SUUNTO t6c RUNNING GUIDE

Suunto Running Guide6. GLOSSARY6.1 How does the Suunto t6c work?The human heart is a wonderful barometer ofthe overall physiological and psychological stressexperienced by the body. The heart is a muscle, it getstired and like any other muscle requires time to recoverif optimum training and race performance is to bemaintained.The heart responds automatically and immediately toan increase in stress and physical workload. This heartrate response can be used to assess Training Effect, therisk of over training, under recovery, illness or injury tothe body.By monitoring the overall psychological andphysiological stress it is possible to use an analysis ofheart rate to moderate the duration and intensity oftraining and to balance the need for recovery.Tracking Training Effect and Recovery needs only onephysiological signal – beat-by-beat heart rate data (theR-R interval) which is collected by your Suunto t6c.Although the data collection procedure is simple, theanalysis methodology produces accurate Training Effectand Recovery information.Under resting conditions, healthy athletes show aperiodic variation in the R-R interval. This rhythmicfluctuation is caused by breathing. Heart rate increaseswhilst inhaling and decreases when exhaling.By accurately measuring the time interval betweenheartbeats (known as Heart Rate Variability) it ispossible to use the detected variation in time tomeasure the psychological and physiological stressand fatigue on the body. Generally speaking the morerelaxed and free from fatigue the body is, the morevariable the time between heartbeats.Increased Heart Rate Variability is linked to good health;decreased Heart Rate Variability is linked to stress orfatigue.6.2 How easy is it to collect the data?Very easy, simply wear a Suunto t6c or Suunto MemoryBelt during your training sessions and download thedata into the Suunto Training Manager Software fordetailed analysis.44