[cjsheps]

Hi UKB,

I've always had issues with determining how much I should be training in order to let supercompensation do it's thing. In the past, I feel like I've erred on the side of too much volume - often far too much, with insufficient rest.

A bit of reading around has suggested using resting heart rate as an objective metric of recovery (allowing for a certain variation due to work stress etc). Does anybody have any experience with using this metric?

Apparently there are other more accurate ways to measure recovery (for example cortisol levels and heart rate variability), but they seem like an enormous faff in general.

Thanks in advance,

Chris.

[abarro81]

I've never tried but Mina said she tried and it didn't work well - she felt like she overtrained without resting heart rate changing IIRC

[cjsheps]

Ah right - I thought it sounded too good to be true. The mighty power of statistical analysis in climbing belongs to one man alone. And he's busy campussing in a minion costume these days...

[webbo]

When I used to cycle race often after a hard race,the following day my resting heart rate would be lower than on the days before the race.

[cjsheps]

So not only is it useless as a metric, but it may even lead you to the wrong conclusions. 

[webbo]

It's one of those general rules of the thumb like working out your max heart rate from 220 minus your age.
Which for most people would be miles off, if I went by that It would reduce my age by 26 years.

[IS2]

I use resting HR and find it is useful, the key being checking it under almost identical conditions each day. It is however only one piece of information and like HRV relates to whole body recovery. After hard finger board sessions it may return to "normal" long before my forearms are fully recovered.

My Resting HR is elevated by about 10 bpm but follows the same recovery pattern, whenever I am away on a trip in comparison to at home training. Does anyone know why this might happen??

[webbo]

Resting heart rate is supposed to be measure of recovery from hard aerobic activity, so how it will give you an indication in regard to recovery from a finger board session is doubtful.

[Fultonius]

I know Mark Twight used to advocate (maybe still does) resting heart rate in the morning as a sign of recovery from huge endurance efforts. What this was based on I have no idea. Far from SCIENCEtific.

[webbo]

I use resting HR and find it is useful, the key being checking it under almost identical conditions each day. It is however only one piece of information and like HRV relates to whole body recovery. After hard finger board sessions it may return to "normal" long before my forearms are fully recovered.

My Resting HR is elevated by about 10 bpm but follows the same recovery pattern, whenever I am away on a trip in comparison to at home training. Does anyone know why this might happen??

Probably on a trip you will doing more walking carrying pads etc, which will be more fatiguing overall than training on a board.

[roddersm]

Good article by Ben Greenfield on this  -

http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/2013/06/how-to-know-with-laser-like-accuracy-if-your-body-is-truly-recovered-and-ready-to-train/