Maximizing heart rate recovery?

[GregLee]

My heart rate monitor watch measures "heart rate recovery" on the theory that it is a measure of fitness. It is the difference between heart rate at the end of exercise and heart rate one minute later. Given that a large recovery number means you're more fit, will doing an exercise that produces a larger recovery number tend to make you more fit than an exercise that produces a smaller recovery number?

What prompts the question: I noticed that on my morning jog, if my peak heart rate is around 158 bpm, I get a recovery score of 18-21 bpm, but the recovery score has been lower if my peak heart rate was less than 155 or over 162. So naturally I wonder whether I should shoot for 158 bpm.

 

[g8r80]

My heart rate monitor watch measures "heart rate recovery" on the theory that it is a measure of fitness. It is the difference between heart rate at the end of exercise and heart rate one minute later. Given that a large recovery number means you're more fit, will doing an exercise that produces a larger recovery number tend to make you more fit than an exercise that produces a smaller recovery number?

What prompts the question: I noticed that on my morning jog, if my peak heart rate is around 158 bpm, I get a recovery score of 18-21 bpm, but the recovery score has been lower if my peak heart rate was less than 155 or over 162. So naturally I wonder whether I should shoot for 158 bpm.

You are correct that you want to maximize your heart rate recovery, but that doesn't necessarily mean an exercise heart rate of 158 is going to be more effective than an exercise heart rate of 162. Generally, you want to go as hard as possible, within medically safe levels, to decrease your recovery heart rate.

Your goal is a RHR of at least 30; 50 means you are in great physical shape. You definitely want to increase your current 18 - 21 level.

 

[GregLee]

Your goal is a RHR of at least 30; 50 means you are in great physical shape. You definitely want to increase your current 18 - 21 level.

That reference you give is for recovery after 1 minute on a treadmill, while the figures I mentioned were after a 32 minute easy run. I doubt they are comparable. Yesterday I was trying out the Gazelle Edge "gliding" machine I got for my wife, and I measured my 1 minute recovery as 39 after 6 minutes of "gliding" -- 116 bpm (end) minus 77 bpm (after 1 minute). But that morning after a 31 minute run recovery was 21 -- 156 bpm (end) minus 135 bpm (after 1 minute). It seems to take me longer to recover after a longer run.