Freaky heart rates

Fat Burning Topic

After perusing a training article in the web based magazine, Road cc, I decided to contribute to the thread. Several times I have been drawn to the thread as much has been made of intervals and the contribution of them to weight loss.

First, what's an interval? An interval can be long or short, in music a minim is a very short interval, applied to exercise it would be a 'micro' interval. Intervals are described by cycling gurus as aerobic and anaerobic, the latter being a short sprint designed to bring about a rapid influx of lactic acid into the blood stream, the former being less stressful in order to allow extended exercise. Great claims are made by proponents of both types of exercise as to weight loss.

Over the years I have been an avid and enthusiastic user of the much maligned turbo trainer, hated by many, loved by but a few, a chat with members of any cycling club members will confirm that point. I must say that when, during a very sad period of my life, a period of no cycling at all, my weight went up and up to the heaviest I have ever been. Eventually I was able to return to cycling, it was so hard every incline in the road seemed like a mountain to climb. I set about a programme of daily cycling on a circuit  of 26 miles, a circuit with lots of ups and downs, I was in crawl mode going up but in order not to overtrain I used my heart rate monitor. Rye bread and salads became my staple diet, very boring but very effective at driving down my weight. Slowly the weight reduced and as it did my fitness returned and around seven or eight months later I was where I wanted to be.
Weight down and a feeling of well being brought me back to the turbo trainer and structured intervals, time was getting near for a club end of season time trial and by hook or by crook I intended to ride.
The author of the article I refer to is well respected as a coach but his 'no arguments with me' approach brought   about several comments of disagreement to the high intensity intervals only for weight loss. Below are the comments I made in response.

 Right, here's my two pennorth, age 77, recent NLTTA ten mile time trial, ave heart rate for ten,182 bpm, max during ten 187.

These figures are not unusual for me. Resting heart rate after recovery, low fifties, 52/54. Intervals have been a regular favourite of mine since the early advent of the Polar Accurex,(over thirty years ago) inspiration being the Moser hour record rides. Most of my fitness rides now consist of a 26 mile lumpy circuit and weather induced indoor intervals, despite the efficacy of intervals I still have problems controlling my weight, (I am a big lad) and the old adage that unfailingly works best is, eat less, and that is much harder than doing intervals.