What are your HR zone numbers and does VO2 Max correlate?

You know you can amend them in the app? I checked what my max heart rate was on a really hard shortish run and amended the app accordingly. No idea if it’s right but the time I spend in each zone seems more likely now

HR zones have basically nothing to do with VO2 max. As for how Garmin estimates them, they are both arbitrary numerology. My VO2 max number from my garmin is insane.

I know you can change them but also not a clue what they are! If I change max HR does it then back fill the other zones

I know you can change them but also not a clue what they are! If I change max HR does it then back fill the other zones

If you want it to, yes.

FWIW, I tend to rely on LTHR for working out my HR zones for running. That made quite a difference (i.e. made them more "realistic").

Garmin reckons my VO2 Max for cycling is 44 and for running is 45. The actual figures are less important than whether or not they are decreasing, increasing or remaining static. As I get older, the latter is my main objective 🙂

Oh - my running zones

And my cycling zones.

For reference, I'm 66 next month.

<b>arbitrary numerology</b>

is the key phrase. To measure VO2 max you need professional lab equipment. You can't do it with an HRM, so I wouldn't set too much store by Garmin's guesstimate.

Everyone's physiology is unique, so it doesn't make sense to change your HR zones to match someone else that you think is "similar". Stick with your own zones and see how your relative performance changes over time to see if you are improving.

It’s all based on percentages of your max heart rate. You can play about with it in Garmin connect. If you up your max HR your zones adjust to suit.  Do you have an idea on what your Max HR is and is it set correctly in Garmin?

FWIW there are a few YouTube videos of folk doing the proper VO2 lab test and then comparing with Garmin/Polar etc. The results often aren't too far out.

@aberdeenlune when running I regularly reach 177 but feel like I've more in me if that makes sense. Not run full pelt with a hrm to check, I'll find a suitable Sheffield hill and run like **** this weekend

FWIW, I tend to rely on LTHR for working out my HR zones for running.

I use FTHR for cycling. See this British Cycling page for details on how to do it.

I'm 43, fitness age of 36.5 (hovers between about 34 and 36 if I've been lazy). Vo2 max running of 50 and 53 cycling. Max HR of 199. Numbers vary, I've not done much exercise recently.

If your hitting 177 as a max HR then your not in z2 at 150.

My max is s 204 and my z2 is 150.

I'm 50, VO2 max is 46, max HR ive seen on my Garmin is nearly 210. Fitness age is 20 apparently, I'm not even particularly fit. So I'm convinced it's all bollocks but I might yet fall down dead from a massive coronary at any moment.

I’m 43. Cycling vo2 max is generally between 57 and 60 according to Garmin (you need to record rides with a power meter to get the cycling vo2 max). My max HR is 192 in the last 12 months - but once I’m at 180bpm I’m struggling g usually.

How do you find your HR zones on Garmin Connect?

HR zones are on a per device setting. Go into devices and select your device, then choose User Settings, the Heart Rate Zones.

I'm 46 and Garmin automatically altered my hear rate zones a while back. Don't run any more but my last big ride I hit a peak of 206 BPM.

2h over 170 and hardly any time below looks like dodgy data to me, unless you've had a hamster heart transplant. But, people vary.

If my VO2 max really reached my reported value of 60 or even 61 at peak fitness, I'd be a lot quicker than I am!

davosaurusrexFull Member
I’m 50, VO2 max is 46, max HR ive seen on my Garmin is nearly 210. Fitness age is 20 apparently, I’m not even particularly fit. So I’m convinced it’s all bollocks but I might yet fall down dead from a massive coronary at any moment.

Garmin have corrected that, at least on newer devices, the maximum is now -9 years.

2h over 170 and hardly any time below looks like dodgy data to me, unless you’ve had a hamster heart transplant. But, people vary.

I was completely broken afterwards so I think the data was in the ballpark.

My Garmin watch estimates LTHR and calculates HR zones from that. I think they’re not particularly correlated with VO2max; though I’d expect my lactate threshold power to increase, I’d expect the LTHR to stay about the same.

