Following on from the interesting letter in the latest ST Mag, i.e. the one about the guy who was suffering from fatigue, I note he made reference to the fact that his resting HR was 39 and that the medics were a bit shocked.

My resting HR used to consistently be about 60. But of late (last couple of years) its dropped to sub 50 and last week was 43. My basal temperature has also dropped to 35deg (i.e. 2 deg less than normal).

I questioned my GP about the latter and his response was – some people are just like that. However, I never used to be. So what’s changed? Age?

I dont consider myself to be particularly fit. But feel more healthy than I have in a long while.

My BP is normal and all other markers for heart disease, diabetes etc were low.

So how low is too low with respect to resting HR?

I would think that a lot of us on here, when hooked up to a HRM in the hospital have that annoying beeping noise 😐

Mine has been around the 50 mark since my late teens.

I was led to believe that’s totally sound. No idea if that’s the case though.

Well professional cyclists have super low heart rates normally. Armstrong at his peak had around 32-34 bpm.

I’d say if it reaches zero, then you have a problem. 😉

I have pace maker as mine dropped to 30 and below and was iregular now its set to 45. I wouldnt worry too much the cardiac centre could set mine even lower. 45 is quite normal.

In the past both my doctor and a consultant doing a pre op have told me my blood pressure was on the low side and heart rate quite slow (about 50). It would appear that doctors don’t get to see many fit healthy people that do regular exercise and as such you are judged a freak.

I had a bit of a “collapse” a while ago, resulting in my cracking my head open on my bath !
So I paid a visit to my doctor who told me nothing to worry about your fine now arn’t you! cheers for that I thought.
He then sent me for a ECG and the nurse went very quiet when my RHR settled to 42 BPM, she was so concerned she came and shook me and got the doctor ! LOL I then explained that I cycle about 200 miles a week so would expect to be pretty fit in the heart department.
The Doc told me that RHR’s that low where usually a sign of a imminent heart attack or stroke…

… I’m still here fit as a fiddle tho. 🙂

I wouldn’t worry about your RHR if your feeling super fit, don’t know about your temperature thing though.

Wasnt overly worried tbh, as I feel well and all other indicators normal.

More curious.

Sounds like sub 50 is fairly normal then.

I had similar issues when I had a shoulder reconstruction last year.

I have a reasonably low resting heart rate (sub 50 certainly), but also I have just a tendency for slightly elevated bloodpressure.

These two things don’t sit well with nurses who are used to old people. The heart rate surprises them, then low blood pressure readings (common in old people) doesn’t surprise them, whilst it’s actually the other way round for me… IYSWIM.

So I’m there with a ticking slowly heart, that they are finally convinced it’s normal, and next thing I know, I’m coming round collapsed in a chair as my blood pressure was lower than it’s ever been.

Fun times!

I posted about this a while back when I was refused from a platelet donor session because of my low resting HR

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/too-healthy-to-donate-what-is-your-resting-heart-rate

Dave

Think its hard to identify a norm as so many factors are involved.

Alfabus, apologies I must have missed your post from a month ago.

Going back to the letter in ST Mag, I was intrigued by the various responses from the “experts”.

My own recent health experiences are remarkably similar to that of the person who wrote in. And having been shunned by the conventional medics (after having too been told on many occassions that I had probably had a virus), I turned to the nutrionist side of things. Was pretty much recommended what was stated in the mag and have not looked back.

I found Matt Harts sly dig at protein rich diets mildly amusing (given all the recent discussion on here). Then again for a company that sells carbohydrate based nutrionist products I’m not surprised.

Then again for a company that sells carbohydrate based nutrionist products I’m not surprised.

Torq sell protein based products as well as carb based ones…so I dont think he’s got an axe to grind as such..

It just seems he’s not in favour of diets which base themselves too much on protein.

Fair point, but only for recovery.

I have nothing against Matt Hart or Torq and always think what he says makes a lot sense. And I find Torq products very good.

But judging by his remark he is clearly not a fan of low carb/lowGI strategies.

Alfabus, apologies I must have missed your post from a month ago.

i wasn’t telling you off 😉 just linking to some more stuff you might want to read in answer to your question. 😀

Dave

That’s a relief, I’ll take myself off the naughty step now then! 😀

The link was useful.

Thanks.

Last general operation I had they had to ask if I was OK, as I was going in for what was a fairly serious op (3-5hour, that got complicated and turned into 6.xhour) and my resting heart rate was about 50/53bpm. The anisnatist (spl?) was worried they had the wrong drugs and it was adversely affecting me, but as soon as I mentioned cycling from an early age they just nodded and all was well*

*however, since about 15, I CANNOT get up quickly from a rest as I will simply loose vision, black out and drop to the floor like a sack. I can get right back up again, and doc’s have just put it down to low heart rate and slightly low blood pressure at times, so blacking out is just bodies natural response to try and get some blood back into the brain**

**also heard this from climbers/cavers RE: suspension trauma of which I have had one very nasty bought of.

I go light headed whenever I stand up, not yet passed out, but vision goes and it’s all a bit weird. Mentioned it to the doc who said BP was a bit low, but didn’t seem fussed. RHR around 45bpm.