Low resting heart rate and powerlifting

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jmarq3428
jmarq3428 Posts: 10 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm a 61 year old woman that's lost 70 lbs in the past year through diet and lifting weights. I do very little cardio. Before I lost weight, my resting heart rate was in the low 60's. After the weight loss and lifting weights for the past several months, my resting heart rate is now between 45-50. My blood pressure has stayed the same at 120/80. A few weeks ago I had a cardio workup done for the low heart rate and everything checked out okay.

Yesterday I was working out with my personal trainer and at the end of the session, I had a terrible time with dizziness. It was the most I've done with squats before (5x3 @ 65 lbs). Two days earlier I had done 55x3, 3x4 @ 65 lbs. Then I started on my deadlifts-1x3@ 95, 1 @115, 1 @135 with rests between each one. I've done 135 lbs. before. After the 135 lift I couldn't do anymore and was extremely dizzy. After about 5 minutes it was so bad I had to lay down on the bench.

The trainer called 911 and I ended up in the emergency room. They did the usual tests and everything checked out okay. The doctor said I was dehydrated. I know I didn't drink that much the previous day and before I worked out but I think it was more because of my low heart and holding my breath for the lifts. I love powerlifting and don't want to quit but am nervous about this happening again. I've been dizzy before but nothing like this. Usually it was when I didn't rest enough between sets and was just starting out powerlifting.

Anyone have brachycardia (low heart rate) and are you still able to powerlift? Any suggestions on what I should do now? Would wearing a heart rate monitor chest strap or watch be worthwhile?
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Replies

  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,122 Member
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    I am not a doctor, but a 45-50 resting heart rate is not that low for someone who exercises regularly. It would be interesting to know your blood pressure while lifting and your heart rate immediately post lift as well. Both should go up substantially and then slowly go down during your rest periods between sets.
  • jmarq3428
    jmarq3428 Posts: 10 Member
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    I'm 4'11" and weigh 165 lbs. I do very little cardio-basically just lifting. Does resting heart rate go down from lifting only? I think of it more as from endurance sports.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
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    Are you pregnant? Okay, JK. Did you eat before you went to the gym? Could you be getting the flu? I wouldn’t let one day scare you from working out. If it continues, obviously you need more tests. Sometimes we just get dizzy.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,122 Member
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    jmarq3428 wrote: »
    I'm 4'11" and weigh 165 lbs. I do very little cardio-basically just lifting. Does resting heart rate go down from lifting only? I think of it more as from endurance sports.

    My HR has gone down from lifting and losing weight. I don't lift as the moment, and the cardio I do brings it down as well. Again, far more useful numbers are knowing what happens to your BP and HR when you are lifting. If they are not responding properly or typically, then you have more information to bring to the doctor.
  • jmarq3428
    jmarq3428 Posts: 10 Member
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    Good suggestion @rileysowner. I'll do that for my next session. Is getting dizzy normal for powerlifting? So dizzy that you think you're going to pass out?
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,122 Member
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    jmarq3428 wrote: »
    Good suggestion @rileysowner. I'll do that for my next session. Is getting dizzy normal for powerlifting? So dizzy that you think you're going to pass out?

    Not normally, but dehydration can cause it, but not always. Check BP and HR when lifting, especially if you are feeling light-headed.
  • ecjim
    ecjim Posts: 1,001 Member
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    A low HR can be normal for someone who is in excellent physical condition. When I was training more my resting HR was mid 40's - 50 I knew a lady who did Iron man triathlons, hers was 37. In someone who is not in great shape - it could be a problem , or in could be normal for you. I have gotten dizzy doing high rep squats - Eastcoast Jim
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,613 Member
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    I found that having an electrolyte drink with me that contains sodium helps a lot. I carry propel packets in my bag and add them to my big ice water.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Great job on the lifts!! Hope the rest checks out ok.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    edited December 2017
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    deadlifts are notorious for making lifters dizzy. Proper breathing before, during and after is important. When i was first started deadlifting, i would kneel down right after each deadlift for a few seconds or a minute just to let my 02 levels have a chance to stabilize, before standing up. It helped with preventing dizziness and made me feel safer in case i fainted i was closer to the ground. Hopefully the more you deadlift and get practice with a breathing pattern that works for you, there will be less dizziness. But even the pros get dizzy, and at powerlifting meets there is a spotter positioned behind the lifter just in case. You just have to find the breathing pattern that works for you.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
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    jmarq3428 wrote: »
    I'm 4'11" and weigh 165 lbs. I do very little cardio-basically just lifting. Does resting heart rate go down from lifting only? I think of it more as from endurance sports.

    purely anecdotal, please note. but i noticed a pretty substantial drop a few months after starting lifting - from high/mid 90's down into the 70's. noticed it because i have bike commuted for more than a decade without ever seeing that much effect on my heart, and i was watching it off and on because i always have been a little defensive about my speedy heart rate so i was hoping it would drop as i got into shape. very little change from all that. and then i start lifting and boom, this big drop.

    i did lose about ten final pounds during that new-lifter period too, but at 5'3" my top weight of 61 kilos was pretty reasonable to begin with, so i'm not sure how much of a factor that would be.
    I know I didn't drink that much the previous day and before I worked out but I think it was more because of my low heart and holding my breath for the lifts.

