Jeffrey Adler’s Heart Rate Data Reveals The Stress Of Elite CrossFit Competition

If you’ve ever wondered just how much of a toll top-level CrossFit competition takes on the body, Jeffrey Adler’s heart rate data from last month’s Dubai CrossFit Championship gives a solid insight.

The championship is one of the toughest competitions on the circuit, attracting some of the biggest names in the sport due to the level of prize money on offer.

It takes place over three days, and Adler’s heart rate data - which was shared by Whoop - shows the intensities he hit during the events as well as the stress it placed on his body as he recovered in between workouts.

Adler finished an impressive fourth, and the data goes some way to showing just how hard he pushed to secure that result.

Day 1 - Max Heart Rate 190

After losing out on a night of sleep while travelling, Adler’s recovery score on his fitness watch was only 29%, but this climbed back to 78% by the morning of day 1.

The first workout was called “Stay Frosty”, and involved 500m on a ski erg followed by a 400m run up and down an indoor ski slope. Adler’s heart rate peaked at 190 beats per minute as he crossed the line.

The second event was only an hour later, and this time the 27-year-old’s heart rate hit 195bpm. That must have been close to Adler’s maximum heart rate, and it’s perhaps not surprising when you consider the workout consisted of a 700m run up the ski slope while wearing a vest weighing 20lbs.

Day 2 - Over 8 Hours’ Sleep Helps His Recovery

After a gruelling first day of competition, Adler got eight hours and 42 minutes of sleep which resulted in a recovery score of 64% according to his watch.

Day 2 involved three events, finishing up with a workout involving a bike erg, handstand walk, and overhead squats.

Adler’s maximum heart rate for the day was 189bpm, which was similar to the data obtained in “Stay Frosty”.

Day 3 - Resting Heart Rate Rises

At this point in the competition, the stress was starting to take its toll on Adler’s body.

His heart rate variability had now decreased from 111ms to 58ms, and his resting heart rate rose from 54 to 62.

Both those stats are a good measure of your body’s recovery levels, and it shows how much fatigue sets in when an athlete reaches the final day of a major competition.

Even though the data demonstrates how tired Adler must have been, he was still able to perform well in the workouts, achieving two top-five finishes