Hi,
I’d just like to add to the above. I do a lot of my training based on HR.
If you set up a garmin connect account (unless you have one already) and sync your Zwift activity to Garmin you can see exactly what you want.
You can view a graph of your HR, Power, Cadence etc in Garmin connect and overlay a choice of either to see, for example, I was producing X power when my HR was X etc.
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I guess I should have been more specific. What I’d like to see is the percentage of time spent in the respective HR zones. Garmin does this with Garmin-derived data but it can’t with Zwift-derived data. This is an omission on Zwift’s end. See the attached image for what I’m looking for.
Ah I see. Zwift does record this data as you see it at the end of each ride but to my knowledge it’s not viewable once the ride has ended / saved. This is only based on a calculation of data already produced so I can’t see why it couldn’t easily be included in an FIT file. Or, for that matter why the Garmin app can’t just calculate it…
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I get heart rate zone and power zone data from strava after zwift uploads syncs my activities.
I’m catching up on old posts.
The example for heart rate zones will tend to set the target heart rates too low for most riders.
I find a better formula is:
(Max heart rate - resting heart rate) X zone percentage + resting heart rate.
For me, my observed max HR has been 164 bpm and my resting is 52. (this year)
164-52 = 112,
Zone 5 is 152-164 ( 112 X .90 = 100, 100 +52 = 152)
Zone 4 is 141 - 151 (112 X .8 = 89, 89 + 52 = 141)
Zone 3 is 130 - 140. (112 X .7 = 78, 78 + 52 = 130)
If I take a straight percentage of my max, 164 X .90 = 147 (zone 5 would be 147-164)
This make the zones too big and the lower zones are way too low.
The explanation is not as complicated as the formula looks.
When you take 90 %, 80%, 70% etc of your maximum heart rate you are also subtracting 90%, 80%, and 70% of your resting heart rate.
Your resting heart rate is fixed (relatively) and so is your maximum HR.
So you should take a certain percentage of your Vital heart rate.
The vital heart rate is the pulse from the lowest(resting HR ) to the highest HR. (Max - resting) and this is the pulses you can manipulate with exercise.
Now over time we can see changes in max and resting HR based on fitness and age.
Some changes good, others - not so much.
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I’m really glad to see that Zwift has implemented HR zones, but it could be set up a lot better, specifically, by utilizing heart rate reserve (HRR) as you describe. The default (and apparently nonadjustable) zones that Zwift has set up appear to be: Zone 1 = resting to 75% HRmax; Zone 2 = 76% to 82% HRmax; Zone 3 = 83% to 90% HRmax; Zone 4 = 91% to 96% HRmax; Zone 5 = 97% to max. A much better way, with a more inclusive and even distribution of among efforts, would be the standard 10% increment in HRR. For example, Zone 2 = 131 to 143 (60% to 70% HRR); Zone 4 = 155 to 167 (80% to 90% HRR). A better way yet would be to allow the user to customize their zones. Please read and implement Zwift!
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I built a circuit to send sham heart rate data to Zwift over BLE. I set my “Ghost’s” max HR to various values and have calculated EXACTLY how Zwift derives colors and zones for HR.
- Zwift calculates zones based on MAX-HR only. Not, as a function of Age / Resting-HR / MAX-HR.
- These Zones are non-negotiable. If you wish to utilize different zones, you must enter a different MAX-HR
- Here’s the data:
BLUE (Endurance Zone) 0 - 65% Max HR
GREEN (Fat Burning Zone) 65%+1 - 75% Max HR
YELLOW (Tempo Zone) 75%+1 - 85% Max HR
ORANGE (Threshold Zone) 85%+1 - 95% Max HR
RED (Anaerobic Zone) 95%+1 to infinity Max HR
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Hi Chris,
I don’t remember putting in my Max HR anywhere. Is it on the name, weight, height and FTP screen? The one you can access once you are logged in and on Zwift?
Cheers for the interesting info.