    also anecdotal, but i tried to give blood once with exactly the same 'yeah, i'm about 24 hours behind on my water drinking, but i feel fine' kind of profile. they got about half a bag of blood out of me over the course of almost an hour, and then they pulled the needle and threw me out. and normally when i donate it's more of an issue for me to be done faster than anyone else and then i sometimes bleed through the post-needle bandaid as well. so in my case hydration made that much of a difference and yet i felt 'fine'.
    I couldn't do anymore and was extremely dizzy. After about 5 minutes it was so bad I had to lay down on the bench.

    to be honest, i think if it was just the lifting then i would expect the timing to be reversed: that you'd had to lie down immediately afterwards but then it would improve. if you lay DOWN after 5 mins (as opposed to getting back up) then yeah. however, i have no medical training at all and i'm just spitballing here.
  • jmarq3428
    jmarq3428 Posts: 10 Member
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    Forgot to mention I’m on a low diet of 1200-1300 calories. I eat 100 grams of protein and about 150 grams of carbs. Since I’m 4’11”, I’ve found I have to keep my calories low to keep losing weight. I still need to lose another 20 lbs
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    This could be more of a one-off event, so this is just some speculation.

    Unless lowered heart rate was the result of a medical condition (which it isn’t in your case), a low resting heart rate by itself would not cause dizziness.

    Here are some conditions that might be involved (again, listed in random order and not saying that any of these are specific to you).

    (And, also again, your situation could be entirely due to dehydration or even a drop in blood sugar).

    Breath holding. This is called a valsalva maneuver—when you have a forceful exertion/exhalation against a closed airway. This causes heart rate and blood pressure to drop. The effect becomes greater as weights increase.

    Body fat distribution. Especially visceral fat. If someone has more visceral fat or fat around the midsection, doing squats or deadlifts can result in dizziness ( in my experience). Not sure exactly why, but could be due to compression of larger blood vessels during the hip hinge.

    Postural hypotension. The same mechanism that drives the lower resting heart rate (increased parasympathetic tone), can cause that response to changes in body position to become a little more sluggish—meaning the body doesn’t restore pressure as quickly.

    I have issues with all three-to the point where I often find it impossible to do squats or deadlifts. Because of injuries I haven’t been able to lift heavy in years, but even when doing goblet squats, I have to pause after each rep and take a couple of breaths. I also have to do rack pulls instead of full deadlifts.
  • not_a_runner
    not_a_runner Posts: 1,343 Member
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    jmarq3428 wrote: »
    Forgot to mention I’m on a low diet of 1200-1300 calories. I eat 100 grams of protein and about 150 grams of carbs. Since I’m 4’11”, I’ve found I have to keep my calories low to keep losing weight. I still need to lose another 20 lbs

    How long have you been eating 1200-1300 cals?


    If I try to train under fueled I feel dizzy. I have to eat frequently if I'm going to have my calories very low, and even then if they're too low I will often feel dizzy after too much exerction.
    (I'm 5'1'', 185 lbs... 1600 cals seems to be my lower limit. However I maintain on quite high cals)
  • jmarq3428
    jmarq3428 Posts: 10 Member
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    I’ve been eating 1200-1300 calories since January. I’ve only been doing the back squat for a month.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
    edited December 2017
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    Little old woman who lifts here. I am the opposite of you though low BP; high HR (genetic).

    I'm 5'1, 64, and 100 lbs with a sedentary cal of 1200 (this for context)

    When I first started I had a couple of dizzy-ish episodes.

    What I have found is :

    I need to be well hydrated and have my electrolytes in check, usually have an Emergency-C an hour before lifting. In a glass of water, and take water with me.

    I need at least 2 hours after eating so my body isn't trying to digest food and lift.

    I need to take longer rests than most programmes recommend.

    I really need to feed my workout. 200 cals extra or I burn out really fast.

    I prefer a programme that increases reps over weigh, AllPro. (This may be mental though)

    I don't need to increase reps or weights every session.

    If I am feeling 'off' I drop my weigh, sets and/or reps, no shame, or stop and sit for at least 5 min to decide if continuing is wise.

    @canadianlbs has just put me on to a programme that I think will really work well for me once I have the chance to get into it properly. You may find a change of programme; more sets with fewer reps, gives you a better recovery time, or doing a heavy, medium, light, day.

    Don't let this set back put you off. Assess with your trainer what you can change to make a lifting programme work for you.

    Cheers, h.

    (Sorry I haven't got back to you about that canadianlbs, all the celebrations this time of year means I haven't got into a rhythm, or even full week yet :()
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    Given your age, I can understand the doctor being concerned, but in general, weight loss can result in a lower heart rate because large people develop a circulatory system capable of supplying blood to their mass and then it has excessive capacity for their new mass. But dizziness is something to be careful with, regardless, because it could be a precursor to someone passing out.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    I haven't taken the time to read if anybody touched on it yet but my first thought was dehydration. With that comes lower blood pressure, which can result in dizziness.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
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    Chieflrg wrote: »
    I haven't taken the time to read if anybody touched on it yet but my first thought was dehydration. With that comes lower blood pressure, which can result in dizziness.

    that's actually what her doctor told her but she came to MFP for a second opinion.
  • PowerliftingMom
    PowerliftingMom Posts: 430 Member
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    I don't think you are eating enough. I remember when I was on a 1200 calorie diet for almost 2 years, I started feeling dizzy a few times while lifting after I lost over 50 lbs. Since I started eating more, I never feel dizzy and I have 2 heavy lifting days/week

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