How To Run Fast At A Low Heart Rate (Olympic Marathon Coach Explains)

Summary

This video offers expert guidance on enhancing running efficiency by teaching viewers how to run faster at a lower heart rate. It emphasizes improving oxygen and nutrient delivery to muscles and efficient energy metabolism. The practical approach includes easy runs to boost aerobic capacity, utilizing heart rate zones for training intensity, and incorporating cross-training to increase volume without raising injury risk. Additional tips involve proper fueling, strength training, and the strategic use of walking breaks to maintain optimal heart rate, ultimately leading to more efficient running over time.

Takeaways

• 🏃‍♂️ Improve Running Efficiency: The video focuses on enhancing the body's ability to deliver oxygen and nutrients to muscles for better fuel economy, similar to a car going further on less fuel.
• 💨 Oxygen Delivery: The key to running faster at a lower heart rate is improving the body's capacity to intake air, extract oxygen, and transport it to where it's needed for energy production.
• 🚴‍♀️ Easy Runs Matter: Running easy helps improve physiological factors, allowing the body to extract oxygen efficiently and utilize fats as a primary fuel source, which is more efficient than carbohydrates.
• 🔢 Heart Rate Zones: To ensure you're training at the right intensity, use heart rate as a metric, aiming for 75-85% of your threshold heart rate during easy runs.
• 📝 Threshold Heart Rate Test: Determine your threshold heart rate by running as hard as you can for 30-40 minutes and averaging your heart rate during that period.
• 🗣️ The Singing Test: If you can sing a song without being completely out of breath, it indicates you're running at an easy enough pace.
• 🔄 Recovery and Fuel: Proper nutrition during and after exercise is crucial for teaching the body to burn fuels more efficiently and for better recovery.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Strength Training: Incorporating strength training can improve biomechanics, reduce injury risk, and increase power output with each step.
• 🚶‍♂️ Walking as Training: Walking is an effective way to add cardiovascular load at low intensity and can be used strategically to manage heart rate during runs.
• 🔄 Consistency Over Time: Long-term consistent training leads to a more efficient running system, with the most significant and sustainable improvements seen over years.
• 🌐 Additional Training Methods: Cross-training with activities like cycling, rowing, or swimming can help increase training volume without raising injury risk.

Q & A

What is the main goal of the video?

The main goal of the video is to teach viewers how to run faster at a lower heart rate by improving their body's efficiency in delivering oxygen and nutrients to muscles.

Why is it beneficial to run at a lower heart rate?

Running at a lower heart rate is beneficial because it allows you to go further with less effort, similar to improving fuel economy in a car, thus making you more efficient in your running.

What is the key to improving the body's ability to deliver oxygen to muscles?

The key is to improve the body's ability to pull air into the lungs, extract oxygen from the air, and transport it to the muscles, as well as to remove byproducts of energy metabolism efficiently.

How can easy running help improve physiological factors for better running efficiency?

Easy running helps by allowing the body to improve its ability to extract oxygen and supply it to the energy process, enabling the body to use fats more efficiently as fuel.

What is the recommended way to determine if you are running easy enough?

The recommended way is to run between 75% and 85% of your threshold heart rate, which can be determined by a test where you run as hard as you can for 30 to 40 minutes.

Why is it not advisable to use age-related formulas for heart rate zones?

Age-related formulas may not be accurate, especially as one ages and maintains an active lifestyle, because the body's principle is 'use it or lose it,' and well-exercised bodies can maintain a higher heart rate than expected for their age group.

What is the talk test or singing test for gauging the intensity of easy running?

The talk test involves being able to hold a robust conversation while running, and the singing test means being able to sing a song without being completely out of breath, indicating that you are running at an easy intensity.

How can the rating of perceived exertion scale help in determining the right intensity for easy running?

The rating of perceived exertion scale, ranging from 1 to 10, can help determine the right intensity by aiming to run at a rating of 6.5 to 7.5 out of 10, which correlates to the desired heart rate zone for easy running.

What are some alternative training methods to improve aerobic conditioning without increasing injury risk?

Alternative methods include cross-training activities such as cycling, rowing, or swimming, which can increase training volume without the same impact on the body as running.

How does fueling the body properly contribute to running efficiency and recovery?

Proper fueling provides the body with the necessary energy during and after exercise, teaching it to burn fuels more efficiently and aiding in better recovery between sessions, which in turn helps maintain a lower resting and exercise heart rate.

