Polar sport zones
Polar sport zones spell a new level of effectiveness in heart rate-based training. Training is divided into
five sport zones based on percentages of maximum heart rate. With sport zones, you can easily select
and monitor training intensities and follow Polar's sport zones-based training programs.
Running intensity in sport zone 1 is very low. The main training principle is that performance level
improves during recovery, not during training. Sometimes, training has been so strenuous that you may
not have recovered yet the next day, in which case, you can accelerate the recovery process with very
light intensity training.
Endurance training occurs in sport zone 2, and features an easy aerobic run. Endurance training is an
essential part of every runner's training program. In fact, endurance training is the base of any training.
Making progress in endurance training requires persistence.
Aerobic power is enhanced in sport zone 3. Here, training intensity is higher than in sport zones 1 and 2
but is still mainly aerobic. Training in sport zone 3 can, for instance, consist of intervals followed by
recovery. Running in this zone is especially effective for improving the efficiency of blood circulation in
the heart and skeletal muscles.
To compete at your top potential, you will need to do some training in sport zones 4 and 5. In these
zones, you run anaerobically in intervals of up to 10 minutes: the shorter the interval, the higher the
intensity. Sufficient recovery between intervals is very important. Training in zones 4 and 5 is designed
to bring the runner to peak performance.
When running in a certain sport zone, the idea is to utilize the entire zone. The mid-zone is a good
target, but you don't need to keep your heart rate at that exact level all the time.
Heart rate will gradually adjust to training intensity. For instance, when graduating from sport zone 1 to
sport zone 3, blood circulation and heart rate can adjust in 3-5 minutes.
The response time of heart rate to an exercise of certain intensity varies according to training, recovery,
environmental and other factors. It is, therefore, important to pay attention to any signs of fatigue and
to react accordingly.
Polar sport zones work best with your own maximum heart rate, aerobic and anaerobic thresholds. To
determine your maximum heart rate, use the age formula (as a default in your running computer),
predicted maximum heart rate (HRmax-p), or have the value measured in a laboratory. Use sport zones
when you train for a specific running event or for specific benefits in each of your workouts.