Tadej Pogačar’s 340W Zone 2 Power & 213 bpm Max HR: Pro Cycling Metrics Revealed

Professional cyclist Tadej Pogačar recently revealed his training data in an interview with Peter Attia. The raw numbers—including a Zone 2 power of 320-340 watts and a peak HR of 213 bpm—offers a relatively rare look into a Grand Tour champion’s biometrics and training philosophy.

Peter Attia on Pogačar’s Zone 2: “320 to 340 watts for 5 hours… is really remarkable.”

Tadej Pogačar tracks biometric values (primarily heart rate and recovery indicators), power output, and climbing efficiency to guide his training and assess his physical condition. Countering recent populist trends to use power meters, he has been using a heart rate monitor since he was young, and it seems to be his preferred metric.

Here is a deep dive into each of the sets of his metrics

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Listen to the Podcast Discussion

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Heart Rate and Recovery Metrics

Pogačar has been tracking his heart rate (HR) since he was about 12 years old and shared various thoughts and readings he recalled. His HRmax is not unusually high for a top athlete, nor is his HRrest/RHR abnormally low. However, his HRV is very high.

 

Metric Category	Specific Value/Range	Context
Maximum Heart Rate (HRmax)	213 bpm	203 bpm	When he was a junior.	Reached recently in 2025.  He is 27, 220-age =193)
Resting Heart Rate (RHR)	37 bpm	42-43 bpm 48-49 bpm (or over 50 bpm)	The lowest he has recorded since he started tracking.	His typical average resting heart rate at night. Occurs if he is sick or experiencing significant fatigue.
Heart Rate Variability (HRV)	120-130 maximum (sometimes up to 150)	35 80 to 110	Recorded on a “really good day”.	Found on the lower end, potentially influenced by factors like drinking alcohol. The typical average range during demanding multi-day races like the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia where it remains “quite steady”.

 

Power and Training Zone Metrics

Like most sensible athletes, Pogačar considers his energy systems using both heart rate and power, also integrating how he feels at times.

His heart rate zones are not unusual, but his power levels and power zones are obviously excellent.

Metric Category	Specific Value/Range	Context
Zone 2 Heart Rate (Fresh)	150 to 155 bpm	When he is feeling “fresh”.
Zone 2 Heart Rate (Fatigued)	140 to 145 bpm	When he is “fatigued”.
Zone 2 Power	320 to 340 watts	Typical power output in Zone 2.
Reduced Zone 2 Power	290 to 300 watts	Used during very long flat rides (e.g., 5 hours) to ensure recovery and avoid being unable to ride the next day.
VAM (Velocità Ascensionale Media)	1,700 to 1,800 VAM	Achievable on a 7–7.5% gradient when going “all out” for 15 minutes.

Interestingly, he also continues to watch his VAM, a cycling metric indicating the rate of climb, as well as tracking speed (!).

Whilst many cyclists use power meters, Pogačar notes they can be unreliable due to outside temperatures, calibration, and overall reliability issues. He appears to prioritise his heart rate and perceived effort over absolute power readings.

Testing and Physical Metrics

As a pro athlete, Pogačar uses specific testing procedures and tracks core physical data:

• Lactate Monitoring: During specific home trainer tests, he uses 10-minute steps and takes lactate readings from his ear every five minutes to check his zones.
• VO2 Max and FTP: He has not tested his VO2max or done a “true 20-minute FTP test” in a while. However, he does perform other structured tests, such as fatigue tests, where he repeats 8 minutes of increasing power leading to an all-out effort.
• Weight: Adding context, his off-season weight is typically around 69 kilograms.

Take Out: Key Learnings

Pogačar’s metrics describe an elite athlete who balances objective data (Power, VAM) with subjective feeling and long-term heart rate tracking. For non-elite athletes, the takeaway is still to use a power meter as an accurate guide to external work, but to also consistently monitor physiological cost via heart rate and daily HRV (Heart Rate Variability) to assess training readiness. Ultimately, committed training and abnormally good physiology determine champions like Pogačar.

More: HRV: all you need to know about the science and what it means to you

Full source: YouTube @PeterAttiaMD

Image: Creative Commons

Last Updated on 30 January 2026 by the5krunner