# inddor vs outdoor HR - help



## smbrum (Jul 9, 2008)

I have been doing some training indoors lately and my HR has been lower than ever before. At first I thought my conditioning might be improving. Then I got to go outdoors this weekend and it shot right back up a lot. Indoors my program calls for some all out efforts for 2 - 5 minutes. During these intervals I am killing myself and my HR max's at 188 and doesnt get there until the last 20 seconds or so. It also recovers immediate after the interval and with 85 cadence and low resistance gets back down under 120 relatively quickly. Conversly, on a ride this weekend during my pulls that I would say is 80% of the indoor effort my HR shot up to 194 pretty easily and during a climb hit 205. Additionally once that effort was over and I was back in the pack drafting I couldnt get my HR to recover below 160. Even during a break in the ride where we were noodling around it didnt get below 150.

So why the discrepancy? I would expect some difference but my HR is much higher for less effort outdoors. Even if my HR was slightly higher outdoors with the same intensity I could live with that but higher HR with less performance just doesnt add up. Is there something I can do or change to fix this???


----------



## StillRiding (Sep 16, 2006)

Your heart rate is influenced by more than just the effort you're making. Emotional stress, excitement, illness, weather, temperature, drugs, food, the phase of the moon, etc. all play a part in determining your heart rate. I'd guess that you're just excited to be outdoors again riding in a group, and that excitement is reflected in your heart rate.

I recall that recently a very attractive young lady joined me as I was cruising at a heart rate of 120. Within seconds my heartrate was 140 although my effort remained the same.


----------



## Alex_Simmons/RST (Jan 12, 2008)

HR is typically more stable indoors than out.

Also, you may not be able to produce the same power on an indoor set up than you can outdoors.


----------

