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Heart rate is one of the most important indicators of cardiovascular performance and health, especially for those who exercise regularly. Knowing your normal heart rate, both at rest and during exercise, helps you train more accurately, control intensity, and prevent overexertion. In cycling, heart rate reflects how the body responds to exertion. The more trained a cyclist is, the more efficient their heart is: it pumps more blood with fewer beats. Therefore, knowing and monitoring this value is essential for improving performance and adjusting training to the real needs of each athlete. Let’s take a look!
What is a normal heart rate?
In general, the normal heart rate in adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm) at rest. However, in athletes, especially cyclists or long-distance runners, these values are usually significantly lower. A trained heart is capable of pumping more blood with each contraction, reducing the need to beat as many times per minute. Therefore, it is not uncommon to find cyclists with resting heart rates close to 40 or 50 bpm.
Normal resting heart rate according to condition
Normal resting heart rate represents the number of times the heart beats per minute when the body is relaxed and not engaged in physical activity. In sedentary people, it is usually between 70 and 80 bpm, while in active people it can be around 60 bpm. In the case of cyclists and endurance athletes, the figures can drop to as low as 40 or 45 bpm, a clear sign of cardiovascular efficiency, as mentioned above. However, to obtain a reliable value, it is best to measure your resting heart rate in the morning, right after waking up, using a heart rate monitor that allows you to record data accurately and analyze it over time.
Does age affect resting heart rate?
Although it is true that cardiovascular capacity and heart elasticity change over the years, when it comes to resting heart rate, the level of training has a much greater impact than age. General clinical ranges (such as 60-100 bpm for a 20-year-old adult or 65-100 bpm for a 40-year-old) are of little use to an athlete. What is really relevant is what we already mentioned: while a sedentary person may have a resting heart rate of around 70-80 bpm, cyclists and endurance athletes, regardless of their age, tend to have much lower numbers (even 40 or 45 bpm) as a clear sign of cardiovascular efficiency.
Maximum heart rate
Maximum heart rate (MHR) is the highest number of beats per minute that the heart can reach during maximum exertion. This value is unique to each person, although it can be estimated using a very simple general formula:
- Maximum heart rate = 220 – age
For example, a 40-year-old person would have an estimated MHR of 180 bpm (220 – 40 = 180). This data is key to planning workouts by intensity zones. Based on this, effort percentages are established—for example, training at 60%, 70%, or 85% of maximum heart rate—depending on the training goal. However, MHR does not depend only on age, but also on weight, genetics, and physical condition, so it can vary slightly between individuals. It should be noted that the 220-age formula is only an estimate; actual MHR varies greatly between individuals and the best way to find out is through a stress test.
To measure it reliably, we recommend using heart rate monitors or sensors such as ZYCLE’s ZCore, which allow you to monitor your heart rate in real time and adjust the intensity precisely without putting your health at risk. In addition, when training by heart rate, you will know your heart rate at all times and whether you are reaching your intense workout limit.
The importance of heart rate in cycling
Monitoring your heart rate when cycling is essential for improving performance and avoiding overtraining. Training while knowing your heart rate allows you to know exactly how much effort you are putting in and optimize each session. Among the main benefits of working with your heart rate are:
- Greater efficiency: cyclists learn to pace themselves and maintain the right level of effort for each phase of training.
- Fatigue prevention: by knowing your body’s limits, you avoid intensity peaks that could reduce performance or cause injury.
- Progress tracking: a lower heart rate at the same effort levels indicates an improvement in physical condition.
- More effective recovery: monitoring your heart rate after exercise helps you measure your recovery capacity and adjust your rest periods.
In short, your heart rate acts as an “effort thermometer” that allows you to train intelligently and safely.
How to calculate heart rate zones in cycling
Heart rate zones in cycling are intensity ranges based on a percentage of your maximum heart rate. Each zone has a different purpose: improving endurance, increasing power, or developing aerobic capacity. Although there are several formulas for calculating them, the most common one is based on your maximum heart rate. In this article, we explain what the heart rate zones are and what they are used for. Keep in mind that knowing them will allow you to structure your workouts more effectively and plan specific sessions according to your goal. That is why they are so important.
