TARGET HEART-RATES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends the use of 4 0%, 60%, 80%, and 85% of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) as target values in developing exercise prescriptions. Further, the ACSM states that 55%, 70%, 85%, and 90% of maximal heart rate (HR(max)), may be u sed as indices of these respective levels of %VO2max for the general p opulation. The current study evaluated this relationship between %HR(m ax) and %VO2max in apparently healthy, young adults. Eighty-one men an d 81 women between the ages of 18 and 34 engaged in an incremental exe rcise test to exhaustion. Linear regressions of %HR(max) and %VO2max w ere performed on each subject. From these regressions, target values o f %HR(max) were computed for each individual. Mean percentages of HR(m ax) were 63%, 76%, 89%, and 92% at 40%, 60%, 80%, and 85% of VO2max, r espectively. At all of these values of %VO2max, the values obtained fo r %HR(max) were significantly greater (P < 0.001) than those used by t he ACSM. Fitness affected these results, particularly among men. High fit men averaged 2% higher in %HR(max) than low fit men at any given v alue of %VO2max.