Heart Rate and Training

Understanding the significance of heart rate is the key to understanding what training zone you are in. You can then anticipate the likely effect of exercise on blood sugar.

Maximum Heart Rate (MHR)

First calculate you maximum heart rate which is done by subtracting you age from 220 (e.g. for a 22 year old person it is 198 beats per minute). During your exercise, measure your heart rate over a minute at the wrist pulse, on using the pads on the exercise machine, or if you are really serious, a telemetric meter.

Below 60% MHR

You are in the non-training zone, either work harder or put your slippers on!

60-70% MHR

Training is in the aerobic zone, you will be able to do prolonged exercise, and your blood glucose will start to fall after 20-30 minutes,and may fall quite a bit after 40 minutes.

70-85% MHR

Now we're talking, this is the standard training zone, again you blood glucose will fall, but more speedily and fatigue is likely.

Above 85% MHR

This is in the anaerobic zone, you won't be able to do this for long, and the blood glucose values are likely to be higher after you finish, if there is not lower intensity exercise.

% Maximum Heart Rate	Training Zone	Typical exercise	Effect on blood glucose
<60	Non-training	A nice walk!	Little, perhaps a small fall
60-70	Aerobic	Jogging, swimming	Fall after 20-30 mins
70-85	Mixed	Running, cross training at Gym, Football, Rugby	Steady and marked fall
>85	Anaerobic	Sprint running, Intense Squash match	Rising blood glucose!