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Things to Watch For: Heart Rates

By Court | Permalink | No Comments | July 3rd, 2006 | Trackback

Stage race cycling is yet another example of a sport better followed on TV than in real life. If you want to keep up with the action and know what’s going on, standing by the road at mile marker 23 of a 107-mile race is not the way to do it.

However, it can still get boring at times - a pack can cruise along for an hour without any sprints, climbs or even attacks! In order to enhance their television coverage and keep the viewers entertained, OLN has added some extra features. One of these features is the heart rate monitor readings.

At various times during the race, the commentators will look to different rider’s heart rates to tell how hard they working, with a spectrum at the bottom of the screen. A white line at one end displays the rider’s lactic threshold, or the point when his muscles become overwhelmed with lactic acid and he cannot work any harder, and must cut back on his effort/pace.

Generally, the lower a rider’s heart rate, the easier the he is working. However, age and fitness should also be taken into consideration.

Now, the next time the commentators say, “look at his heart rate!” and you see it creeping up toward the white line, you can shake your head and savor the fact you’re at home, drinking a coffee and watching it unfold on TV.

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