FAQ & Methodology

All formulas, model parameters, sport-specific data and scientific sources behind the generator.

HR Modelling Fundamentals

How is maximum heart rate (HRmax) estimated?

Without your own measurement, HRmax is estimated from age and — optionally — sex:

Men / not specified (Tanaka 2001): HFmax = 208 − 0.7 × age
Women (Gulati 2010): HFmax = 206 − 0.88 × age

Tanaka provides more accurate estimates than the classic "220 − age" rule. Gulati was validated on over 5,000 women. A self-measured value always takes precedence.

What is the Heart Rate Reserve and the Karvonen formula?

All intensity values in this app are expressed as % of heart rate reserve (HRR). The Karvonen formula (1957) converts them to a target HR:

HRR = HRmax − Resting HR
Target HR = Resting HR + Intensity [%HRR] × HRR

How is the HR curve shape modelled?

Mono-exponential approach with asymmetric time constants (τ_up < τ_down), auto-correlated noise (AR(1), φ = 0.85) and cardiac drift (Coyle & González-Alonso 2001). Trained individuals have smaller τ values (Imai et al. 1994). A deterministic PRNG produces the same curve for identical inputs.

HR(t+dt) = HR(t) + (1 − e^(−dt/τ)) × (Target − HR(t))
The 5 Intensity Levels
Level% HRRZoneApplication
Easy35–68 %Z1–Z2Technique, warm-up, recovery
Moderate42–78 %Z2–Z3Endurance base, light sparring
Normal50–88 %Z3–Z4Regular training, Randori
Hard57–94 %Z4–Z5Intense sparring, intervals
Maximum62–100 %Z5Competition, tournament
Training Metrics

TRIMP & Training Effect

TRIMP = Σ(dt/60 × HRR × 0.64 × e^(b × HRR))
b = 1.92 (men) · 1.67 (women) — Banister 1991

Aerobic TE: TRIMP mapped to 0–5 (Firstbeat 2017). Anaerobic TE: quadratic weighting above 80% HRR (Böning 1984).

TSS & Intensity Factor

IF = Ø-HRR / 0.875 (LTHR ≈ 87.5% HRR, Seiler 2006)
TSS = (duration[s] × IF² × 100) / 3600 (Allen & Coggan 2003)

Calories & Fat Oxidation

kcal/min = (−55.1 + 0.63×HR + 0.20×kg + 0.20×age) / 4.184
Fat fraction = max(0, 0.70 − 0.60 × Ø-HRR)

Energy expenditure: Swain & Franklin (2002). Fat oxidation crossover: Brooks & Mercier (1994).

FIT File & Compatibility
FieldFIT-Nr.Encoding
avg / max / min HR15 / 16 / 56bpm (uint8)
total_calories11kcal (uint16)
total_training_effect24×10 (uint8)
training_stress_score35×10 (uint16)
intensity_factor36×1000 (uint16)
threshold_heart_rate27bpm (uint8)
time_in_hr_zone[0–4]65–69ms (uint32)
user_profileGlobal 3age, sex, weight, HRmax, resting HR
zones_targetGlobal 7HRmax, LTHR, hr_calc_type=HRR

The file is finalized with a correct CRC-16 and created entirely locally in the browser — no data is transmitted.

Scientific Sources

Karvonen J et al. (1957). Ann Med Exp Biol Fenn 35(3):307.

Tanaka H, Monahan KD, Seals DR (2001). J Am Coll Cardiol 37:153.

Gulati M et al. (2010). Circulation 122(2):130.

Banister EW (1991). Physiological Testing of the High-Performance Athlete. Human Kinetics.

Firstbeat Technologies (2017). Training Effect. White Paper.

Allen H, Coggan A (2003). Training and Racing with a Power Meter. VeloPress.

Seiler S, Kjerland GØ (2006). Scand J Med Sci Sports 16(1):49.

Swain DP, Franklin BA (2002). Med Sci Sports Exerc 34(1):152.

Brooks GA, Mercier J (1994). J Appl Physiol 76(6):2253.

Imai K et al. (1994). J Am Coll Cardiol 24(6):1529.

Coyle EF, González-Alonso J (2001). Exerc Sport Sci Rev 29(2):88.

Garmin (2024). FIT SDK Profile.xlsx, Version 21.x.