Running is a popular form of exercise that can be done on a treadmill or outdoors. The duration of the run can also be chosen freely. However, it is important to control your heart rate while running, as excessive heart rate can be harmful to the body. So, what is the appropriate heart rate for running?
What is Heart Rate?
Heart rate generally refers to the resting heart rate, which is the number of times a person's heart beats per minute in a state of rest. The normal heart rate for adults is generally between 60-100 beats per minute. However, there may be individual differences based on age, gender, or other physiological factors. Generally, younger people have faster heart rates, older people have slower heart rates compared to younger people, and females have higher heart rates compared to males of the same age. Athletes also tend to have slower heart rates compared to average adults. These are all normal physiological phenomena.
What is the Ideal Heart Rate for Running?
As a form of aerobic exercise, there is a formula to calculate the optimal heart rate range for running: (220-age) × 60%/80%. For example, if you are 20 years old, your optimal heart rate range for running would be 120-160 beats per minute. This means that maintaining your heart rate within this range during running is most beneficial for fat burning and cardiovascular strengthening.
Why Does Heart Rate Increase During Running?
The increase in heart rate during running is an adaptive change in response to changes in the internal and external environment of the body. The increase in heart rate ensures a higher blood supply to carry more oxygen and nutrients, ultimately leading to better athletic performance.
What Happens If Heart Rate is Too High During Running?
When heart rate increases within the normal range during running, it is beneficial for the pumping of blood by the heart. However, when the heart rate exceeds 180 beats per minute, the frequency of heart contractions and relaxations increases. During heart relaxation, the amount of blood returning to the heart decreases significantly, leading to a significant decrease in output blood volume per beat and inadequate oxygen supply to the body.
When running with a heart rate above 180 beats per minute, the runner will feel extremely fatigued and weak, and will be forced to slow down. The reason for this is that when the heart rate reaches a higher level, the output volume of the heart does not increase, but actually decreases, resulting in decreased efficiency.
Maintaining a heart rate above 180 for a long period of time does not significantly improve athletic performance. In fact, it puts excessive strain on the heart and can lead to ischemia and hypoxia. For healthy individuals, this will simply lead to quick fatigue and a need to slow down. However, for individuals with cardiac abnormalities, it may lead to cardiac accidents such as sudden death.
How to Measure Heart Rate During Running?
There are two methods to measure heart rate during running: one is to use a specialized heart rate monitor, which you can wear on your wrist and see the displayed numbers while running. The other method is to measure your pulse immediately after running by touching your carotid artery with your hand. You only need to measure for 10 seconds and then multiply by 6 to get the number of beats per minute. For more accuracy, you can measure for 6 seconds and then multiply by 10.
