The Karvonen formula was developed by Dr. Martti Karvonen, a Finnish doctor and researcher who has long been associated with the Helsinki Institute of Occupational Medicine. Throughout his career, Karvonen has studied the role that diet plays in overall health and found that people in countries with high-calorie diets generally performed more effectively than people in countries with lower calorie intakes. He also studied the links between heart attacks, culture and individual lifestyle, research that eventually led to the formula that bears his name. Martti Karvonen from Finland has played a central role in the science of exercise prescribing by helping to establish the link between lifestyle and the development of risk factors and by determining the role of exercise intensity in improving cardiorespiratory fitness. The formula he developed remains one of the most widely used methods for determining a target heart rate for aerobic activities. Karvonen`s formula is a mathematical formula that allows you to determine your target heart rate zone. The formula is to use your maximum heart rate (MHR) minus your age to determine a target heart rate range (which is a percentage of your MHR). Staying in this area will allow you to work most effectively during your cardio workout. The formula developed by Martti Karvonen has helped apply research to health and athletics by establishing the role of exercise intensity in improving overall fitness. In Karvonen`s formula, the maximum RH is the maximum heart rate achieved during the stress test, and K is a coefficient: target HR = RH at rest + (peak HR – RH at rest) x K. In a study published in 1957, Karvonen studied the influence of different training intensities on rest, work, and maximum heart rates.
[4] He found that exercising at an intense level causes a decrease in working heart rate, which is a direct indication of the increase in maximum oxygen consumption and cardiorespiratory fitness. He identified the threshold at which improvements are considered to be 60% of heart rate reserve (HRR), which is expressed as the difference between maximum heart rate and resting heart rate. While the benefits of exercise have been well documented, this finding has been monumental in defining exercise intensity parameters that have produced tangible results. We now know that the intensity range for improving and maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness is wide and depends on a number of factors, including age, underlying health, individual physical activity habits, and basic functional status. Davis and Convertino found that Karvonen`s formula is a fairly accurate method of estimating training intensity. [5] Despite occasional overestimation or underestimation of exercise intensity in some patients, the formula provided a general rule for heart rate training, with light intensity defined as activity using 30% to 40% of the heart rate reserve, medium intensity activity used of 40% to 60% of HRR, and high-intensity activity using 60% to 90% of HRR. Martti Karvonen was born in Finland in 1918. He received a medical degree from the University of Helsinki in 1945 and a doctorate from the University of Cambridge in 1950. His contribution to cardiovascular epidemiology began in the mid-1950s when he observed that serum cholesterol levels were higher in men in eastern Finland than in men in western Finland. He drew ancel Keys` attention to these observations, and the two collaborated on the first epidemiological studies on risk factors for coronary heart disease.
This collaboration eventually led to finland`s inclusion in the 1958 Seven Countries Study, which established a relationship between lifestyle and the prevalence of atherosclerosis. Karvonen has also developed a formula that can be used to determine a target heart rate for aerobic activities. Although Karvonen`s formula may overestimate or underestimate exercise intensity in some patients, it provides a general rule of target heart rate, with light exercise defined as an activity that uses 30% to 40% of the heart rate reserve, moderate intensity of 40% to 60%, and high-intensity activity of 60% to 90%. Ideally, physicians should provide patients with an exercise prescription that describes the frequency, intensity, time (duration), and type of exercise. Exercise recipes should include both aerobic activity and resistance training. Patients with heart disease may benefit from a cardiac rehabilitation program with cardiac assessment prior to participation and the development of a specialized exercise routine. Karvonen`s formula is a set of simple equations designed to help athletes safely improve their cardiovascular health. The formula uses the user`s heart rate – at rest and during activity – and inserts the differences between these numbers into two simple calculations. The Karvonen formula is a rough guide and is not as accurate as a test performed by a doctor who may take into account other health factors before recommending an exercise program.
There are several methods for determining the intensity of training that differ from Karvonen`s formula. If cardiopulmonary stress tests are available, a percentage of the oxygen absorption reserve or maximum oxygen absorption can be calculated. Measures of absolute intensity include metabolic equivalent tasks (MET), absolute oxygen uptake, and calorie consumption. Unfortunately, these methods do not take into account individual differences and often classify the intensity of training incorrectly. Several subjective tools to determine the intensity of training have also been developed and can be used in addition to objective methods. These include the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale, the conversation test, and the OMNI scale. Karvonen`s formula is the most common way to calculate the intensity of your workout. It`s an equation that combines your maximum heart rate, resting heart rate, and target percentage into one easy-to-use calculation, ideal for endurance athletes. Interval training is the fastest way to increase fitness and lose weight. Essentially, you require your body to recover under stress after your interval fights. Fitness, believe it or not, improves in the period after a sharp increase in the one-minute interval.
This is when your body is forced to recover while you continue to exercise. Don`t be afraid, experiment a little and find out what you can do. You must and must never exhaust yourself. Just reach a good level of fatigue and make your metabolism work! The Karvonen method, informally referred to as the Heart Rate Reserve Formula (HRR), takes into account your resting heart rate by introducing the difference between your maximum heart rate and your resting heart rate. In 2010 and independently validated in 2014, Martha Gulati et al. expanded the traditional method with a new formula for women. After a few workouts, you`ll know exactly how fast and tilt you should exercise by seeing the cardio equipment monitors in front of you. Write it down so you don`t forget it. Then, with each workout, try to push each level a little faster, over 12 weeks you can really get to a good clip and burn even more fat and boost your metabolism even more. Karvonen formula: Target training HR = RH at rest + (0.6 [maximum HR HR rest]). Do your cardio session in the morning, if you can, on an empty stomach. It has been shown to be a more effective time of day for burning fat.
Keep a written record of your cardio sessions and try to improve a little slowly and gradually with each session. Never kill yourself, but if you feel that your legs are stimulated an hour or more after exercise, you have done exactly what you need to do. To know how accurate your target heart rate should be during exercise, you need to determine your resting heart rate. The best time to check your rest rate is just before you get up in the morning after a good night`s sleep. Take the average of two or three morning readings for greater accuracy. Karvonen Formula and Exercise Intensity Although Karvonen has played an important role in linking lifestyle factors to cardiovascular events, he is also known to develop a formula for determining a target heart rate (HR) for aerobic activities. The BCMJ standard citation style is a slight modification of the ICMJE/NLM style, as follows: For simplicity, the karvonen formula equations are listed below: at this point, you can complete with anaerobic interval training as the main modality. Although it should be noted that this is not the same as high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and may not produce the ultra-fast results that people assume. .