[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Have you been huffing and puffing at every workout, only to be disappointed when you have even less energy the next time you lace up your sneakers? Do you notice your performance actually seems to be worsening over the long haul? It seems counterintuitive to take it easy during a workout in hopes of increasing your performance and putting more pep in your step later, but that’s exactly what Zone 2 training encourages. Maybe that’s why it’s become such a viral trend as of late!
To understand what Zone 2 training is, it helps to break up
exercise into “zones” of intensity by a percentage range of your maximum heart rate.
- Zone 5 is 90-100% of your maximum heart rate and is achieved with intense activity like all-out sprinting.
- Zone 4 is 80-90% of your maximum heart rate, still quite anaerobic and is the threshold with which lactic acid is created (the same stuff that makes your muscles sore and can create fatigue during your workout).
- Zone 3 is 70-80% and is moderate in its intensity, but is also the easiest zone to slip into unintentionally.
- Zone 2 is 60-70% of your maximum heart rate – think like an easy jog or a relaxed bike ride.
- Zone 1 is only 50-60% of your maximum heart rate and feels more like taking a walk around the block.
“Train slow to run fast,” quips
Dr. Howard Luks, a leading orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist based in Westchester New York who is also a long distance trail runner, “The training regimens of some of our greatest athletes can teach us a lot. Zone 2, or low heart rate training, is one of the best tools to achieve metabolic health and longevity, improving performance and minimizing the risk of developing stress-related injuries.”
The science behind lower heart rate training
The reason why lower heart rate workouts can actually improve overall performance and stamina has to do with mitochondria, one of the major building blocks that powers cells. Zone 2 training has been shown to
help you produce more of these cellular powerhouses while shedding old, damaged ones. If you push too hard, however, you start using a quicker method to access energy that doesn’t stimulate mitochondria to the same extent.
“During Zone 2 Training, you will increase your number of mitochondria, mitochondrial efficiency, and increase your metabolic flexibility.
Metabolic flexibility refers to the ability of your mitochondria to utilize fat [over] glucose as an energy source,” explains Luks, “At low heart rates, your main source of fuel [is] fat, not glucose.”
By forcing your body to use fat as an energy source when you exercise at a lower heart rate instead of glucose, and by not exercising too hard as to starve your body of the oxygen it needs to metabolize that fat, you increase your metabolic flexibility.
4 benefits of zone 2 cardio training
- Increases your mitochondrial function and density by improving your aerobic base, or your body’s ability to use oxygen and burn fat efficiently when exercising. “Mitochondrial health is critical to longevity,” adds Luks. “Many diseases that affect our lifespan are considered to be due to metabolic dysfunction. Mitochondrial dysfunction is relevant to cancer growth, immune system function, [diseases like] dementia and much more.”
- Reduces recovery time by improving the health and functionality of your cells, which according to recent research of professional soccer athletes, can drastically impact how long it takes for your muscles to be ready for another 90 minute soccer game marked by intermittent sprints.
- Reduces injury and fatigue by not allowing you to overtrain. “Current studies suggest that 2.5 to 5 hours a week of moderate or vigorous physical activity will confer maximal all-cause mortality benefits,” Luks confirms, “But studies dating back decades have shown that more than 10 hours a week may reduce those health benefits [so] the proper ‘dose’ of exercise is critically important.”
- Improves insulin sensitivity while also reducing your resting heart rate. Multiple studies show that prolonged, moderate exercise increases the action of insulin on glucose uptake within the body and balanced blood sugar is associated with the prevention of hypertension, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
How to calculate zone 2 heart rates
The easiest way to know if you are cycling, swimming, or
running in Zone 2 is the talk test.
“If you can speak easily and in full sentences without having to pause at all you are probably in Zone 1 or 2,” Luks says.
“If you can breathe through your nose for the entire time [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][or][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] you can speak or sing, but need to pause occasionally to breathe, you are probably in Zone 2. If you cannot speak more than a few words before you need to pause, you are in Zone 3. The above may hold true for most people, [though some are] still capable of holding an uninterrupted conversation well into Zone 3. By all means, if you can hear yourself breathe, you are not in Zone 2.”
It may be harder to maintain a low intensity than you think.
“Remember, it is important to stay in Zone 2 during the entire [workout],” warns Luks, “If you try to run hills, or try to run too fast and your heart rate enters Zone 3 or higher, then your mitochondrial physiology is changing. You are starting to use [
glucose] more than fat… Even if you slow down, it will take a while for your cells to return to fat oxidation and recover from the lactate that built up from your higher heart rate effort.”
Besides the talk test, which is a fairly relative method to assess perceived exertion, another way to determine when you are training at Zone 2 is to follow a formula that will give you a personalized optimum heart rate.
“The old method of calculating your maximal
heart rate using 220 minus your age is not accurate for many people and should not be relied upon unless you only need a crude estimate,” Luks says. “70% of your heart rate reserve is a great estimate of the upper bounds of your Zone 2,” and he offers this formula instead:
0.7 or 70% X (Heart Rate max — Heart Rate at rest) + HR at rest. In Luks’ case, 0.7(178–48) + 48 = 139 beats per minute.
How long should I train in zone 2?
Lower heart rate training is a
marathon, not a sprint, so longer sessions are more effective than a shorter session that might be more appropriate for a high intensity interval workout.
“Professional coaches suggest that 90-minute sessions are needed,” Dr. Luks says.
“If performance is your goal, then preferably twice a week. For those who are pressed for time, try to ride 75-80 minutes in Zone 2 then crank it up for some sprints at the end of the ride. In terms of cardiac health, short high-intensity sessions are also important. Many find it easier to perform these higher intensity sessions at the end of a long Zone 2 effort instead of doing them on a separate day.”
For all the interest that Zone 2 training has generated, it’s important to not to forget that it’s only a portion of your total activity. More specifically, it should be around 80% of your total physical activity, with the remaining 20% done at high intensity.
“Exercising in Zone 2 will improve your mitochondrial number, function, flexibility, efficiency and fitness,” Luks explains, “Exercising in Zone 3 and above will not improve your aerobic or mitochondrial health, but it does have its role.”
So next time you straddle your bicycle, consider not pushing yourself as hard as you usually do, and you could find yourself with much more drive, stamina and intensity during your subsequent workouts![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_text_separator title="Featured Products" border_width="2"][vc_row_inner equal_height="yes" content_placement="middle" gap="35"][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="173285" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1709049988927{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/nutrabio-amino-kick"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="173284" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1709050019494{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/natrol-omega-3-6-9-complex-heart-health"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="173283" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1709050048093{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/now-berberine-glucose-support"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
