So you’ve made the conscious decision to finally get off the couch and into the gym. That’s great, but it’s only part of the battle. Once you set foot into the gym, you need to focus on the right exercises – and the right intensity. To maintain good cardiovascular health, many doctors and researchers suggest moderate-intensity exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. This advice, however, fails to answer one important question: What the heck does “moderate intensity” mean?
One of the simplest ways to measure your workout intensity is what’s known as the “talk test.” Basically, if you’re working out and can carry a conversation without breaks or slowing down your speech, you’re considered to be working out in the moderate-intensity zone. When your voice starts to crack and you can’t get out more than a few words without catching your breath, you’re beginning to reach a high-intensity state.
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While research supports that the talk test is a reliable, effective fitness gauge for beginners, it isn’t as effective for those of us who have led active lifestyles for a while. A recent study by researchers at the University of New Hampshire suggests that people with above-average fitness are shortchanging themselves if they adhere to the talk test.
As part of the study, scientists observed 15 active males and females between 18-35 years old and measured different cardiovascular criteria like maximum heart rate and VO2 levels (how efficiently oxygen gets to your muscles). Researchers also looked at lactate threshold, the point at where lactic acid buildup is so much that your body can’t eliminate it fast enough and your muscles fail; lactic acid is cellular fuel produced during exercise by muscles. Participants were also asked to recite the Pledge of Allegiance while jogging on a treadmill at increasingly brisk speeds as scientists observed different measures of exertion.
At the end of the study, scientists discovered that when the fit participants worked out and were comfortably able to recite the pledge, they were in the lower spectrum of the moderate-intensity zone; unfit individuals, on the other hand, tended to be at the upper spectrum. In other words, fit participants weren’t exerting themselves as much at moderate intensity.
However, fit participants started to have problems reciting the pledge once they started approaching their lactate threshold. This is important to note because various studies have shown that in order to improve endurance as well as overall fitness, active individuals should be exercising at intensity just below that threshold.
What does this mean for you? Well, if you’re just using fitness as a way to boost heart health, the talk test will help you easily determine your moderate-intensity zone. If you have higher-reaching goals such as running a marathon or playing a competitive sport, you can still use the talk test but push yourself until you can no longer have a complete conversation.
Although fitness is important for overall health, diet is the other half of the equation. Without a proper diet, your efforts in the gym are for naught. Make sure you’re also eating heart-healthy foods and taking the right men’s nutritional supplements such as a men’s multivitamin and men’s omega-3 supplements. Sports nutrition products like whey protein and creatine can also help boost workout performance. For more advice on leading a healthy lifestyle, check out MenScience Boot Camp.