“Ride On”
Without creating a fake account, I can only guess…
Zwift would certainly need a default max hr in order to generate all those pretty colors. So, conjecture follows:
It could be 220 - age,
Or… from the official Zwift Help pages…
“However, evidence suggests a more accurate way is to subtract 64% of your age from 211. This should give you a good idea of your maximum HR.”
Moving forward, I will, most likely program a bank of Neopixels (already mounted on my treadmill) to match my Strava/Garmin custom HR zones. I’ll post a picture when I get it done.
In the meantime, I ignore the Zwift HR colors and focus on the numerical HR value.
Feature Request: Customizable HR Zones!
Cheers Chris
Hello Everyone!
I was looking for some info to solve my specific problem and I’ve found this thread, quite spot-on but lacking some insights.
+++ Mismatching HR Zones between ZWIFT & Garmin Connect +++
I’m rather new to Zwift but I do cycle with HR and Garmin GPS since a couple of years.
I did have since my beginning in Zwift the right Max HR properly set and, looking through the companion app on my iPhone I correctly see the simplified histogram (in steps of 5 bpm, 150-155, 155-160, etc…) on each ride’s details.
The way this histogram is shown correctly matches through a coloured background with my HR zones.
My “anomaly” is that, despite being 40 yr old, my MAX HR is 198 (exceptionally I hit 205-206 bpm) so any “auto HR zones” would be way off drawing my correct zones.
Since a couple of rides ago I’ve always double-recorded my trainings, using Zwift to upload on Strava and my Edge520 to get along with Garmin Connect. The latter (Edge) wouldn’t add any maps nor right elevation since it gets power readings from the smart trainer, speed & cadence & HR from the respective sensors but no height reading. Not a big problem!
Having had some “interrupted rides” (Bluetooth signal lost by Zwift ONLY, forcing me to abandon ride) I’ve investigated and reading the forum I’ve found similar issues being tied with “double recording”; I then stopped double recording and connected Zwift to GC, too.
And here it comes MY problem: having Zwift now uploading in automatic each ride my Z5, since then starting at 177 bpm, is now starting at 161 bpm that would indeed be my Z4 (158-177).
NOTE: the same happens uploading on GC manually the file downloaded from Zwift Web interface, HR zones are a mess and don’t match neither Zwift ones nor GC ones.
Has anyone any solution to suggest?
Feature Request: Customizable HR Zones! as CHRIS suggested + HR Zones preservation in export to 3rd party apps/services
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This is so annoying for people who base their training on heart rate zones, like myself. When exporting files from Zwift runs, the statistics on Garmin Connect and other platforms are totally messed up.
And It should be an easy thing to implement for Zwift. If they want more runners to use their platform, they will have a lot of frustrated runners by time, if this issue is not solved. All my running friends are using heart rate zones to plan every single workout.
I am currently starting a project where I was going to promote Zwift to runners. But before heart rate zones are customizable, I´m not sure If I want to try to engage other people to join.
Can someone representing Zwift, tell us if this is on the drawing board?
(And to you people who couldn´t care less about HR zones. I totally respect that. And I still think Zwift is an awesome training program).
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How does the HR get messed up with uploading to other platforms? I have not seen this in the almost 2 years I have been running on Zwift (I have been biking on Zwift much longer).
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I dont understand this neither. For what I know Zwift just records the data and saves it to a file.
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How come? Is the .fit file messed? From my experience you see just a HR graph. But how come that Garmin is messing up?
I would really like a feature to see heart rate zone like the power graph on screen bottom or on top. with different colors. would be very nice.
Any update on this? Those of us who use Zwift as a training platform will find this useful.
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Any update on this? HR zone is key metric for those suffering for heart disease that need to have tight control over the HR regardless of the power zones
Actually, Garmin Connect creates its own zones regardless of Zwift’s zones. I think part of the confusion comes from Garmin Connect having customizable zones for different types of sports, so you need to set a default type, and create individual types as necessary.