Low Heart Rate
dsak
Posts: 367 Member
Does anyone else have a low resting heart rate... in the 40's??? If so, just wondering if you've had any issues with exercising or losing weight??? Or any other issues you've experienced that I should be aware of.
When I was more overweight, my resting heart rate was in the 60's. I bought a heart rate monitor last summer, and noticed my heart rate was in the 40's... I was already down about 40lbs by then. When I went for a physical in October, my doctor didn't seem too concerned. In November, a local hospital was holding a women's heart screening, so I made an appointment. One of the things they did was an EKG. They stated I had Bradycardia, and recommended I see a cardiologist just to get checked out. I had to wear a holster monitor for 24 hours -- my daily heart rate was between 31- 75 (without exercising). I also did a stress test and had an ECHO done. The doctor said there was nothing too out of the ordinary to be of concern to her, but I will have to go back in a year to have another ECHO so they can be compared.
Anyway, my heart rate does go up when I stand up... as well as when I exercise. When I run, it goes up into the high 140's to low 150's. With such a low heart rate it is difficult to burn calories, but I keep plugging away.
Anyway, just wondering if there are others out there like me... Or if I need to be concerned about anything.
When I was more overweight, my resting heart rate was in the 60's. I bought a heart rate monitor last summer, and noticed my heart rate was in the 40's... I was already down about 40lbs by then. When I went for a physical in October, my doctor didn't seem too concerned. In November, a local hospital was holding a women's heart screening, so I made an appointment. One of the things they did was an EKG. They stated I had Bradycardia, and recommended I see a cardiologist just to get checked out. I had to wear a holster monitor for 24 hours -- my daily heart rate was between 31- 75 (without exercising). I also did a stress test and had an ECHO done. The doctor said there was nothing too out of the ordinary to be of concern to her, but I will have to go back in a year to have another ECHO so they can be compared.
Anyway, my heart rate does go up when I stand up... as well as when I exercise. When I run, it goes up into the high 140's to low 150's. With such a low heart rate it is difficult to burn calories, but I keep plugging away.
Anyway, just wondering if there are others out there like me... Or if I need to be concerned about anything.
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Bump0
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By the amount of weight you have lost, I don't think it is causing a problem. :drinker:0
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If you do endurance exercise then a low heart rate is normally just a sign of high fitness. If you don't exercise and it is that low then it could be a sign of a problem.
I am a runner and mine is around 40. Never had any problems with it and can lose weight normally with proper exercise and diet.
With your increased fitness you should be running faster at the same heartrate you were running at before. That would actually give you a higher calorie burn in addition to the fact that you are probably also running for a longer time. That's how it works for me anyway. When I am in running shape I can eat what I want and not gain or pay attention to it and lose.0 -
I would really recommend you not take advice on this issue from the board.0
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Endurance recreational "athlete" (used in loosest sense of the word possible!) my RHR is consistently low and yes its bradycardia but the only reason it is low is because I work out for long and hard, cycling and running (over 90 minutes MOST days). Nothing abnormal about it, also called Athletes heart or runners pulse. If your doc finds nothing, that's what it will be and nothing to worry about.0
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I would really recommend you not take advice on this issue from the board.
I agree with her. This is an issue for medical professionals.
Though wtg on 40lbs!0 -
I have to agree with badger lady on this one. However, you were looking for people like you -- which I am. My resting HR is 48-53. This has happened as I've gotten fitter, however, I do have some heart issues, which I'm having checked out and may be related. Friend me if you want to talk about it -- that being said, you need to see a DOCTOR about this and not people on here. Good luck to you and congrats on getting in such great shape!
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I am a Nurse Practitioner & my advice would be to consult with your physician. A resting heart rate of 40 may be normal for SOME people, but it is also bradycardia & could be sign of something else. Better safe than sorry. 0
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As your doctor says, there's really nothing to worry about. Some people just naturally have low resting heart rates, some have higher. Mine is typically in the 80's-90's. Smaller people tend to have lower HR as well. Generally speaking low HR are not a serious problem, particularly if you feel OK.0
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In my case my RHR is about 49 beats per minute. I had a kidney stone and during the work up my Dr. noticed and had me do a EKG which lead to a Stress Test just to tell me I was fine. That the work out that I have been doing is why my Heart rate is low. I do not have any issues with it being that low. But everyone is different. Checking with your Dr. is probably a good idea!0
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From webmd: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/tc/bradycardia-slow-heart-rate-overview
"A slow heart rate is sometimes normal and can be a sign of being very fit. Healthy young adults and athletes often have heart rates of less than 60 beats a minute."
