METRIC EXAMPLE
Calculate running heart-rate cost: a worked example
Heart-rate cost expresses recorded heart rate relative to running speed. The calculation is simple; choosing comparable inputs is the important part.
Use meters per second before dividing
For the heart-rate cost convention used here, divide average heart rate in beats per minute by average speed in meters per second. Runome's summary calculation uses this convention. A smaller result means a lower recorded heart rate relative to speed within that definition.
Do not divide heart rate by the displayed minutes-per-kilometer pace and call it the same metric. Pace and speed are reciprocals. Convert the activity's distance to meters and duration to seconds first, and make sure the duration uses the same moving or elapsed-time basis as the comparison.
Work through a 50-minute 10K
This example uses invented activity values: 10,000 meters, 3,000 seconds and an average heart rate of 150 bpm.
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Average speed | 10,000 ÷ 3,000 | 3.333… m/s |
| Heart-rate cost | 150 ÷ 3.333… | 45.0 bpm/(m/s) |
| Second example: same speed, 145 bpm | 145 ÷ 3.333… | 43.5 bpm/(m/s) |
The second example has a lower cost because its recorded average heart rate is lower at the same calculated speed. It does not follow that every other feature of the two outings was identical. Keep enough precision during the calculation and round the final result, rather than repeatedly rounding the intermediate speed.
Keep summary ratios distinct from sample analysis
A ratio of activity averages need not equal an average of many sample-by-sample ratios. Consider a run that alternates speed: the averaging method changes how its sections contribute. Check the method before comparing values from different apps or different views.
Also check whether heart rate covers the full duration used to calculate speed. If the sensor missed the harder half, the summary ratio combines evidence from different portions. A plausible-looking decimal cannot repair that mismatch.
Use cost as a comparison aid
In Runome, inspect heart-rate cost with the available route, pace trace and sensor information. Compare similar activities and keep environmental and workout context visible. This consumer metric is not a laboratory measurement of oxygen consumption or a medical assessment.
Read aerobic efficiency in meters per heartbeat for the related reciprocal calculation, and sensor coverage before interpreting a sudden improvement. The pace calculator helps you verify the time, distance and speed inputs.