The Benefits of Zone 2 Training

Hello, it’s Sho.

Today, I want to share my experiences with Zone 2 training and discuss its benefits.

Understanding Zone Training

Zone training is generally divided into five zones, each corresponding to different intensity levels and providing distinct benefits. These zones are determined by heart rate, based on a percentage of your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR). Here’s a brief overview of each zone:

• Zone 1: Very Light Exercise
  • Heart Rate: 50-60% of MHR
  • Characteristics: This is a very light intensity level, similar to everyday walking or stretching. It’s mainly used for warm-ups and cool-downs.
  • Benefits: Improves muscle flexibility and promotes recovery.
• Zone 2: Light Aerobic Exercise
  • Heart Rate: 60-70% of MHR
  • Characteristics: This zone involves light aerobic exercise that can be sustained for a long duration at a steady pace, such as jogging or light cycling.
  • Benefits: Enhances fat burning, improves endurance, and boosts basal metabolic rate.
• Zone 3: Moderate Aerobic Exercise
  • Heart Rate: 70-80% of MHR
  • Characteristics: This zone represents a moderate intensity where you may feel slightly out of breath. It includes activities like running at race pace or swimming.
  • Benefits: Improves cardiovascular function and overall endurance.
• Zone 4: High-Intensity Aerobic Exercise
  • Heart Rate: 80-90% of MHR
  • Characteristics: This zone involves high-intensity training where breathing becomes quite labored. It includes short-duration activities like interval training or hill climbs.
  • Benefits: Increases lactate threshold and significantly strengthens cardiovascular fitness.
• Zone 5: Maximum Effort
  • Heart Rate: 90-100% of MHR
  • Characteristics: This zone involves maximum effort in short bursts, such as sprinting or very high-intensity intervals.
  • Benefits: Boosts maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 max) and improves speed and power.

The Specific Benefits of Zone 2 Training

As mentioned above, Zone 2 training is a relatively low-intensity aerobic exercise, typically performed at 60-70% of your MHR. Activities like jogging or light cycling often fall into this category. Regularly engaging in Zone 2 training can lead to improved cardiovascular health, enhanced basal metabolic rate, and increased fat-burning efficiency.

Before incorporating Zone 2 training, my workouts primarily consisted of short, high-intensity sessions, such as MetCon (Metabolic Conditioning) at an RPE of 7-8, which leaned more towards anaerobic exercise. While I did notice some improvements in cardiovascular function and strength, the effects weren’t as significant as I had hoped.

After doing some research, I learned that enhancing aerobic capacity could be more beneficial, which led me to explore Zone 2 training. Here’s a link to an article that I found particularly insightful: The Science Behind Zone 2 Training.

My Experience with Zone 2 Training

At first, I was skeptical, but I started with 30-minute runs. Initially, the exercise felt easy, but as I continued, I noticed that my legs would tire toward the end, and I experienced overall fatigue. However, as I gradually increased the duration, I found that my heart rate didn’t spike as easily during my daily WODs (HIIT sessions), and I began to recover faster after workouts. Subjectively, the benefits seemed greater than when I was solely focused on HIIT.

Why does this happen? Zone 2 training helps the left ventricle of the heart adapt to pump blood more efficiently. One of these adaptations is the expansion of the left ventricle, a process known as cardiac remodeling, which allows the heart to pump more blood per beat. As a result, cardiac output (stroke volume times heart rate) increases, enabling the heart to deliver more blood with fewer beats.

Improving Heart Efficiency and Oxygen Delivery

Alongside the expansion of the left ventricle, the heart muscle strengthens without significantly thickening, enhancing endurance. This adaptation makes the heart less prone to fatigue, allowing it to maintain a lower heart rate even during exercise. This process manifests as a lower resting heart rate, indicating improved exercise efficiency.

When the heart becomes more efficient through Zone 2 training, its ability to deliver oxygen-rich blood throughout the body improves. This leads to enhanced endurance and greater resistance to fatigue.

In summary, Zone 2 training plays a crucial role in enhancing endurance and maintaining heart health by promoting the expansion of the left ventricle, enabling the heart to pump blood more efficiently. This adaptation is beneficial not only for athletes but also for anyone looking to maintain overall health.

Here’s a recommended academic paper if you’re interested:

https://academic.oup.com/eurjpc/article/30/9/769/7114961

Right now, after running for about 45 minutes, I start to feel cold as my shirt gets wet and I often develop a stomachache, making it hard to continue. My goal is to be able to run for 60 minutes without these issues.

If you’re lacking confidence in your endurance, I highly recommend giving Zone 2 training a try!

See you next time!

Sho