Heart Rate vs. RPE Conversion Chart

by Barry Stokes, USA Triathlon Level II and IRONMAN Certified Triathlon Coach

Check out this chart to compare heart rate and RPE.

	zone	power (% of FTP*)	H/R (% of FTHR*)	Rate of Perceived Effort (3-20)	Effort Level
Recovery	1	<55%	<72%	<6	VERY EASY – You should be working and sweating but not a big effort. It should be very easy to carry on an uninterrupted conversation
Easy Endurance	2	56-75%	77-83%	7-11	CONVERSATIONAL – An effort you can sustain for an extended period of time without fatigue. Slightly interrupted conversation.
Medium Endurance	3	76-90%	82-94%	12-14	STRONG, NOT BREATHLESS – Effort is strong but sustainable for an extended period of time. Comparable to half-marathon or IRONMAN^® 70.3 pace.
Threshold	4	91-105%	95-105%	15-17	HARD – This is your maximum steady, sustainable effort. You should be able to hold this for several minutes. Not a comfortable pace.
Power	5	106-130%	>106%	18+	VERY HARD – This is an effort or speed you can hold for only several seconds to a very few minutes. This zone includes all high end speed work.