Number crunching There are many
ways to determine maximal HR, from bleep tests to Six Minute Walk Tests
maximising potential
To fully realise the potential of heart rate monitoring, a little extra work will need to be undertaken by health club staff in order to obtain the necessary physiological data from their clients. Heart rate data can be reported in
either absolute or relative units, although relative units are of most use in tracking the training response over time, most commonly reported as the percentage of the individual HR maximum. Calculating these values, however, poses a problem, in that we must first ascertain what the individual HR maximum is. Fortunately, HR maximum is a relatively stable entity generally unaltered by training, unlike the resting and sub-maximal HR. There are a number of methods that
health club staff can employ to assess this parameter, some of which may already comprise part of clients’ initial needs analysis. Field-based assessments of aerobic fi tness are commonplace in sport
– for example, the multi-stage fi tness test, or ‘bleep test’ as it’s most commonly known – and these may also be applicable to health club clients. Such assessments are relatively easy to administer, will yield a maximum heart rate and cater for large numbers in one session. Additionally, they provide an objective method of tracking improvements in aerobic performance over time. However, caution must be exercised
beforehand, ensuring that there are no contraindications to maximal exercise, as well as ensuring that any further assessments are standardised for accuracy. Drawbacks surrounding this method include the requirement of a maximal effort by the participant. For those who dislike the idea of running to exhaustion, or who report medical conditions that preclude exhaustive exercise, there are suitable alternatives such as the Six Minute Walk Test.
software developments and data analysis
Current software packages offer in-depth training diaries that enable users to see at a glance the intensity, duration and activity profile from any given session. Clients can also view their training history
june 2010 © cybertrek 2010
and performance longitudinally. Such an approach is excellent at facilitating motivation, increasing adherence to training interventions and member retention. Longitudinal electronic tracking also has massive advantages in the periodisation of training, especially for those working toward a specific goal
– for example, a 10K run or half marathon. In addition, most packages offer excellent security settings, preventing personal data being accessed by other users. The formulae that software packages
use to calculate training load and intensity may not be suitable for every user, however, especially if they have very specifi c training goals. In this instance, there are a number of ways that data can be broken down into a format that the practitioner and client feel satisfy their particular needs. An exhaustive list of data analysis methods is beyond the scope of this article, but would include the use of weighting factors for each training zone or the
All in the wrist Suunto has launched
a new range of watches (see p40)
Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital 31
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