What role does strength training play in improving running efficiency?

Strength training improves biomechanics, reduces injury risk, and increases power, allowing for more efficient movement and better utilization of each step in running.

Why are walk breaks considered beneficial during the initial stages of training for lower heart rate running?

Walk breaks help to control heart rate during the initial stages of training, allowing the body to adapt to the desired intensity levels and gradually reduce the need for walk breaks as the body becomes more efficient.

How does consistency in training contribute to long-term running efficiency?

Consistency in training over weeks, months, and years allows the body to adapt and become more efficient, leading to sustainable improvements in running performance and heart rate control.

Outlines

00:00

🏃‍♂️ Mastering Efficient Running with Lower Heart Rate

This paragraph introduces the concept of improving running efficiency by running faster at a lower heart rate, akin to enhancing a car's fuel economy. The key lies in enhancing the body's oxygen and nutrient delivery to muscles and improving the removal of metabolic byproducts. The goal is to make physical activity less costly in terms of energy expenditure. The practical application involves easy running to improve recovery and aerobic capacity, allowing for more efficient fat burning and reduced reliance on carbohydrates, which are less efficient and limited in storage.

05:02

📊 Implementing Easy Running and Monitoring Progress

The second paragraph delves into the practical aspects of easy running, emphasizing the importance of running easy to stimulate physiological changes and reduce injury risk. It suggests determining one's threshold heart rate through a 30-40 minute intense run and maintaining 75-85% of that rate for easy running. The paragraph also introduces alternative methods of gauging exertion, such as the talk or singing test and the rating of perceived exertion scale. Additionally, it touches on the benefits of increasing running volume, cross-training, proper fueling, strength training, and the use of walking breaks to manage heart rate, culminating in the importance of consistency in training for long-term efficiency gains.

Keywords

💡Running Efficiency

Running efficiency refers to the ability of a runner to utilize energy more effectively, thereby running faster at a lower heart rate. In the video, it is the central theme where the host explains how to improve this efficiency by enhancing the body's oxygen and nutrient delivery to muscles, which is crucial for better performance and reduced fatigue.

💡Heart Rate

Heart rate is the number of times a person's heart beats per minute and is a key metric in assessing exercise intensity. The video emphasizes the importance of maintaining a lower heart rate during running to ensure that the body is working efficiently and not overexerting itself, which can lead to faster running at the same or lower effort levels.

💡Oxygen Delivery

Oxygen delivery is the process by which oxygen is transported from the air to the muscles for energy production. The video script discusses improving the body's ability to deliver oxygen as a way to enhance running efficiency, by increasing the capacity to extract oxygen from the air and transport it to where it's needed for muscle function.

💡Fat Burning

Fat burning is the body's process of using stored fat as a primary source of energy during exercise. The video mentions that running easy can help the body to utilize fat more efficiently for fuel, which is a sustainable and efficient energy source, especially at lower intensities.

💡Carbohydrate Utilization

Carbohydrate utilization is the body's process of using carbohydrates as an energy source, particularly during high-intensity exercise. The script points out that as exercise intensity increases, the body relies more on carbohydrates, which are less efficient and have limited storage compared to fats.

💡Threshold Heart Rate

Threshold heart rate is the highest heart rate at which a person can sustain a given pace without incurring significant fatigue. The video suggests using this as a benchmark to determine the intensity for easy running, aiming to run at 75-85% of this rate to stimulate aerobic improvements without excessive stress.

💡Aerobic Metabolism

Aerobic metabolism is the process by which the body uses oxygen to produce energy during exercise. The video emphasizes the importance of aerobic metabolism in improving running efficiency, as it is the primary energy system used during endurance activities like running.

💡Cross-Training

Cross-training involves engaging in different types of exercises to improve overall fitness and reduce the risk of injury. The video suggests incorporating activities like cycling, rowing, or swimming to increase training volume without increasing the risk of injury from excessive running.

💡Nutrition

Nutrition refers to the process of providing or obtaining the necessary nutrients for health and growth. In the context of the video, proper nutrition is highlighted as a critical factor for fueling the body during and after exercise, which contributes to efficient energy use and recovery.

💡Strength Training

Strength training is a type of exercise that aims to improve muscular strength and endurance. The video mentions that strength training can improve biomechanics, reduce injury risk, and increase power output with each step, all of which contribute to running efficiency.

