Resting heart rate

[fuzzymonkey]

I got a heart rate monitor a few weeks back for use when cycling. Out of interest I tried wearing it around the house to see what my resting heart rate is. While sat down watching TV my rate drops and stays in the 40s. It would seem that many people have a resting rate of 60 or higher?

I'm not sure if this is healthly or not as lots of web sites say a low resting heart rate is a sign of a pro athlete but I'm no pro athlete and don't do any training! Just 4 or 5 hours of cycling a week for exercise. Out of interest last night I wore the monitor while asleep and for the four hours it worked, I had an average of 46bpm and a few times it dropped into the 30s...

I'm making an appointment with my GP but what the folks on here think?

[UpTheIron]

Mine is similar, a little higher depending on how hard I'm training (distance runner but by no means a pro athlete!). Average resting between 40 and 50 on a day to day basis. Others who run regularly (i.e most days) report similar.

[Scabutz]

Low RHR 40-50 is usually OK if you do a decent amount of exercise. Especially cycling. If it's low and you do fk all its bad.

Mine is mid 40s when I'm at peak fitness. Few weeks off and it creeps up.

[Winky151]

Same here. 50 y.o. & had an arthroscopy late last year & had the nurses worried as when taking my stats with the machine the heart rate monitor kept alarming as my RHR was 39 - 42 bpm. Stuck loads of red markers on my notes in case the anaesthetist thought I was going into arrest.

[anonymous-user]

About 70. When I was fitter it was 66, all normal.

[Z4monster]

Good idea to get it checked out. As you said, elite athletes can have very low RHR and you are not one. Probably nothing to worry about but worth getting checked.

[Yipper]

A super-elite pro cyclist (with or without steroids) can get down to a RHR as low as 28-32bpm.

But an average Joe should be in the 50-80 range.

[Perseverant]

I'm 63, reasonably active and my RHR is around 60, as it's been for years.

[thatjagbloke]

I'm 68 ( years of age ) and my resting heart rate is 44 bpm. I run 3 times a week now but in my younger days used to do up to 100 miles a week and then my resting heart rate was 35 bpm. I now suffer from intermittent atrial fibrillation and my cardiologist told me that low heart rates can be a contributory factor in this and many elite cyclists and runners go on to develop it when older.

[clonmult]

Yipper said:

A super-elite pro cyclist (with or without steroids) can get down to a RHR as low as 28-32bpm.

But an average Joe should be in the 50-80 range.

Not entirely sure that an average person would be as low as 50 - that would tend to require being active.

My rate varies depending on the exercise - drops down to about 45 on a rest day, but otherwise it tends to be 48. A year back it was about 60 - but giving up smoking helped it drop a bit, but over the last month I've really cranked up my training a fair bit and my recovery is improving massively.

[roboxm3]

Slightly OT but I think it's interesting to monitor how different things can affect resting HR.

My gym routine is largely the same week to week but my resting HR seems to vary quite a lot with sleep and diet.

Good sleep and diet and I'm around 51-52bpm but after a night out the other week, consuming my own bodyweight in Jack Daniels and getting (according to the app) about 3hrs kip, my resting HR was over 60bpm the following day.

It's been hovering around the 55bpm mark this week, so I need a good catch-up at the weekend and perhaps knock the cheat meal on the head.