body is working, only the power you are generating


4. Using Perceived Effort (PE) to Establish Training Zones
To use perceived effort as your gauge for training intensities, you do not require a HR monitor, power or GPS system, but you do require a great deal of experience. Perceived effort simply refers to using your own “pace judgement” during training sessions. For example, if a training run requires you to run at “marathon pace”, you must be capable of running at that chosen speed and intensity without use of GPS or HR monitors.

Benefits of Perceived Effort Training

• Cost – no equipment required.
• Accuracy – You are running from ‘feel’ and this helps you improve tune with your body.
• Flexibility – You should always use PE as a secondary system, even when using HR, power or GPS.

Limitations of Perceived Effort Training

• Experience – to use solely PE training you need significant experience and you must be capable of accurately judging intensities and paces with not additional equipment.
• Accuracy – no direct feedback in the form of either HR, power or pace.


About the author of this training article
Marc Laithwaite, is Sports Science & Coaching Director, at The Endurance Coach. Mark has a Bsc (Hons) sports science and is working towards his Phd sports science. He is a member of the British Association of Sports and Exercise Scientists (BASES), a British Cycling Federation Blood Analyst, BTF Level 3 Coach & Coach Educator, UKA Level 3 Coach and ABCC Level 3 Coach.

The Endurance coach, provides sports science and coaching support services for endurance athletes. Their services include VO2 max testing, lactate profiling and metabolic assessment for endurance athletes of all standards in their own sports testing lab. The Endurance Coach also runs a range of training camps throughout the year and offers physiotherapy and rehabilitation services. For more information or if you are looking for world leading coaches to assist you, e-mail The Endurance Coach.

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