Garmin have corrected that, at least on newer devices, the maximum is now -9 years.

I think it's actually -10. I've certainly seen that this year.

FWIW there are a few YouTube videos of folk doing the proper VO2 lab test and then comparing with Garmin/Polar etc. The results often aren’t too far out

This is what I read too...

Power data, hr, and weight... Seems to equate to a reasonably accurate vo2max...

When I was a few kg lighter and a bit fitter I was pushing 67 as a vo2 max... Currently around 60...

I feel it really does relate to fitness...

DrP

"Fitness age" is a new metric on me 😀

Sounds about as stupid as the "brain age" you used to get from that Dr Kawashima Gameboy game.

I did a proper VO2 max test a few weeks ago with all of the monitoring kit and breathing tube etc in a lab and my numbers came out at 53.8 against my Garmin's estimate of 53 so it pretty much corelated.

Strangely good fun!!

Dogsby

Every mountain bike ride I do locally I get pretty much identical zone distribution when I finish. I've no idea really what the numbers mean or whether they are accurate - I'm 39. Don't have a power meter so no other fancy data

Your max heart rate is sort of fixed. But you can train to improve your vo2 max even then so they don't really correlate.

Fitness age and Vo2 max will correlate. Gcn are doing some good stuff on it right now.

According to my Garmin (+2 years of continuous wearing and 3-4 rides per week):

Age - 59 (and 2/3rds 🙂 )

VO2 Max - 51

Average Resting HR (last 2 years) - 45

Fitness Age - 49.5

I've my Zone 5 set to start at 150

Gravel/road or MTB usually max out in the late 170's with eBike at 160.

Is it right/perfect, no idea but as I've 2 years worth of data and it seems to relate to both my fitness and efforts I'm happy to use it.

Initially i used to train to HR and then I did a MAP test to determine my zones

This was a while ago now but this was the result

which gave me these zones

Zone 1 = <125 beats per minute.

Zone 2 = 125-144 bpm

Zone 3 = 144-165 bpm

Zone 4 = 165-178 bpm

Zone 5 = 178 + bpm

Once i'd done about 6 months of trainnig i redid the test and my zones had changed

So my sense based on following my VO2max with Polar's fitness test was that my VO2max was not linked to HRmax. My HRmax and HRmin has stayed pretty static over the years regardless of fitness level (thanks to Streat Bostal for my HRmax verification), whereas my VO2max and LTHR has seen a fair bit of variability dependent on my level of fitness (which is a measure of system efficiency - ability to use more blood/oxygen, whereas HRmax feels more like system structure).
I tend not to worry about absolute values of my VO2max, but rather what the change over time is, to see if my training is working and where i sit within my age group cohort.
(59 and a third, HRmax - 172, HRmin - 48, Polar Fitness VO2max today - 43. LTHR - 138 crickles tho # not reliable after some data issues)

So having read the above thread, looking at some literature suggests that :

Polar Fitness test does correlate w VO2max test results:
"this investigation presents preliminary data to validate the Polar A300's Fitness Test ability to predict VO2max in active young adults. The results indicate that this device provides an accurate and reliable estimation of VO2max in the sample population" https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6413855/

Garmin VO2max is also reliable:
"They found that Garmin technology provided a VO2max estimation within 0.3 ml/kg/min of their study participant, which was the most accurate of all devices tested. The high degree of accuracy found in their study remains consistent with other larger scientific studies" https://sites.udel.edu/coe-engex/2019/03/16/how-accurate-is-your-garmins-vo2max-estimate/

but

HRmax and VO2max do not correlate reliably
(both these papers report HRindex - which is HRmax/HRmin - to predict VO2max) :
"the results of this study indicated that the HRindex was not valid in tracking changes in VO2max following training, and resulted in wide individual prediction error at the pre and post-training measurement periods in a group of collegiate female soccer athletes"  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4234749/
and
"The lack of precision among estimates may limit the utility of the HRindex model; however, further investigation to establish the model's predictive accuracy is warranted." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3841054/