HR higher when indoors?

marmatt said:

I was just wondering if theres any truth to one having a higher HR when cycling inddors where it tends to be warmer. I keep hoping to compare this for myself but everytime it comes test day it snows or is 30 degrees here in Utah so I do my testing indoors. I just wonder if my HR would be any lower if I tested out in the cold(which is where I mostly train)

Yes, cooling is a problem indoors. Believe overheating indoors is primarily due to the lack of cooling air which we naturally generate on the road. Having a strong fan aimed right at the trainer seems to help a lot, but isn't always possible. If you can set one up, that's the way to go to stay cool.

dhk said:

Yes, cooling is a problem indoors. Believe overheating indoors is primarily due to the lack of cooling air which we naturally generate on the road. Having a strong fan aimed right at the trainer seems to help a lot, but isn't always possible. If you can set one up, that's the way to go to stay cool.

I guess what I'm really asking is whether #s taken from indoor test sessions are applicable when training outside.

even if you are in a room with some nice AirCo running, be sure to have a fan running. That will make life much nicer...

HR

marmatt said:

I guess what I'm really asking is whether #s taken from indoor test sessions are applicable when training outside.

Suppose if you could generate a given power level indoors, say 200W for 20 minutes, you could do the same outside on the bike. For me, it just seems easier to do hard efforts on the road. The motivation to go hard is stronger when actually climbing a hill, chasing the pack or sprinting vs. just training indoors. Also, overheating occurs faster inside without that great cooling breeze you get on the road.

If by chance you're riding a LifeCycle trainer, with "calories/hour" displayed when you change load levels, let me know. That's the kind I use at the Y, so I've got some idea about power levels on it.

yep, indoors = heat, which = elevated HR

The last time I sat in a sauna my HR got to 120 in no time!!

I also used to use a fan indoors, but I sold my trainer coz I HATE THEM!!! 😄

marmatt said:

I was just wondering if theres any truth to one having a higher HR when cycling inddors where it tends to be warmer. I keep hoping to compare this for myself but everytime it comes test day it snows or is 30 degrees here in Utah so I do my testing indoors. I just wonder if my HR would be any lower if I tested out in the cold(which is where I mostly train)

I found the following website kind of interesting.

http://home.hia.no/~stephens/hrchngs.htm

I tried to determine the accuracy of the information, but could not find any of the studies online. The data, however, does appear to concur with existing suppositions that temperature plays a role in affecting HR since more blood will be perfused to the skin at higher temperatures.

I'll make a note to keep my eye out for more info on this subject though. I think it's very interesting.