Hi all! I’m new here so apologies if I break any rules. I am in my test week for a cycling plan, and had my MAF Test today. My MAF HR is 147bpm, since I am 33 and 180-33=147bpm. However, during the central 30min portion of my MAF test, where I am supposed to stay at MAF HR, the target HR zone that the workout stipulated was lower (I believe something like 113 - 138bpm). Similarly, in the final 10min stretch of the test where I am asked to cycle at an average power equal to that obtained in the 30min at MAF HR, my HR ended up being higher than that stipulated in the target HR zone. So, by following the specific test instructions I ended up cycling outside the target HR zones (which I assume have been automatically set somehow, since I did not enter any information). Now the Session Feedback is telling me that I cycled too hard, well into zone 5 (which is taking to be 159-169bpm… while my zone 5 for running is way above that) so, overall, I´m not sure what to do. Should I input my running max HR so the zones change? I was hoping this would all be automatic. Anyways, I would appreciate some help!
Hey @adriasegarra ! welcome to the Athletica community. And no worries at all — you’re doing everything right by asking questions. We’re here to help.
You’ve brought up a really good point. The MAF test instructions are based on the formula of 180 minus your age which in your case gives 147 bpm. However, due to current system limitations, the HR target zones you see in the workout builder may not always align perfectly. Unfortunately, we can’t yet program that session with full precision.
For the 30-minute main portion of the MAF test, the best approach is to aim for your MAF HR (147 bpm), allowing for a ±2–3 bpm buffer so somewhere between 144–150 bpm. You can safely disregard the on-screen target HR zone if it doesn’t match this range.
As for the final 10-minute segment, the goal is to hold the same average power as in the previous 30 minutes while watching whether your heart rate drifts up. It’s a simple durability check — if HR rises significantly, it might mean your aerobic base still needs work.
The feedback about “going too hard” happens because our AI is comparing your HR to default cycling HR zones, which don’t yet account for MAF-based testing. We’re working on improving this in the future, but in the meantime, your intuition and understanding of the test are spot on.
Thanks again for being here — we really appreciate you testing things out and sharing your experience!
Ride on, MJ
Hi Marjaana! Ah okay, I see. Thank you for your quick and detailed response!
Adrià
HI MJ, and hope you don’t mind me jumping in here, Adria. I just experienced the same discrepancy. A test week came up again and I did the cycling MAF today. Given my age, I should aim for 133 according to the formula. The AI has me at 128 and is giving me a hard time for spending way too much time in 3a instead for the prescribed zone 2. Now, I’ll do my best not to let a bot get to me, but in terms of the effect of this test, how does the system make (new) calculations? Should one or more zones now be altered (provided this differed from previous baseline), or the power to HR within a zone change, or what? Presumably there is a point in doing these tests - apart from the aerobic training effect I mean!?
Side note, a lactate and o2 test from October last year put my LT1 (which is the same threshold that the MAF value is aiming at, right?) at 135, which is consequently where I have drawn the line between my zone 2 and 3, but Athletica has me at 128 as mentioned. Based on feel, this is possibly closer to VT1, where my breathing rate increases.