Since you have already had it checked out and found no problem and you do endurance exercise you can safely assume that your low heart rate is due to athletic fitness. This is good and means that your heart has gotten strong and is able to pump a large volume of blood with each stroke. Therefore, it does not need to beat as often as someone with low cardio fitness.0 -
My resting HR is in the mid 40s to low 50s. During exercise I get up to about 160 on a medium intensity run, 180-190 on a high intensity run.
I haven't noticed that I can't lose weight, but I have noticed that sometimes my garmin tells me that I have a low calorie burn for a LONG exercise just because my HR doesn't go past 140 on a long, slow bike.
I agree with the folks who have suggested talking to a medical professional before making any choices or changes in your exercise routine.
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Mine has done it too. When you lose weight, your heart has to work less to pump blood to the whole body. Additionally, if you have taken up cardiovascular exercises it will improve your heart's strength and lower the resting rate.0
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Mine is around 48-52. At first my doctor argued with me over it. Then she sent me for tests. I kept telling her it was because I'm a runner. She got my tests back and she was pretty impressed. She says I'm fine. The leader of our running club has a pulse in the 40's.
Check with your doctor but you're probably fine.0 -
Does anyone else have a low resting heart rate... in the 40's??? If so, just wondering if you've had any issues with exercising or losing weight??? Or any other issues you've experienced that I should be aware of.
When I was more overweight, my resting heart rate was in the 60's. I bought a heart rate monitor last summer, and noticed my heart rate was in the 40's... I was already down about 40lbs by then. When I went for a physical in October, my doctor didn't seem too concerned. In November, a local hospital was holding a women's heart screening, so I made an appointment. One of the things they did was an EKG. They stated I had Bradycardia, and recommended I see a cardiologist just to get checked out. I had to wear a holster monitor for 24 hours -- my daily heart rate was between 31- 75 (without exercising). I also did a stress test and had an ECHO done. The doctor said there was nothing too out of the ordinary to be of concern to her, but I will have to go back in a year to have another ECHO so they can be compared.
Anyway, my heart rate does go up when I stand up... as well as when I exercise. When I run, it goes up into the high 140's to low 150's. With such a low heart rate it is difficult to burn calories, but I keep plugging away.
Anyway, just wondering if there are others out there like me... Or if I need to be concerned about anything.
Just to let you know, that many top class runners have low resting heart rates. I guess this makes perfect sense really, they can run for longer and harder before reaching their maximum heartrate, unlike somebody who has a fairly high resting heartrate who would reach maximum in a much shorter time.
It is often thought that the fitter a person is the slower their heartrate, not sure how true that is though.0 -
From webmd: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/tc/bradycardia-slow-heart-rate-overview
"A slow heart rate is sometimes normal and can be a sign of being very fit. Healthy young adults and athletes often have heart rates of less than 60 beats a minute."
Since you have already had it checked out and found no problem and you do endurance exercise you can safely assume that your low heart rate is due to athletic fitness. This is good and means that your heart has gotten strong and is able to pump a large volume of blood with each stroke. Therefore, it does not need to beat as often as someone with low cardio fitness.
Web MD is no substitute for a medical professional. Just because you have had no issues with bradycardia doesn't mean everyone will. To the OP, direct these questions to your cardiologist, they are the best person to ask especially since you have an established relationship with them. Yes, people who are physically fit tend to have lower heart rates, but I've also had my fair share of runners who have stroked out due to blood pooling in the atria secondary to bradycardia.0 -
From webmd: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/tc/bradycardia-slow-heart-rate-overview
"A slow heart rate is sometimes normal and can be a sign of being very fit. Healthy young adults and athletes often have heart rates of less than 60 beats a minute."
Since you have already had it checked out and found no problem and you do endurance exercise you can safely assume that your low heart rate is due to athletic fitness. This is good and means that your heart has gotten strong and is able to pump a large volume of blood with each stroke. Therefore, it does not need to beat as often as someone with low cardio fitness.
