Telemetered Heart Rate Responses to Pace Patterns in the One-Mile Run

Abstract

The heart rate responses of sixteen track athletes were measured by means of radio telemetry under the following conditions: (a) while the subjects were at rest, (b) during a 1-mile run at a steady pace, (c) during a one-mile run at a fast-slow pace, (d) during a 1-mile run at a slow-fast pace, and (e) during recovery.

The heart rates were obtained from the electrocardiographic tracings, and analysis of covariance was used to test the significance of differences between the pace patterns at the .05 level.

It was concluded that the heart rate response to exercise is very rapid, regardless of the pace pattern, and will reach the slope of the exercise heart rate response line before the subject has reached the end of the first 220 yds. while running a mile. The fast-slow pace pattern brought about a significantly higher heart rate response than any other pace pattern in the 1-mile runs. During recovery, were no significant differences between the pace patterns followed in the time necessary for the heart to reach a rate which was within 10 percent of the warm-up heart rate. Eleven of the subjects were able to run the last 440-yd. portion of the mile in the shortest time when had followed the slow-fast pace pattern in running the preceding 1,320 yd. of the mile run.