[Closed] REALLY LOW resting heart rate, should I be worried ?

If you don't feel dizzy or suffer episodes of fainting, it's no problem.

since when did singletrackworld become NHS direct. I pay enough national insurance, and I'm sure you do too, for you to throw questions like this at a professional.

Go and see your GP.

If it helps Indurain and Steve Redgrave both had resting heart rates in the mid 20's at peak fitness...

Without this turning into a willy waving thread, your resting HR is not that low. If worried, go to your GP

Could be worse, my RHR is double that.

I'm not that bothered by it, I just see it as a sign of being fit, I was just curious as to how low a RHR is too low?

And, Faz083 I feel just fine, so no point going and wasting the time of the already over stretched NHS.

Shindiggy, er unless the machine is wrong, it is ( as I glance across the table to the print out)

... Like I said, I cycle EVERYWHERE I possibly can, and as fast as I can too!

But hey you know me better than I know me!

I did wonder whether it was a 'look how low my RHR is' I guess not then.

I have to say sub 40 is pretty damn low as an average, especialy since the old hospital machines usually alarm below 45, and if you had walked to the machine, hence not actually 'resting'

Nothing to worry about though...

I pay enough national insurance,

What's your NI arrangements got to do with this ? 🙂

Shindiggy, er unless the machine is wrong, it is ( as I glance across the table to the print out)

The machine is telling you it's low? Well compared the general population it is. When I've been in hospital and had my HR taken I've had to tell them I exercised a lot as they were concerned at a mid 40s rate (and another time when I was badly ill and they measured it at ~75 I had to point out that was an extremely high RHR for me, rather than being normal)

Yes 38 is low in the context - that's the lowest I ever measured myself at, though my normal RHR was in the mid 40s, so it's not that ridiculous from what you're saying. As said above you're not going to get any really useful advice on here though.

double post

How are you measuring your "normal" resting HR?

I would not be unthinkable that the machine is not the most accurate thing in the world.

BP is at the upper end of normal is it not?

BMI is "overweight" 🙂

But as before... the machine is hardly likely to be that accurate 😉

Normal heart rate is between 60-80 bpm. Top Athletes can achieve lower heart rates through fitness.

Bradycardia is a heart condition of 40-50 bpm, absolute bradycardia is below 40 bpm.

I would get a routine check at your gp, if you do infact have a heart rate of 38 then gp should do an ECG as routine check.

Before you go to gp, find your pulse and count it over 15 seconds then x4. Those machines are not overly reliable.

Only if you're taking EPO

It's not your resting heart rate if you walked a couple of hundred metres plusI presume you actually do things when at work.

I'd guess the machine isn't very accurate.

All this running/cycling everywhere and no hrm?

Take your heart rate just after you wake up if you want to really scare yourself.

And, Faz083 I feel just fine, so no point going and wasting the time of the already over stretched NHS.

Bah I suppose.

Regular cyclist in low RHR shocker. I have similar BP and BMI to you, my RHR is low 30s. Sub 30 if I'm properly relaxed. Never let it bother me . I had a heart murmur discovered 10 years ago during a routine medical the consultant never seemed bothered by it although I did distress a couple of med students who spent so long listening for the murmur my RHR was dropping like a stone! !

If you just walked a couple of hundred meters to the machine then that ain't a [i]rested[/i] heart rate. Check it by palpating your radial pulse upon waking for at least 3 days in a row and work out the average. From what you've described above it may be worth a routine appointment with your GP.

Sounds like your work is [b]really[/b] boring! Have you considered a change of job?? 😉

Out of interest have you measured your basal temperature?, i.e. your temperature before you get out of bed first thing.

I too have a reasonably low resting HR, especially as I am not that fit and my BMI is not too different to yours. I discovered that my basal temperature is sub 35 deg C.

So clearly my body/metablolism/BMR is downregulated. Never really got the bottom of it, but I know my cortisol levels are low and cortisol is required to help the thyriod hormones, resulting in a low metablic rate/hypothyriod type symptoms even though the thyriod hormones are within "normal range".

To counter this I make sure I eat some fast carbs, every so often, even though my diet is mainly devoid of refined carbs, just to keep my BMR ticking over. If I dont my BMR seems to rapidly drop off.

for gods sake dont waste a GPs time with this.
waste a bit of Googles time maybe, open yourself up to STW ridicule and kick of a half arsed medical/willy waving thread

*heart rate risen by 10bpm due to stress of this thread*

story I heard on the radio a few years back.

Bloke out running collapses and wakes up in hospital with all sorts of wires attached to him.

Doctor: "We found your heart rate was very low and we think you ought to have a pace maker fitted."

Bloke, smugly: "It's ok, I'm an [i]athlete[/i] I always have a very low heart rate."

Doctor: "Does it often go down to 1?"

Bloke: "Errrm."

He had a pace maker fitted.

As above though, unless you have any other symptoms I wouldn;t worry too much.

Bah. I've got a heart rate of 0.5.

very sensible, giving each ventricle every other second off.

My resting heart rate was really low (and blood pressure slightly high) before I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism.

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I'm not that bothered by it, I just see it as a sign of being fit, I was just curious as to [b]how low a RHR is too low?[/b]

Zero.

IIRC Seb Coe had an incredibly low heart rate when he was at his peak many years ago.

My resting hr is 45 but some how when I used a machine it read if at 38. I then checked it manually straight after at 45. Conclusion is machines can be crap. I always thought low was good but I did end up passing out a couple of weeks ago and hit my head hard on a concrete floor. The hospital did an ECG and found some odd traces that normally signify a heart attack, but said I hadn't had one after blood tests and chest X-ray. I think it's generally best to get professional medical advice on this sort of thing than ask randoms on the Internet. I am very fit and only 40 so not really normal heart problem material.