Maximizing the submaximal: 20 years of monitoring cardiovascular adaptation through submaximal HR response in team sports

Buchheit M, Shushan T, Barrett S, Scott TJ, Altmann S, Rabbani A, Mandorino M, Lacome M, Rovell R, McLaren SJ. Maximizing the submaximal: 20 years of monitoring cardiovascular adaptation through submaximal HR response in team sports. Sports Performance & Science Reports. #266, Sept 2025.

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Soooo proud of this one, which took us a while to finish because we wanted it to be as thorough as possible and unmatched in scope.

Immensely grateful to the talented co-authors, and especially to Shaun and Tzlil, without whom this piece wouldn’t have been so complete.

I had this project in mind for too long, with most of it sitting on workshop slides. Catching up with Shaun in Belgium in Feb ’25 gave me the push. We then recorded a #TrainingSciencePodcast episode, used the transcript and AI for the first draft, then spent months refining. Loved it! Thanks to all!

Why it’s unique:
SPSR gave us the freedom to say things that don’t usually fit in traditional journals.
We built on 20 years of research and applied practice, highlighting overlooked applications.
It’s the most comprehensive piece yet on submax HR monitoring.

Key take-home messages for practitioners:
✔️ Submax HR testing is simple, valid, and repeatable.
✔️ It’s a highly practical alternative to maximal tests.
✔️ If implemented well and interpreted correctly, it’s probably one of the most powerful monitoring tools for tracking cardiovascular adaptations.

Thanks to Firstbeat for sponsoring this SPSR issue and supporting both the science and the tools that make submax testing more accessible.

To share the findings, we’ll host two free webinars with co-authors Shaun McLaren and Tzlil Shushan.
[Webinar registration link]