Tuesday, 16 April 2013 07:37

Training: Rusko Steps for Testing by Cindy Stonesmith

In the following article we’ll explore why testing your resting heart rate for signs of stress and overtraining can be a guide to understanding your adaptive response to training workloads. Heikke Rusko developed these simple steps of testing your resting heart rate profile line after working with elite cross country skiers.

Pick a week when you are well rested and have minimal stress in your training cycle and life. Then at the same time each morning for 3 consecutive mornings follow these steps for a baseline resting heart rate profile. Once you have consistent resting heart rate profile or baseline you can then test yourself for comparison throughout your training cycle for signs of stress, due to overtraining, poor recovery, onset of illness or other forms of life stress.

Rusko Steps:
1) Before you get out of bed in the morning continue to rest quietly and comfortably.
2) Record your heart rate after 2 minutes in prone position with a heart rate monitor and watch.
3) Stand up slowly continuing to monitor heart rate.
4) After 15 seconds, take a second heart rate in beats per minute.
5) During the next 90-120 seconds, take a third heart rate average over the 30 seconds.

This test should take you no more than 5min, 2-3 minutes lying in bed and 2 minutes standing. A normal resting heart rate profile will include a jump in heart rate upon standing, and a decreasing heart rate line upon the 90-120sec heart rate reading. These heart rate data points and profile line are personal to the athlete and comparing your resting heart rate profile line to others is nonproductive.

Once you have your personal resting heart rate profile it is important to retest once a week, preferable at the same time and day of the week. A well-rested athlete who is adapting to the training workloads will show a consistent heart rate profile or slightly lower line between measurements. An elevated heart rate of 8-10beats above base line during any of the 3 heart rate data points can indicate signs of unadaptive stress response. The shape of the profile line can also be interpreted. A quick and steep rise upon standing and quick and steep descent at 90sec indicates a well rested and adaptive athlete. A slow climb and slow descend indicates an increase in stress levels. This heart rate profile change indicate that you have not fully recovered from a previous workout or accumulative workload, and it may be helpful to reduce training by including a recovery run, an easy cross training day or a full rest day before performing another hard or intense workout. On a more serious note these changes may indicate an athlete on the verge of overtraining, poor recovery habits, onset of illness or in a high stress life style. All of which will wreak havoc one’s fitness and competitive ability. Personal and measurable data assists the conscientious athlete to reach their fitness and running goals healthy and happy.

Contact:
Cindy Stonesmith CMT ACSM/HFS
Owner and Endurance Running Coach
www.ultrarunnertraining.com