After seeing the Lidl HRM PSA thread I went out and got myself one.
I’ve never used an HRM before and I’m sat here watching TV with the monitor on and my Mrs was surprised to see my heart rate go as low as 42bpm.

Should I be worried? What’s a “normal” resting heart rate?

Low. Could be fit, normal or ill. Its how it responds to everything you throw at it. For instance dead people have very low HR’s

That’s pretty low but I wouldn’t really be that worried.
How fit are you?

It means you have a low resting heart rate.

Try this or something like it, to see what your recovery rate is like.

I was mid-30s a while back. Not tested it in a while but it’s undoubtedly higher thanks to years of fine food and drink.

Mine is -3….

I’m feeling fine BTW 😛

worth looking up how to measure your resting heart rate. IIRC sitting down is not it – something like checking heart rate on 3 consecutive days as soon as you get out of bed and taking the average is better – and likely lower.
Speak to your GP if you’re worried?

I have a voluntary 6-monthly fitness medical with work and they always comment on my low resting rate (mid 30’s) and my recovery rate (140 down to mid 60’s in 45 seconds). I also have quite low blood pressure so usually have a bit of fun setting the cardiac alarms off when they’re measuring me 😆

Some people have a naturally high or low resting rate, it’s the recovery time that’s a good gauge of your fitness.

I’m not overly worried, I feel fine.
I’ll check my resting heart rate first thing in the morning for a few days and also see what my recovery rate is like.

Nothing to worry about it just means you have a low resting heart rate. I can get mine into the mid 40s if I try (yes you can think your heart rate down). Mind you it means my ticker is all out of ideas by the time it gets to 165 bpm.

Miguel Indurain’s resting heart rate is 28.

My garmin doesn’t seem to pick anything up until I’m sweaty and we’ll over 100. arsing about with the chest strap and switching on garmin etc seems to raise my heart rate considerably. So how do you do it? Go to sleep with it on? Or am I missing something (like a decent hrm), apologies for the slight hijacking, but it is on topic!

This is a willy waving thread isn’t it?

As long as you’re not getting dizzy or collapsing randomly there’s no issue. Not sure how much of it is genetic and how much is “training” though.

I had a 24hr ecg done last year and mine was between 42 and 165 so I wouldn`t worry 😀 (while asleep then out on the bike thru the day)

Thats my willy waved 😉

Could be fit, normal or ill.

This. If it concerns you, have an ECG done.

This is a willy waving thread isn’t it?

Not really, HR range is predominantly genetic, doesn’t mean a lot. The only real way to test how fit you really are, vs your peers, is to enter a race and see how well you do.

Mine was 41 for years. Slightly higher now.

This is a willy waving thread isn’t it?

Not yet. Give it time, the last one was…

is to enter a race and see how well you do

Yep.

Not a shoot ’em up film then?

No my BS detector went off on the OP innocently hand on heart stating- “Oh my heart rate is very low is that OK?”
Which is code for ” my heart rate is very low, I know how awesome that is and I need to show off about it without looking like I am deliberately showing off about it”

The rest of you are just replying so you are forgiven…

My max HR on Sunday was 196 bpm. I’m almost 48 – should I be worried or is it most likely to be an aberration of the gps/hr strap?

Not willy waving, I’m genuinely curious.
I’d always associated a low resting heart rate with being extremely fit, which I know I’m not.
I’m probably fitter than the average 43 year old male but in the world of cycling I’m way down the scale!

Everyone is a bit different. Dont know my resting but when i switch the garmin on its around 55 same as my mate, then when we start my hr jumps faster than his and for the same effort i am approx 20bpm higher than his. With my max topping at 202 his 180. Same age and roughly fitness.

It’s Ok I’m only joking, and mostly jealous. MY resting HR has never been below 65..

My brother in law had something similar to this ^^^ with his active HR being about 20 bpm faster than mine for the same section of ride. His fitness is fine though, so it’s just horses for course.

I think my resting HR is lower than his though, about 50bpm. When I was doing a lot of running I got that down to about 45.

I had mine measured four separate times at the doctors and it was very low. Low enough that they doubted it each time and kept checking it. Then made me wear an ECG for a full 24 hours to see what was going on.

This still confirmed the low rate but showed a high max and good recovery. Didn’t explain the low rate though – my low was consistently 37.

I’m almost 50 and fat (so my missus tells me)I don’t race, I just ride about on my bike a bit. Don’t drink or smoke and eat good food. They felt it was worth checking out even so.

So they sent me off for proper tests by a specialist, paid for by my private health care. Ultrasound scan, treadmill all wired up, the works basically.

In the end the specialist said “yes, its very low, but your not going to die”.

He ruled out the normal problems that are likely with a low rate and said keep riding.

Its worth getting it checked out, you only have one heart and one go at life.

Hmm, i had a little worry over the last few weeks, as my resting HR which has always been around 55, had gone up to 80 odd consistently. Then after my ride at the weekend when i was feeling good it went back down to 60(whilst chilling), but is now sitting around mid to high 60’s. I’m quite fit (though not what i was) feeling well, no dizzy stuff, though stress has been a little more (which i know affects it).. tis weird.

My max though only seems to be around 190. 34yr old, 12.5stone ??

I’ve always had a low resting heartrate ~ 40, my blood pressures always been 80/120 and I run warm ~ 1 C above normal. This seems to be genetics rather than being fit – which I’m not. Good fun when I go to hospital though as they always run the machine 2 or 3 times and then panic I have a fever!

If you hold your breath you can lower your heart rate by 10bpm.

Hold your breath for ten minutes you can lower it by 100% 🙂

Don’t be daft.

Recovery rate is more important – as has been said.

Lot’s of external factors can affect heart rate – food/drink/surprise/arousal etc.

I would be more worried if I had a low hr and felt dizzy or if I had a rapid heart rate but got knackered quickly.

Naturally if you have any concerns go see your GP always worth being safe than sorry.

Just whatever you do DO NOT LOOK IT UP ON THE INTERNET – it will only tell you that your painful death is imminent!

molgrips – Member
Don’t be daft.
POSTED 20 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

It’s true I tell you 🙂 ***Wonders how many people are holding their breath***

Mine is in the 40’s – I am 50 years old ‘big build’ but quite active. Went to the docs to be told you are either very fit or very ill a disease called Brughada Syndrome (sp?) was mentioned. A quick google suggested that this is associated with outwardly fit people dropping down dead so it was quite a worry.

My doctor was concerned enough to refer me to Papworth hospital who did a load of tests and came to the conclusion that my low resting heart rate was one of those things and nothing to worry about.

They set my mind at rest so it was worth checking out.