anyone pay attention to their resting heart rate?

[mtwarden]

It appears mine is pretty low if I go by what I read online- averaging 45 bpm over the last year. I know my Doc likes it when I go in for my checkup, although it's usually in the 50's by the time I get up moving and to the doctors' office.

I'm not a 100%, but am guessing that a lot of zone 2 stuff (which I get a lot in) has some bearing on RHR.

 

[The_Jim]

I don't have a monitor so I can't tell you my average, but I've put my wife's fitbit on a few times in the evenings. I'm usually 46-48 range. I also do a lot of zone 2 work.

I'd say your heart is working pretty efficiently!

 

[mtwarden]

^ yeah if you don't dig a little deeper, there is a lot of stuff saying you better go see your doctor - you have bradycardia

​

 

[The_Jim]

Definitely can be good or bad depending on the person! I also read an article that classified a resting heart rate under 50 as an elite athlete.

I think people are naturally more inclined to either strength or endurance. Endurance has always come naturally for myself and even if I stopped working out I would probably have a pretty low RHR.

 

[mtwarden]

I think I'll go with elite athlete vs bradycardia

 

[htlt_surfboards]

Im no doctor but I think you are correct that your resting heart rate is so low from lots of zone two cardio. I keep track of mine and do a lot of training for long distance running. First thing in the morning I'm between 35 and 42. By mid day its usually around 50-55.

From what I have read on the subject I agree with the other poster that elite athletes have lower resting heart rates. If you were inactive and out of shape my guess is it would be an indicator of a problem but that doesn't seem to be the case for you.

 

[McCrapper]

Low 40s upper 30s usually here. I dont go to the doctor often but everything I read on the subject says its most likely a positive thing. I'm not overweight and workout 2-3 times a week on average.

 

[isItFallYet]

It appears mine is pretty low if I go by what I read online- averaging 45 bpm over the last year. I know my Doc likes it when I go in for my checkup, although it's usually in the 50's by the time I get up moving and to the doctors' office.

I'm not a 100%, but am guessing that a lot of zone 2 stuff (which I get a lot in) has some bearing on RHR.

I recently noticed mine has been much lower this past year (42-48bpm). I went in to doc and was told everything checks out and Im perfectly healthy. Not sure why mine has decreased, as it has usually been around 55-62bpm.

 

[twall13]

I don't know that my Garmin watch is super accurate as a heart rate monitor but it's been saying my average resting heart rate is in the mid forties for the last several years since I got the watch. As others have said, I think it has a lot to do with the amount of zone 2 cardio I do. I'm not worried about it, I actually think it's a good thing since I know how active I am.

The only time having a low heart rate gave me a problem was after a surgery. Waking up from the anesthesia my heart rate kept dipping into the mid thirties and the doctors didn't like that. I had to pump my fist and wiggle my legs to get it above forty while in the recovery room. I guess the combination of a low resting heart rate and the meds had me super relaxed.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

 

[P Carter]

Sounds like folks' experience is similar. My RHR tends to be in the 40s; when I was boxing in college, I had a physical and I think it was 43 or 44. Every once in awhile I'll do a self test using a watch before getting out of bed; mine will fluctuate from 36 to 50ish depending on the training cycle.

A lot of zone 2 work will bring it down, as will a healthy BMI but I bet genetics are a fair contributor as well. As I recall, Dr. Google tends to say that under 50 (or maybe 60) is brachycardia, but more recently I think the materials indicate something like, "brachycardia except for trained athletes" or somesuch.

 

[Tod osier]

It appears mine is pretty low if I go by what I read online- averaging 45 bpm over the last year. I know my Doc likes it when I go in for my checkup, although it's usually in the 50's by the time I get up moving and to the doctors' office.

I'm not a 100%, but am guessing that a lot of zone 2 stuff (which I get a lot in) has some bearing on RHR.

Mine is well into the bradycardia range, my cardiologist didn't give it a second thought.

 

[V2Pnutrition]

Lower heart rates (BPM) can be a sign of better efficiency in the heart ( seems like an obvious statement). An interesting study topic is how it can carry some cause for concern of arrhythmias (some benign, some not so much) later in life. The risk seems to grow for older athletes who have been lifelong trainees.

Interesting study topic.

The adaptation isn't fully understood, but thought to be because of changes in "the pacemaker of the heart"- the SV node. (It's worth noting this was all in folks doing endurance-based events. Not your casual, Z2, 30-minute, 2-3 times per week warrior). Even with that said, mine tends to run in the high 30s/low 40s ad I won't change anything anytime soon.

