I am a 47 year old female, been riding a road bike casually for over 15 years. Got a smart trainer about a month ago, and have realized that my heart rate seems super high (160+) even at a low wattage output - 75w. Haven’t taken a ftp test yet, but I’m pretty sure it wont be over 150…heart rate just seems way too high for an easy effort. Any ideas/suggestions would be appreciated!!!
First, what power and heart rate measurement are you using?
What trainer are you using?
I ask because the accuracy of some devices is not always as good as we might think. That could be skewing the results.
A few possibilities here:
- It’s not uncommon to see measurement spikes from chest strap HRM’s, especially in the first few minutes of a workout. Basically the problem can be dry skin leading to the strap detect stray static electricity currents through the belt, rather than your genuine HR.
- Power measurement errors - most common in wheel-on trainers not being properly set up.
- Both the HR and power measurement are genuine, and you just have a naturally high maxHR, in which case 160bpm may seem high, but is OK as a % of maxHR.
Using a cycleops m2…using their integrated power meter, and my heart rate is measured using a scosche arm band hr monitor. Thanks so much for your time and expertise!!!
I use a scosche also. I found that placement on my bicep is vastly more accurate than my forearm. For many weeks I wore a Polar chest-strap and the Scosche Rhythm to figure out what placement works best on my body. TBH, my biceps are somewhere between ‘chicken-leg’ and ‘pixie stick’ in appearance.
For the trainer,
- Make sure you are the tire inflated to the max pressure possible. It will be printed on the side wall of the tire.
- Make sure you have the roller pressure set properly by turning it until it clicks (like a car gas cap). Me sure to only twist, and not apply pressure on top of the knob, or this will change the pressure release point.
- Make sure to calibrate the trainer after about 8-10 minutes of warmup.
These steps should ensure that you have the trainer giving good data.