Should you be worried about RHR getting lower?

I think you're being a worry wart.:bigsmile:

When I started to seriously run, my resting heart rate dropped a lot, as did my blood pressure. My RHR is about 50, and my NO is about 100/60. My doctor is not worried about either and said people who exercise well generally have better vitals.

Please don't insult this thread, as it may sound like I'm a worry nut, but I had to ask this question because it's been on my mind.

So my resting heart rate is between a 56-60. And I think that's fine for now, but according to my research, a normal adult is between a 60-100 bpm. Now I used to be much higher before I started conditioning myself consistently, at around 75 or more. So now my resting heart rate has dropped a lot. However, I still have more than 20 lbs to burn. So this worries me a little because what if my heart rate drops another 20 as I get even more fit and lose more fat? The world record was 28 bpm, so you can only go so low before you start to worry.. How low is unhealthy or dangerous?

Mine is 55. Before I started running and exercising it was higher than that. Your heart rate dropping is a sign of a healthier heart. Nothing to be alarmed about. The heart is stronger so it doesn't have to work as hard. The only time my heart rate gets up to 65 or 70 is if I'm not feeling well or I am tired.

Don't worry. A low RHR due to conditioning isn't a medical problem. Wikipedia is actually fairly reliable on this subject: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletic_heart_syndrome

It's not your weight that causes it, so losing another 20 lb. won't somehow make your RHR lower. If you continue to increase the length or intensity of your cardio workouts, it might continue to drop, though at a certain point, as with other muscular adaptations, you'll approach a limit.

A few years ago my RHR was in the low 60s. It's now usually 48-50 if I've had a good night's sleep. The only consequence I've had to deal with is that I have to be a little careful when I stand up suddenly.

You might want to let your doctor know about this so that he or she can put a note in your medical records that you're an athlete. Otherwise, low RHR and an enlarged left ventricle might be mistaken for a serious medical condition.

If it's accompanied with light headedness, shortness of breath and/or fainting then yes, you should be concerned because that would mean that the slow beats are not caused by your fitness, but rather due to an electrical problem in the heart that causes the heart to beat more slowly than it needs to in order to get enough blood around your body.

For me, I'm still 238 pounds and my RHR is between 58-62 and my pcp is really happy with it.

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I have a heart condition, and I have been told by my cardiologists that a lower heart rate is ideal. It just means your heart is doing less work to get the job done. Your heart rate will not get too low to support your body unless you have an underlying heart condition, and it doesn't sound like that's the case. It might drop a bit more, but it's nothing to worry about.

If it's accompanied with light headedness, shortness of breath and/or fainting then yes, you should be concerned because that would mean that the slow beats are not caused by your fitness, but rather due to an electrical problem in the heart that causes the heart to beat more slowly than it needs to in order to get enough blood around your body.

For me, I'm still 238 pounds and my RHR is between 58-62 and my pcp is really happy with it.

Okay, so you are at 238. That's good, but what if you dropped 25 to 40 more lbs and your heart rate dropped so low (approaching world record)? That is what i'm getting at and i hate to be repetitive.

There is a limit you can reach. Each person has a different limit based on their health, genetics, fitness level, etc.. Don't worry about your RHR getting too low (your body will know its limit) unless you start feeling faint, dizzy, light headed, short of breath, etc.. My RHR is in the low 50's. It has been for years, even though I am 20 pounds heavier than I was 6 years ago. I have maintained the same level of fitness, so my RHR has stayed pretty low consistently.

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I'm a cardiac RN. A seriously fit athlete can sit in the 30s and be fine. An old man with heart failure is dying with that kind of HR. It doesn't have to do with weight, it has to do with fitness and how athletic you are.

No.

Do worry it won't drop anyway near that low (28bpm) even if you loose more weight and become extremely fit, and to be fair its not a problem if it did as long as your blood pressure is OK.

I have a background of a life time of power and endurance sports and my resting HR is 36 bpm, my blood pressure is normal and my weight is in the lower 25% of my healthy range. I currently cycle about 900 - 950 miles a month about 45 - 50 hours

IMO the thing that needs to be monitored (or worried about) is blood pressure.