If you have one of the more advanced Polar Heart Rate Monitors, it is more than likely you'll have the Polar Own Optimizer function as well. This is a great tool which allows you to "accurately" check your relative recovery status each morning before you train. This method has been shown to be much more effective than the simple "Resting HR Check" as it tracks your progress "in-watch" over the entire program and works on the principles of the Orthostatic HR Test, as used by many doctors.
Full details of this function are available at:
http://support.polar.fi/PKBSupport.nsf/ ... enDocument
This is how the 9-point Recovery Status check works:
Each morning it literally takes just 6 mins to perform (3 mins with HRM on lying down, then 3 mins with HRM on standing up) - its that simple. The watch will then give you a score based-upon how well rested you are and correlates this against your previous history. I have personally found this feature to work amazingly well and have much more confidence in this than a simple resting HR check.
Your 9-point scale looks like this:
Good Recovery (1)
Your heart rate is lower than average. This indicates that you have recovered very well. You can continue training, including intensive exercise sessions.
Normal State (2)
Your heart rate is at a normal level. Go on with your training; include both light and intensive training sessions, and recovery days.
Training Effect (3)
Your heart rate is higher than average. You may have exercised intensively in the previous days. You have two choices: 1) rest or train lightly for one or two days, or 2) continue intensive training for one or two days and then recover well. Other sources of stress such as the beginning of a fever or an attack of the flu can result in the same kind of response.
Steady State (4)
Your heart rate has continuously been at a normal level for a long time now. Effective training requires both heavy training and good recovery, and this should cause variation in your heart rate results. Your OwnOptimizer result indicates that you have not had very intensive training or good recovery for a while. Perform the test again after a rest or light training day. If the recovery is effective, your result should show Good recovery.
Stagnant State (5)
Your heart rate is still at a normal level, and this has continued for a long time. The result indicates that your training has not been intensive enough to develop optimally. To improve your condition effectively, you should now include more intense or longer exercise sessions in your program.
Hard Training (6)
Your heart rate has been higher than average several times. You may have trained hard on purpose. The result indicates overloading, and you should try to recover well now. To monitor your recovery, perform the test again after one or two resting or easy training days.
Overreaching (7)
Your OwnOptimizer result indicates that you have had a very intensive training period for several days or weeks. Your heart rate has continuously remained at a high level. This seriously indicates that you should have a complete recovery period. The longer you have trained intensively, the longer the recovery period required to recover. Perform the test again after at least two days of recovery.
Sympathetic Overtraining (8 )
Your OwnOptimizer result indicates that you have had a very intensive training period for several days or weeks, and your recovery has not been sufficient. This has resulted in a state of overtraining. To return to a normal training state, rest for a carefully monitored recovery period. Follow your recovery by performing the OwnOptimizer Test 2–3 times a week.
Parasympathetic Overtraining (9)
Your heart rate has stayed at a low level, which is generally interpreted as a sign of a good recovery. However, other parameters indicate parasympathetic overtraining. You may have trained with high volumes for a long time, and recovery may not have been sufficient. Check for other signs of overtraining, such as decreased performance, increased fatigue, mood disturbances, sleeping problems, persistent muscle soreness, and/or a feeling of being burnt out or stale. You may also have been subjected to other stresses.
In general, the development of parasympathetic overtraining requires a long history of heavy training volumes. To recover from a state of parasympathetic overtraining, you have to recover body balance completely. Recovering may take several weeks. You should not exercise, instead rest completely for most of the recovery period. You can possibly have a few days with some light aerobic training in short sessions, and only occasionally include short, high-intensity sessions.
Well worth having a look at this function if you have it or are in the market for a new watch!
Cheers
Paul
