Runner's heart rate when biking

BoilerTom90

posted: 1/27/2010 at 10:13 AM

I've never been much of a biker, but I occassionally attend the spin class here at work. I've noticed that I can't raise my heart rate when spinning any where near what it raises to when running. I feel like I'm working a lot harder, but it certainly isn't reflected in my heart rate. What's up with that?

jEfFgObLuE

More Cowbell!

posted: 1/27/2010 at 10:17 AM

Your max on a bike is lower than on the ground, presumably because biking sucks, but also because you are doing much more work against gravity running versus cycling. And there's no gliding when running. Different aerobic activities have different max HR because of the different physics involved in each act.

When you're on your deathbed, you won't be wishing that you'd spent more time at the office. But you will be wishing that you'd spent more time running. Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.

spaniel

mileage hound

posted: 1/27/2010 at 10:22 AM

Another potential explanation is that you are using a more limited set of muscles biking vs running. They are going to be sending fatigue signals at a lower HR than when running. They will be screaming for oxygen well before a decently trained runner will run out of the ability to supply it.

My marathon HR is a MISERABLE and unsustainable effort on a bike.

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"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

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Doug B

posted: 1/27/2010 at 10:23 AM

Quote from BoilerTom90 on 1/27/2010 at 10:13 AM:

I've never been much of a biker

that might be part of it.

I don't mean anything by that. I'm just thinking that your muscles may be limiting you more than your aerobic engine. If your body was trained to bike like it was to run then maybe you could get closer to the same HR at the same level of effort.

I'm no bike expert but I'm always amazed at the thought of people averaging 25 mph for a ride by themselves (no drafting). I can't do better than 17. A small part of it is the bike maybe. But the large majority of it is my muscles have their limits. And I notice I'm not breathing all that hard... I just can't bike faster.

^{In an infinite universe, the one thing sentient life cannot afford to have is a sense of proportion}

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Doug B

posted: 1/27/2010 at 10:24 AM

Spaniel beat me to it.

^{In an infinite universe, the one thing sentient life cannot afford to have is a sense of proportion}

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BoilerTom90

posted: 1/27/2010 at 10:35 AM

Thanks for the insights. Perhaps if I did this more often, instead of just once every few months, my quads would/could get stronger and I'd be able to push myself harder.

Thanks again!

Elly.

posted: 1/27/2010 at 10:37 AM

According to the Polar people, biking heart rate is 10 beats slower than your running heart rate. Swimming is even lower than that at 15 beats lower.

My biking heart rate spikes very high as I climb our Tennessee hills, but it averages out about 10 beats slower than average running. Same with swimming, but I really have to work hard to get the heart rate up and I cannot sustain it long.

As far as spinning goes ... I don't know. Spinning sucks. Cycling is fun.

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Burnt Toast

posted: 1/27/2010 at 11:11 AM

Running is a weight bearing activity where as biking is nearly a non weight bearing activity and swimming is even less. Heart rate zones are completely different for all three activities.

In a test of 16 triathletes, scientists at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota found a 12 beat-per-minute error when they compared the athletes' anaerobic thresholds for biking and running. That means what you think is your threshold while your churn out bike intervals can be drastically different when you go out for a hard run.

The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

2013 Goals:

5k = sub 21:00

HM = sub 100 minutes

Run = 3650 / 2 miles

Bike = 3500 miles

Swim = 150 miles

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honeypig

Oh roo roooo!

posted: 1/28/2010 at 7:40 AM

Quote from Elly. on 1/27/2010 at 10:37 AM:

According to the Polar people, biking heart rate is 10 beats slower than your running heart rate. Swimming is even lower than that at 15 beats lower.

Thanks for this info! I have been cross training 2 days a week, using the stationary bike at the gym and monitoring my HR to make sure I stay in an easy zone. I have been somewhat alarmed to note that my "easy" running zone does not translate into an "easy" biking zone, and now I know why and have some clue as to how to translate.

Thanks again!

Runner's heart rate when biking (Read 1126 times)