Is my heart rate to low?

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Jmoney711
Jmoney711 Posts: 42 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Need advice, I’m 5 foot 10 151 pounds. I am very active and cycle quite frequently. My heart rate at testing is about the mid 40s but sometime when I take a nap my Apple Watch will say my heart rate dropped below 40 for 10 minutes. I’m not sure if I’m just in really good shape or if I should be concerned.

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  • Jmoney711
    Jmoney711 Posts: 42 Member
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    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Third possibility: your watch may be wrong.
    I would hope that is the case.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    Generally exercise makes your heart muscle stronger, increases the pump volume so fewer beats do the same thing, and increases blood plasma volume which again means your ticker can do as much with fewer bpm. If the situation isn't causing you any trouble it isn't too low. Generally a low resting heart rate is considered a sign of fitness.
  • mburgess458
    mburgess458 Posts: 480 Member
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    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Generally exercise makes your heart muscle stronger, increases the pump volume so fewer beats do the same thing, and increases blood plasma volume which again means your ticker can do as much with fewer bpm. If the situation isn't causing you any trouble it isn't too low. Generally a low resting heart rate is considered a sign of fitness.

    Agreed. I am a runner and my Apple Watch usually says my resting heart rate overnight is 39-41... so there are definitely periods under 40. When my doctors/nurses see my resting heart rate they ask if I'm a runner and when I say "yes" they aren't worried at all.

    If you're worried about it ask a doctor. That's the sort of thing you can do via telemedicine. Absent other issues I wouldn't worry about it myself.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    edited June 2020
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    A HR in the 40's isn't that unusual for very fit people especially endurance athletes.
    Mine dropped from low 60's (pretty fit squash player) to high 40's from taking up cycling.

    If you have no adverse symptoms and this isn't a sudden change, I wouldn't worry about it.
    Remember bradycardia is a description (low HR) not an illness!

    NHS advice is:
    "See a GP to get checked if you think your heart rate is continuously above 120bpm or below 40bpm, although it may simply be that this is normal for you."

    British Heart Foundation is another good source of info.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    I am very active, my heart rate is very low. My doctor understands the rest of my health data and history and knows my activity level, so she isn't worried about it and considers it normal for me.

    Would your doctor conclude the same? I have no idea, but it's the kind of thing you can easily ask about during your next appointment (obviously if you feel unwell or this is a sudden change, you'll want to make that appointment sooner rather than later).
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,521 Member
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    Again, @sijomial hit the head in the bulls-eye!

    I just add that people may need to know about it if you ever go to the ER because the HR alarms are usually set at 40BPM. But, generally, if you feel well and you HR responds to exercise normally, you are good to go. (And, maybe very good, indeed.)

    But, I'm not a doc...
  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,449 Member
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    A few months ago I had a procedure done that required sedation and all the BS that goes with it. While bored laying there waiting for them to get me in I played a game. I tried as hard as I could (ie, dozed off :) ) to get my HR as low as possible. I remember getting it in the low 40's before the wheeled me off. Of course I they were aware of this ahead of time so it wasn't a big deal.

    My normal resting heart rate is in the 40's. If it gets higher I know I'm either sick or over training. Neither one is good.
  • MarttaHP
    MarttaHP Posts: 68 Member
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    There's probably nothing to worry about - like others have said, the higher your fitness level, the lower your RHR. But I'd still see a doctor, for your own peace of mind if nothing else.

    I'm a runner and my resting HR is in the high 30s. A year ago during a routine checkup my HR showed up as 38 during a blood pressure measurement. I told the doctor that I exercise a lot, but he sent me to get an EKG and see a cardiologist anyway. There was nothing wrong with my heart, but apparently the doctor wanted to make sure just in case.
  • pondee629
    pondee629 Posts: 2,469 Member
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    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Third possibility: your watch may be wrong.

    My Garmin wrist Heart rate monitor frequently has my heart rate at over 180 before my runs. After several minutes it drops to 125, or so, then reports what I would expect. But, it does not instill much confidence in the numbers.
  • moonangel12
    moonangel12 Posts: 971 Member
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    As an athlete I think you are fine, if you weren’t active then it would be a red flag. My dad was having heart issues the last could of years and one of the meds they put him on for afib lowers his RHR too low and he was exhausted, just not enough for him. (Thankfully the ablation he eventually had worked wonders and he is off most meds including blood thinners and is back biking for the first time in years!)

    Clicking around on my Garmin I found this:
    wxihcx0l1q5y.jpeg
  • alexmose
    alexmose Posts: 792 Member
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    I can get faint w exercise in low 40s RHR. Added electrolytes and I feel better.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,444 Member
    edited June 2020
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    My HR might drop into the 40s at times. Actually, when I relax actively I can make it drop from the 60s or so down by around 15bpm. Made a couple of nurses jump who were taking HR measurements :D
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,613 Member
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    It's probably fine as long as everything else is fine. I know when I had low BP, low hr, and low sugar(all at the same time) I was not fine. But just one low number, especially if it is normal for you and you feel fine, is probably ok. How are your rides going? Any light headedness?
  • KeKy4
    KeKy4 Posts: 62 Member
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    Sometimes a low thyroid can cause a low resting heart rate. It’s worth mentioning to your doctor.
  • Jmoney711
    Jmoney711 Posts: 42 Member
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    DancingMoosie wrote: »
    It's probably fine as long as everything else is fine. I know when I had low BP, low hr, and low sugar(all at the same time) I was not fine. But just one low number, especially if it is normal for you and you feel fine, is probably ok. How are your rides going? Any light headedness?
    During my rides I have been good, the past two days I’ve had to rest because I’ve been pretty fatigued and yesterday I had some light headed ness. But after I ate I felt fine. Maybe I need to add some electrolytes.
  • amorfati601070
    amorfati601070 Posts: 2,869 Member
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    Probably not, it can be a problem when it gets really low and hemostasis is distorted but that’s found in the extreme individuals . You could wear a holter monitor if you’re worried arrhythmia. If have symptoms then definitely go see a DR.

    I get pretty low in my sleep but I don’t notice anything.

    g4km53wywqdx.jpeg

    I’m not a Dr, but this guy is.

    https://youtu.be/hT8GZlBBv5k

    Interesting stuff!

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