effects of low resting heart rate

nicleed

OK, so I have a low resting heartrate (around 53-54bpm), I wore a halter for 24 hours a few years ago and the diagnosis was "unexplained bradycardia". Whatever.

When I exercise, my heart rate goes up reasonably fast to the 150s (sometimes late 160s) but drops down reasonably quickly too once I stop running/lfiting/climbing stairs/going uphill/whatever.

I'm curious how or whether a low resting heart rate - and the fact it rises and falls quickly - effects exercise in terms of a good "fat-burning zone". Or is the whole "zone" thing another myth????

(I am 44, female and trying to reduce BF % - currently around 26 % while maintaining weight)

Thanks in advance.

heybales

OK, so I have a low resting heartrate (around 53-54bpm), I wore a halter for 24 hours a few years ago and the diagnosis was "unexplained bradycardia". Whatever.

When I exercise, my heart rate goes up reasonably fast to the 150s (sometimes late 160s) but drops down reasonably quickly too once I stop running/lfiting/climbing stairs/going uphill/whatever.

I'm curious how or whether a low resting heart rate - and the fact it rises and falls quickly - effects exercise in terms of a good "fat-burning zone". Or is the whole "zone" thing another myth????

(I am 44, female and trying to reduce BF % - currently around 26 % while maintaining weight)

Thanks in advance.

The fact that it drops quickly after exercise means you are fit.

You can gave a genetically low HR and that doesn't happen if you aren't fit, so good job.

No, it doesn't effect anything regarding calorie burned.

Your heart beats as much as it needs to in order to provide the oxygen required to burn the fuel for the energy expended.

If you have a low HR to provide that level of oxygen, you are fit and burning mostly fat. If it was high HR to do that, unfit and burning mostly carbs.

But the energy expended for a given work is exactly the same.

Does a 5 lb dumbbell weigh 5 lbs to anyone trying to lift it? And the work to overcome gravity is the same for all to lift it. No matter what their HR is doing.

The myth is thinking you must stay in the fat-burning zone to burn the most fat. That zone is usually at most 50% fat burning, and from there more % of carbs - but you also burn more calories overall, even if the % of fat is less.
So the amount of fat calories burned is the same, you just burn more calories overall at higher HR and more intense efforts.

So if you only have 30 min each day, do it intense.

If you have 60 min, best to alternate because every day all out is actually counter-productive.

nicleed

Thanks so much for that informative and interesting reply. I'm not sure I am that fit, so it may be more genetic

If I go for a walk, it's usually medium-fast for about 60 mins, but if it's gym it's half a hour pretty full on. And I tend to alternate, so it seems I am doing it right accidentally. Yay!