Low heart rate / missed beats

[essayer]

Noticed thanks to a handy iPhone app* that my resting heart rate, sat down, is approx 55bpm .. lying down it's nearer 50. This seems low to me. I am not superman PH-Company-Director-Kickboxer fit, I do about 10-12 hours a month cycling.

I've also noticed recently that sometimes I go through periods when I 'skip' heartbeats here and there, with a simultaneous sinking feeling in my chest. I've googled this and it seems quite a normal thing to have, but did make me wonder if it is somehow connected to the low heart rate.

Normal, or worth chatting to doc about..?


* Heart rate

Edited by essayer on Wednesday 20th July 23:54

[RemainAllHoof]

I had that. Turns out my one-a-day banana was over-stimulating my heart. Had the whole 24 hour ECG PITA thing, too.

[Streps]

essayer said:

I've also noticed recently that sometimes I go through periods when I 'skip' heartbeats here and there, with a simultaneous sinking feeling in my chest.

Edited by essayer on Wednesday 20th July 23:54

This used to happen to me.
managed to track it down to excess Caffeine.
since cutting it out of my diet i have had no problems.

[jagracer]

Check your app is working correctly and take your pulse the old fashioned way but 50 to 55 seems very good, my heart rate is normally between 70 and 80 at rest. I sometimes get missed beats and it can be caused by dehydration, especially after a few too many drinks.

[ChrisnChris]

essayer said:

I've also noticed recently that sometimes I go through periods when I 'skip' heartbeats here and there

Not normally "skipped", the beat is still there............take 3 beats, 1......2......3....equally spaced, move beat 2 closer to beat 3, 1..........2..3......4......5 etc. This happens to most people, although more pronounced in some than others.

If you're concerned go see your vet & they may fit you with a 24hr monitor

[Stevenj214]

I just checked mine - 58bpm. This is lower than what I remember having in the past. 70-80 is more normal for me.

[caiss4]

Your heart rate varies with time of day too. In the morning my at rest rate is 60-65 bpm. In the afternoon it can drop to to around 52 - 55 bpm.

Right now it's about 57 (after a 30km bike ride).

Apparently anything under 60bpm is bradycardiac (slow heart rate) but it doesn't seem to be considered a real issue unless it drops below 50bpm (and you're not a super athlete)

I was monitored quite closely a couple of years ago. At night lying down my heart rate could drop as low as 48 but generally was 50 - 52. It was noted on my file that I had a tendency to be bradycardiac but all the other tests concluded it was as a result of my level of fitness which, btw, is not superhuman!

Anyway, if you're concerned seek professional advice! The tests that can be done are pretty impressive - MRI, CT, ultrasound and even an EP (electrodes up your veins to the heart to stimulate)

[RemainAllHoof]

ChrisnChris said:

If you're concerned go see your vet & they may fit you with a 24hr monitor

Something only relevant to me, really.

[Chapppers]

I have a funny heart, but mine was diagnosed as an actual condition called "Atrial Flutter" where palpitations basically don't stop because the atrium gets itself into a loop and goes mental.

Sometimes in the evenings my HR will drop to 44, but I've been to the doctor and they seem to think it's OK. It will naturally lower as you're gearing down for sleep I think, and as long as it's not 44 while you're going for a run you should be fine.

So yeah, go see the doctor if you're worried, he'll probably say it's fine. If you get palpitations very often or one day they don't stop...go see a hospital!

[balders118]

Low resting heart rate is nothing to worry about I wouldn't say. The older you get, the lower your RHR gets as well as with increased fitness. My RHR is generally in the low 40's. I'm fairly fit, but not super fit.

There was an elite cyclist (his name escapes me) who's RHR was as low as 28 BPM

[ChrisnChris]

RemainAllHoof said:

ChrisnChris said:

If you're concerned go see your vet & they may fit you with a 24hr monitor

Something only relevant to me, really.

AllHoof, you would need a farrier...the only farriers we deal with are fang farriers

[RemainAllHoof]

ChrisnChris said:

RemainAllHoof said:

ChrisnChris said:

If you're concerned go see your vet & they may fit you with a 24hr monitor

Something only relevant to me, really.

AllHoof, you would need a farrier...the only farriers we deal with are fang farriers

I can't say farrier than that. Or at least I won't be able to if you remove my teeth.

[djmotorsport]

Get checked out by your doc - I put up with this for 2 years before it stared causing problems during exercise - could have been fatal apparently - ended up having an op (cardiac radio ablation) to cure - all ok since.

[young_bairn]

I get this from time to time. I put have tracked it down to alcohol and caffine.

[E21_Ross]

arrythmias are very common and rarely problematic. worth seeing your GP anyway but chances are it's been like that for a very, very long time...you just haven't noticed. as long as the arrythmia is regular then usually it's fine. ideally you should have a regularly regular heart beat, next a regularly irregular beat (i.e. it misses a beat every 10 beats every time) or worst case an irregularly irregular beat (i.e. skips beats here there any everywhere - not too good!)

all the best.

[RemainAllHoof]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDetwzG7igQ