| Summary: | A percentage of either measured or predicted maximum heart
rate is commonly used to prescribe and measure exercise intensity.
However, maximum heart rate in athletes may be greater
during competition or training than during laboratory exercise
testing. Thus, the aim of the present investigation was to determine
if endurance-trained runners train and compete at or above
laboratory measures of ‘maximum’ heart rate. Maximum heart
rates were measured utilising a treadmill graded exercise test
(GXT) in a laboratory setting using 10 female and 10 male
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) division 2
cross-country and distance event track athletes. Maximum training
and competition heart rates were measured during a highintensity
interval training day (TR HR) and during competition
(COMP HR) at an NCAA meet. TR HR (207 ± 5.0 b·min-1;
means ± SEM) and COMP HR (206 ± 4 b·min-1) were significantly
(p < 0.05) higher than maximum heart rates obtained
during the GXT (194 ± 2 b·min-1). The heart rate at the ventilatory
threshold measured in the laboratory occurred at 83.3 ±
2.5% of the heart rate at VO2 max with no differences between
the men and women. However, the heart rate at the ventilatory
threshold measured in the laboratory was only 77% of the
maximal COMP HR or TR HR. In order to optimize traininginduced
adaptation, training intensity for NCAA division 2
distance event runners should not be based on laboratory assessment
of maximum heart rate, but instead on maximum heart
rate obtained either during training or during competition.
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