I started with Zwift without HRM (heart rate monitor) and did a few rides without HRM. Zwift tests my fitness on these rides and then calculates my workouts.
I now have an HRM, connected it to Zwift and my HR is displayed.
My questions:
Does Zwift also take my HR into account when planning my workouts? And if so, how? Because Zwift only specifies FTP zones. But no HR zones. I have a personal HRmax (I determine it anyway because of my triathlon training).
Shouldn’t a workout be designed according to FTP zone AND HR zone? Because what’s the point if my watt is in zone 2 (as intended by the workout), but my HR zone is in zone 3 or even 4? Then I’m doing the training goal wrong.
Thank you very much in advance!
Best regards,
Christian
Zwift doesn’t have any features that adjust intensity based on heart rate. You are expected to adjust the intensity during the workout to keep your heart rate where you want it, using the FTP bias controls in the game, or in the Companion app, or using the page-up/page-down keyboard shortcuts if you’re on Mac or PC, or using one of the Zwift Bluetooth devices like the Play controllers.
As Paul mentioned,the Zwift workouts are based on %FTP. Heart rate is generally too variable to be considered (by the program) to be too variable, as it can be impacted by a number of factors (poor sleep, drinking,sickness, etc.). Therefore, the user must use their judgment as to whether the requested power should be manually adjusted.
I use both.
For VO2 max work outs, I use power goals because the hr will tend to lag.
For example, for a 1 or 2 min interval session, I will select a power that I know will raise my HR to get into upper HR zone but it may not do so the first or second interval but certainly by the third
I may not be able to complete the tenth interval.
Sometimes I do a 30 sec hard start by adding 25-50 watts at the beginning of an interval to raise HR quicker.
I believe longer zone 2 rides are physiologically defined.
That means I only monitor hr.
In my mind, there is no such thing as a zone 2 power ride with an elevated HR.
If hr is elevated, you are no longer zone 2.
Others have different opinions and I see the validity for their training.
It’s something everyone has to figure out for themselves.
Not looking into starting a huge debate, but HR training peaked in the 1990s with the widespread adoption of heart rate monitors, but since the 2000s, power-based training gained dominance in cycling, which provide immediate, objective effort measurements. Unlike HR, power is unaffected by external factors like fatigue, heat, or stimulant intake. The problem with HR training is that if you take a double shot of espresso, the numbers don’t make much sense. That’s why, as others have mentioned, a hybrid approach is often used, and without forgetting that HR zones vary significantly between individuals.