Web MD is no substitute for a medical professional. Just because you have had no issues with bradycardia doesn't mean everyone will. To the OP, direct these questions to your cardiologist, they are the best person to ask especially since you have an established relationship with them. Yes, people who are physically fit tend to have lower heart rates, but I've also had my fair share of runners who have stroked out due to blood pooling in the atria secondary to bradycardia.
Well, she already has seen a doctor about it so I think the whole "see a medical professional" thing was covered in the OP.0 -
My resting heart rate is around 47 It was 80 before I lost all my weight I haven't had any problems 0
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If you're at all concerned about your RHR, please get a second opinion.0
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My heart rate has been in the 40's for the past 6 months or so but, even when I was morbidly obese, it was no higher than the 60's.Does anyone else have a low resting heart rate... in the 40's??? If so, just wondering if you've had any issues with exercising or losing weight??? Or any other issues you've experienced that I should be aware of.
"issues during exercise" — yes. I have a pulse range of over 140 BPM which is a tremendous help.
"losing weight" — I'd posit that there is no material impact on weight loss due to a low RHR. I've head hundreds of page on nutrition and weight loss in my life and have never seen any mention of this until you brought it up. Perhaps it does have an impact but I can't conceive of the underlying process that would bring this about. Personally, I'd put that right up there with the "don't eat black pepper" admonition.
When I moved here to SoCal a few years ago, I had to find a new GP. She did her due diligence (I was an overweight 50 year old male) and put me on an EKG machine. The machine alerted her that I'd had an MI so she insisted that I see a cardiologist. The reason for the alert was that I had a low heart rate (it was in the low 50's I'd guess). She was adamant. I walked out and found another doctor (the machine was alerting on the bradychardia).When I was more overweight, my resting heart rate was in the 60's. I bought a heart rate monitor last summer, and noticed my heart rate was in the 40's... I was already down about 40lbs by then. When I went for a physical in October, my doctor didn't seem too concerned. In November, a local hospital was holding a women's heart screening, so I made an appointment. One of the things they did was an EKG. They stated I had Bradycardia, and recommended I see a cardiologist just to get checked out. I had to wear a holster monitor for 24 hours -- my daily heart rate was between 31- 75 (without exercising). I also did a stress test and had an ECHO done. The doctor said there was nothing too out of the ordinary to be of concern to her, but I will have to go back in a year to have another ECHO so they can be compared.
Due to the warnings and the pathetic invective of some posters reacting to my sharing the results of my weight loss, I've had a couple of different types of checkups, including a stress EKG. All normal.
Insofar as getting another EKG in a year, you might want to get a second opinion or at least an explanation. ASk your doc, straight out, to explain what the risk factors are that lead to that treatment plan.
It would be helpful if you could cite a medical source that sheds some light on the impact of low heart rate on weight loss. Why do you think that's the case?Anyway, my heart rate does go up when I stand up... as well as when I exercise. When I run, it goes up into the high 140's to low 150's. With such a low heart rate it is difficult to burn calories, but I keep plugging away.
Anyway, just wondering if there are others out there like me... Or if I need to be concerned about anything.0 -
Lance Armstrong at his peak had a RHR in the 30s. Perhaps there's something wrong with him also.
My HR is in the 40s but I also run 35+ miles a week. My Dr. knows about my running and has said nothing about my low HR.
Here's a BP & pulse check I took almost 2 years ago showing 44 HR.
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From webmd: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/tc/bradycardia-slow-heart-rate-overview
"A slow heart rate is sometimes normal and can be a sign of being very fit. Healthy young adults and athletes often have heart rates of less than 60 beats a minute."
Since you have already had it checked out and found no problem and you do endurance exercise you can safely assume that your low heart rate is due to athletic fitness. This is good and means that your heart has gotten strong and is able to pump a large volume of blood with each stroke. Therefore, it does not need to beat as often as someone with low cardio fitness.
Web MD is no substitute for a medical professional. Just because you have had no issues with bradycardia doesn't mean everyone will. To the OP, direct these questions to your cardiologist, they are the best person to ask especially since you have an established relationship with them. Yes, people who are physically fit tend to have lower heart rates, but I've also had my fair share of runners who have stroked out due to blood pooling in the atria secondary to bradycardia.
Well, she already has seen a doctor about it so I think the whole "see a medical professional" thing was covered in the OP.