💡Consistency

Consistency in training refers to maintaining a regular and continuous training regimen over time. The video concludes with the importance of long-term consistency in training to see the most significant and sustainable improvements in running efficiency.

Highlights

The video aims to teach viewers how to run faster at a lower heart rate.

Improving the body's ability to deliver oxygen and nutrients to muscles enhances running efficiency.

Efficient oxygen extraction and energy metabolism are key to running faster with less effort.

Running easy runs at an appropriate pace improves recovery and physiological factors.

Easy running helps the body to extract oxygen more efficiently, utilizing fats as fuel.

Carbohydrates are less efficient for energy and have limited storage in the body.

To determine if you're running easy enough, use the 'Zone to' or threshold heart rate.

A test to find your threshold heart rate involves running as hard as you can for 30-40 minutes.

Running within 75-85% of your threshold heart rate ensures you're training effectively.

Cross-training with activities like cycling, rowing, or swimming can improve aerobic conditioning.

The 'talk test' or 'singing test' can be used to gauge if you're running at an easy pace.

The rating of perceived exertion scale can also indicate if you're in the right training zone.

Building up running volume over time is essential for improving efficiency but has a point of diminishing returns.

Eating well and fueling your body properly enhances recovery and running efficiency.

Strength training improves biomechanics, reduces injury risk, and increases power in each step.

Walking can be a beneficial low-intensity cardiovascular activity and aid in heart rate management.

Consistency in training over weeks, months, and years leads to the most sustainable improvements.

A simple three-step system is presented to help viewers run faster than 98% of people.