We did a podcast on the topic with a preventative cardiologist (who happens to be a friend and former colleague) you can check out here if you'd like. The episode might be of interest to the group here in particular as he shares thoughts on ultra training, taxing the heart, the value of HIIT, etc.

The topic came about because I was haunted by the fact that I kept seeing well-trained athletes dying during endurance training/events and wanted to know why. They're linked below or you can search the podcast if you don't want to listen on the browser.

Part 1
Part 2

 

[Dos Perros]

I watch mine daily. Some trends I've noticed.

If I drink alcohol, it's higher.
If I sleep with a warmer ambient temp, it's higher.
If I'm more stressed, it's higher.
If I travel to higher elevation, it's higher.

If I sleep in a colder room, it's lower.
If I'm less stressed, it's lower.
If I'm recently returned from higher elevation, it's lower.

My lowest RHR's of the year come when I get back from my elk hunt. Low for me is 46, although I've seen it lower. High for me is 52, but it could be into the 60's or higher at higher elevation.

 

[TripleJ]

According to my Garmin watch, mine is consistently in the high 30's/low 40's, but I haven't really given it much thought beyond that. I usually tend to pay more attention to my sleep quality and the factors that affect that.

 

[HenChamp]

My RHR is about 55 or so last I have checked. No idea what it should be... but I feel healthy overall.

 

[IBen]

Garmin’s heart rate monitor is not accurate. You need a chest strap. Wetting your skin and the back of your watch can produce more accurate results. If you see a low or high HR i would verify it by counting your beats.

 

[IBen]

Lower heart rates (BPM) can be a sign of better efficiency in the heart ( seems like an obvious statement). An interesting study topic is how it can carry some cause for concern of arrhythmias (some benign, some not so much) later in life. The risk seems to grow for older athletes who have been lifelong trainees.

Interesting study topic.

The adaptation isn't fully understood, but thought to be because of changes in "the pacemaker of the heart"- the SV node. (It's worth noting this was all in folks doing endurance-based events. Not your casual, Z2, 30-minute, 2-3 times per week warrior). Even with that said, mine tends to run in the high 30s/low 40s ad I won't change anything anytime soon.

We did a podcast on the topic with a preventative cardiologist (who happens to be a friend and former colleague) you can check out here if you'd like. The episode might be of interest to the group here in particular as he shares thoughts on ultra training, taxing the heart, the value of HIIT, etc.

The topic came about because I was haunted by the fact that I kept seeing well-trained athletes dying during endurance training/events and wanted to know why. They're linked below or you can search the podcast if you don't want to listen on the browser.

Part 1
Part 2

Ryan shay had a heart rate as low as 17bpm. He was a really good college middle distance runner known for really long and hard workouts. He died of a heart attack during a marathon. Mine has been as low as 28 during my college running career. I was kind of trying to get that low so its was not my average rhr. 32 was my average but drinking coffee and not running anymore it is higher. Its mostly genetic but I think training/lifestyle can put you 10 bpms lower or higher.

 

[InteriorAKPopsicle]

I know that low resting heart rate is good.
I don't look into it too much but I probably should as I am trying to continue to loose weight - lost 35-40 pounds pri9or to my Sheep Hunt this year. Need to do better and stay in better health overall this time around.

 

[V2Pnutrition]

Ryan shay had a heart rate as low as 17bpm. He was a really good college middle distance runner known for really long and hard workouts. He died of a heart attack during a marathon. Mine has been as low as 28 during my college running career. I was kind of trying to get that low so its was not my average rhr. 32 was my average but drinking coffee and not running anymore it is higher. Its mostly genetic but I think training/lifestyle can put you 10 bpms lower or higher.

He (the cardiologist I interviewed) did a really great job explaining why these things happen. It seems prolonged extremes on either side of the spectrum can (heavy emphasis on the word “can”) increase risk of negative outcomes. Though rare, it’s possible.

 

[P Carter]

He (the cardiologist I interviewed) did a really great job explaining why these things happen. It seems prolonged extremes on either side of the spectrum can (heavy emphasis on the word “can”) increase risk of negative outcomes. Though rare, it’s possible.

Agree generally, and I loved the podcast, but you also have to be careful of drawing general conclusions for outliers. Looking at Ryan Shay and concluding that marathons aren’t healthy is a bit like looking at Arnold Schwarzenegger and concluding that lifting weights makes you too bulky. A casual marathoner probably runs 25-40ish miles a week at mostly easy paces. A professional marathoner probably runs 90-120 miles a week, with dozens of miles at what would be blazing speed for a casual runner, like multiple miles under 5 minute miles and long runs of 18+ miles in the 6 minute range.

As I recall, there was also a genetic component to Ryan Shay’s heart issue.

Again, not to dispute what the cardiologist said, just some context on