You missed the point. She obviously still has questions which are best directed to her medical team who have all her necessary info, rather than relying on anectodals.0 -
The OP said she has already been to two Doctors who checked her heart and found nothing wrong. Does she really now have to go see a third Dr?0
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The OP said she has already been to two Doctors who checked her heart and found nothing wrong. Does she really now have to go see a third Dr?
Are you being deliberately obtuse? As I just said, numerous times, she should see her doctor, you know, the cardiologist who knows her heart already. She obviously didn't have all her questions answered. Thus she should ask them, not some random dude on the interwebs. Anecdotal evidence such as "well my heart rate and lance armstrongs are low and we're just fine" are unhelpful at best and illogical. You know your heart. You don't know hers. Her cardiologist does.0 -
I had major surgery in June, my RHR before surgery was 37, they freaked, until they looked at my shirt - it said "If I stop running, how do I get home" - they asked "are you a runner" - when I said yes, they quit worrying right there. Then after that, I came with a disclaimer, don't worry about HR, she's a runner. I also had little to no blood loss during surgery, which helped my recovery a bunch. This AM, when I was standing, before my workout, it was 43, nothing unusual for me.
I would add, if your body temp is low, or you are cold all the time ,and your HR is slower, you should see a dr. these are signs of hypothyroid, which can effect weight lost.
I've always believed that it's not "how low" or "how high" when exercising, it's more so of how fast you recover. Another factor in exercise and HR is that the longer you exercise, your HR will be higher and as long term exercise can give an increase in HR, but not really effecting your workout. I don't have the expertise to explain, but I know that length does effect overall HR as well.
If you are concerned, or have other things going on, it's always good to be checked out. IMO, the cardiologist can only tell you a certain part of your health they specialize in your heart, not other things that may be going on. Another thing that can effect heart rate and weight loss is hormones. Depending on what Dr you saw you will get different answers. I have had the salvia hormone testing completed and it really helped me address things like adrenal fatigue and hormone imbalance to get my weight loss to where I wanted it to be. I couldn't have done it w/o this information as estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone all effect your HR as your weight loss.0 -
The OP said she has already been to two Doctors who checked her heart and found nothing wrong. Does she really now have to go see a third Dr?
Are you being deliberately obtuse? As I just said, numerous times, she should see her doctor, you know, the cardiologist who knows her heart already. She obviously didn't have all her questions answered. Thus she should ask them, not some random dude on the interwebs. Anecdotal evidence such as "well my heart rate and lance armstrongs are low and we're just fine" are unhelpful at best and illogical. You know your heart. You don't know hers. Her cardiologist does.
One could just as easily accuse you of being obtuse. She asked if there were others out here "like her" so people are sharing their experience. You made you point. Three times. Be nice.
Did you come here just to police the thread? I made my point. Three times. So what. People are arguing my opinion, I have a right to respond. Why do you feel the need to come in here and wag your finger?0 -
My resting RHR is 43. It was in the 60's before I started running. I have assumed, rightly or wrongly, that this was because of the exercise. I have no other symptoms. I also seem to have trouble pushing myself above 150 when running, but I've come to the conclusion that it's because of the type of running, long distance. When I've tried HIIT training, I have seen it go higher. I guess I just need to push harder. Feel free to add me if you want, OP 0
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Thanks for the feedback everyone.
As I do have a relationship with a cardiologist already and trust her very much, I was really looking for feedback from others with a low heart rate to see if anyone has had any problems due to it being so low. It's good to know others out there who are exercising a lot, running and have lost weight have also seen a decrease in their heart rate.
I'm not concerned since I've been checked out, but was curious to see if I was alone.
Thanks again for the feedback!0 -
My resting heart rate is 48 and I am aged 66, male, and run about 30 miles weekly. I did run by my heart rate monitor but now ignore it while I'm running and look at it later. My max is 172 when running a 5k and the average is about 154. I always feel good and finish in 27 mins. I don't understand why there is so much of an obsession with heart rates. We didn't even think about them 30 years ago!0
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I will answer one part that no one has touched on - it should not affect losing weight.
Keep in mind though that with a lower than average heart rate, the calorie estimates from HRMs will not be accurate as the formulas are based on averages. In your case, they will likely be lower than actual results.0
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