Although the power meter can bring us more clear monitoring of training intensity, and can also detect training and competition in a more objective and scientific way, we still cannot ignore the significance of our heart rate.

Before the advent of the power meter, the heart rate device was the best choice for the endurance athletes to monitor the training intensity, and the relationship between heart rate and exercise intensity was very close. The greater the exercise intensity, the heart rate will increase in the same proportion, which is also a good tool for analyzing the physical condition of the rider. Since the power data does not adequately describe the physical condition, but the heart rate does, power and heart rate are actually in a complementary relationship. Power is the representative of the body’s “output”. The current pedaling force can be expressed in watts, while the heart rate is the representative of “input”. How much power is currently used by the body maintain output, how tired you are after training, heart rate will tell us everything.

The standard for calculating heart rate is the number of beats per minute of the heart, which is BPM, Normally people are at 60 to 90 times per minute, athletes who regularly perform endurance training are at 40 to 60 times.

For people who don’t have a power meter or need to use heart rate device to monitor training intensity, there is a “Lactate Threshold Heart Rate, LTHR” to define the intensity, which is means that at this heart rate, the amount of lactic acid produced is exactly the same as eliminated. The muscles will not be inhibited due to the accumulation of lactic acid, so we can generally maintain this intensity for 30 to 60 minutes.

LTHR, like FTP, is a floating data, it will improve as your physical fitness improves, so it’s best to monitor it every two or three months like FTP.