Transcripts

in this video we're going to show you

how to become a master at running faster

at a lower heart rate we're going to

show you how to do it we're going to

show you how to make sure you're in the

right zones and the key metrics that you

should be tracking before we show you

how to do it though let's talk about why

it's so important Brad think fuel

economy in your car so wouldn't you

preferred if you went further on the

amount of money that you spent for

example if you put 1,000 R worth of

Petrol in your car and your car goes 600

km imagine being able to put 1,000 Rand

into your car but you go 800 km and

that's exactly how it works essentially

what we want to do is we want to improve

the body's ability to deliver oxygen and

nutrients to the muscles where they need

to do the work essentially what we're

trying to do is improve your body's

ability to pull air into the lungs and

at the sights of the alveola to take the

oxygen out of the air and push it into

the blood vessels and then for your

blood to transport oxygen and energy

substrate to where it's needed in the

body and conversely to improve our

body's ability to take away the

byproducts of energy metabolism out um

and away from the muscles back to the

sights of the lungs and to expel carbon

dioxide um into the atmosphere and if we

do that we make you more efficient so in

other words the activity that you're

doing costs you less all right cool so

that's a lot of theory Lindsay let's

talk about practically how do we

implement this in our running that's a

great question bread and essentially

what you want to do is make sure that

you run your easy runs easy enough that

will also help you to improve your

body's ability to recover from workouts

it also means that you'll be fresher

when it's time to do your hard runs and

you'll be able to do your hard runs

faster than you otherwise would have but

from a physiological point of view it's

also important because when we run easy

and in particular when we run easy

enough you then also improve all those

physiological factors that I was talking

about and and it's when we run easy that

your body can really improve your body's

ability to extract oxygen and to supply

oxygen to the energy process so that

most of your fuel can come from fats

we've got plenty of fats in the body

your body burns them really efficiently

as intensity goes up we can still use

oxygen largely in the process of energy

but we need to use more and more

carbohydrates that is an inefficient

fuel for your body to burn number one

and number two we've got a very limited

store of carbohydrates and so if you can

burn fats burn fats efficiently that is

how you going to improve your body's

ability to run and that is how you bring

your heart rate down at equivalent speed

or put better the same heart rate you

can run faster right that's awesome

Lindsay but how do I know that I'm

training easy enough Brad that is the

question how do you know that you're

running easy enough so we like to refer

to that as Zone to but the reality is is

that you just need a measure to help you

understand and know that you are in the

that right Zone typically we don't like

to use age related formulas at coach

Perry because particularly as we age if

we're using heart rate as the metric

your heart rate won't go down or your

maximum heart rate won't go down as

expected by age particularly if you

exercise well because your body works on

the principle of if you don't use it you

lose it but if you're exercising well

and you stay active then you will

maintain a higher heart rate than your

peer group so what we want to do is

actually get out there and do a test and

the most effective and easy test for you

to do is to go out and run between 30

and 40 minutes as hard as you can and

that will give you an average heart rate

that'll be pretty close to what your

threshold heart rate is and we use your

threshold heart rate to then determine

what your easy running is and what we

want to do is we want to run between 75

and

85% of your threshold heart rate and if

you stay in that band then you are

running easy enough to both stimulate

those changes that we want in the

aerobic metabolism but also to reduce

the stress on your muscles tendons and

ligaments so that we reduce your injury

risk that means that over the long term

you can build your volume up effectively

because that's another thing that we

need to do to improve our efficiency is

that over time we really want to build

up your volume of running and that will

get to a point of diminishing returns

and if you still have more time to train

then a very effective way of improving

aerobic conditioning without increasing

injury risk is to add cross training or

something like cycling rowing or

swimming into your training mix all

right Lindsay so you've mentioned heart

rate as a way to measure this what if

you don't have a watch or you're not

really tracking heart rate are the other

metrics that you can use to do this yeah

bra there's they're very effective tools

that you can also use and they become

more effective as you get gain more

experience the most obvious is the talk

test or as we've coined it at coach

Perry now the singing test but if you

can run along and hold a robust

conversation with someone something like

you would hold in the pub when you're

arguing about whether Liverpool or

Manchester United or the the best team

although maybe that'll be too high in

intensity but you want to be able to

hold an argument with your friend um

that will tell you that you're actually

running easy enough uh and similarly if

you can sing so if you're on your own if

you're running along and you can sing a

song and you get to the end of that song

and you're not completely out of breath

it's okay to be a little bit out of

breath but you don't want to be

completely out of breath and then we can

use something that's called the rating

of perceived exertion scale your

perception of the intensity of a scale

of 1 to 10 and research has shown that

that correlates quite strongly to your

percentage of heart rate so what you

want to be doing is running at a rating

of between 6 and a half and 7 and a half

out of 10 and that will have you in the

right Zone Lindsay Earl on in the video

you alluded to increasing your volume in

order to do this should we be running

more or are the other things we can do

that can help us achieve this so Brad

you've asked a lot of good questions

today so yes as I said is that there is

a point at which the volume gets to a

place of diminishing return in other

words our risk of injury gets too high

if we are running too much and then

there lots of little things that we can

do that can really help our body's

ability to run faster at that similar

heart rate I've spoken about cross

training so we can increase the volume

of our training by adding in cycling by

adding in rowing by adding in swimming

we don't have to add in all three so I

would look to doing one to two sessions

of that in a week but similarly we can

help this whole process Along by making

sure that our bodies are getting what

they need and here I'm talking

specifically fuel Brad so if you are

eating well and you are giving your body

the fuel that it needs both during

exercise and importantly immediately

after exercise then your body will teach

itself how to burn fuels more

efficiently while you're exercising and

very importantly you'll recover better

in between sessions and one of the signs

that you are in fact not recovering

properly from sessions is that at both

at rest and while you are exercising

your heart rate will actually be higher

than expected the next thing we can do

is strength training by doing strength

training we can really improve the

body's ability to move efficiently when

you are strong in the right place it

improves biomechanics it improves your

ability to resist injury and it makes

you more powerful so you get more out of

each step and then finally I want to

talk about walking people see walking as

a weakness but in reality walking is a

fantastic way to add cardiovascular load

at a very low intensity so you can do a

lot of it over time and secondly while

you are actually running when you start

on this journey and you're actually

struggling to keep your heart rate in

the right zone so that you can get the

right physiological changes you can use

short walk breaks to help you bring that

heart rat down and keep the average

heart rate down over time and then

you'll slowly see that you need fewer

and fewer walk breaks and you'll be able

to maintain that same heart rate and

then the real final piece of the puzzle

is the consistency the longer you can

train for in terms of weeks months and

in particular years the more efficient

the whole system becomes and it's really

that multiplying effect over years that

will see the biggest and most

sustainable change in your running so

we've been talking about running fost at

a lower heart rate today but there's

actually a simple three-step system that

you can follow that will help you run

faster than 98% of people on the planet

if you watch the video that's on screen

now it's really simple simple to

implement in your training and will'll

get you running Foster in no time