What is the Purpose of a Heart Rate Monitor in Sports? [Part 1]

This is a question that at one stage of my life was plaguing me. I was a regular member at our local gym, 4 to 5 sessions of 2 hours each week, doing everything from cardio to strength and conditioning. As a seasoned rugby player, strength and conditioning is an integral part of my workouts. For those who are unfamiliar with the game of rugby, I shall break it down for you soon. Over the course of the next couple of weeks, I will show how heart rate monitor watches can help users over a wide range of sporting disciplines from rugby and football to basketball and many more.

The Game of Rugby

Rugby is a game that is played in many countries around the world such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, England, France, the United States of America (though not as big as football, basketball or baseball) and even smaller ones such as Fiji, Tonga and even Samoa. In some ways, it is similar to American Football in that the game is played with an oval ball as opposed to a round one like soccer. It is a full contact sport that is played without helmets and pads and requires the players (15 on each side, 22 when including reserves) to run with the ball in hand.

The length of a rugby field is also similar to a football field in that it is 109 yards (100 meters) in length and 77 yards (70 meters) in width with “H” shaped goal posts on either ends of the field. Unlike Football where you just have to cross the goal lines for the refs to acknowledge your efforts as a score or touchdown, in rugby, the person with the ball has to touch it down just beyond the goal line. There are no teams for offense, defense or special teams, no blockers, no foward passes (only lateral passes) and no timeouts during the game.

The duration of a game is 80 minutes with a break of 10 minutes at the half way point. Unlike the professionals in the NFL and NBA, the highest paid rugby player in the world earns only a little over a million dollars. The average salaries for professional players can be anything from $40,000 to $200,000 in U.S. currency. The game is played all year round and depending on which country the players ply their trade in, allows for a month or two of break before it all begins again.

Why do I need a Heart Rate Monitor?

Rugby involves a lot of discipline and commitment especially in training. Unlike the NFL where players are usually assigned special fitness trainers and nutritionists that are there on their beck and call, rugby involves a lot of personal training. We are usually assigned a training program and required to follow it on our own. This is where a heart rate monitor comes in handy. It helped me on the road and in the gym. From the alarm function that wakes me up at 4:30 every morning to go for a run to the tracking of my workout routines, it does everything. With most heart rate monitors, especially those from Polar, the user will receive detailed analysis of everything from calories and energy expenditure to personalized training programs and goals. These are just a few of the advantages of a heart rate monitor for me when it comes to Rugby.

[The Video at the top of the page is a must see for anyone wanting to see something special from rugby]

Part2: Purpose of a Heart Rate Monitor in Basketball