Last update: 2024-03-02
I came across the concept of heart
rate zones while watching one of Andrew
Huberman’s interviews. That was a fascinating piece of information.
The zones are based on one’s maximum heart rate which is a function of
age and can be simply calculated as follows:
max heart rate = 220 - age.
After that I’ve found a website that talks about how exercising in different zones burns different types of fuels, i.e. fat, carbs or protein. It turns out elevating heart rate during an exercise does not necessarily help with weight loss. If you want to burn fat primarily then stay in Zone 1 or 2.
Zone 3 hits all of the three source of fuel. Thus my target is Zone 3.
| Zone | Also known as | Intensity level | % of max heart rate | Fuel source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | Warm-up, recovery, easy. | Moderate-low. | 50% to 60% | Fat. |
| Zone 2 | Aerobic, endurance, base, light. | Moderate. | 60% to 70% | Fat. |
| Zone 3 | Tempo, threshold, cardio, moderate. | Moderate-high. | 70% to 80% | Fat, carbs and protein. |
| Zone 4 | Lactate threshold, redline, hard. | High. | 80% to 90% | Carbs and protein. |
| Zone 5 | Anaerobic, V02 max, peak, maximum. | Very high. | 90% to 100% | Carbs and protein. |