A RHR in the 50s is not a big deal at all for someone in good shape with a healthy heart. Mine would get down in the 40s years ago.. then I got old LOL... Over the years I've seen alot of folks with HR under 60 as normal.
Bradycardia and age- How low is too low?
- Thread starter skyking1
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I posted elsewhere, here, that between mid-February and late March I had total of 4 stents put in my cardiac arteries. Prior to then, I was physically active between running, swimming and other activities. My resting HR was 48-52. Every time I went to a doctor and they'd check my blood pressure, I'd tell them "I'm a runner," and they wouldn't be concerned. Before my forewarning became a habit, the low HR would become an issue for the technician. As an aside, it's been 2 1/2 months since my last run and my current resting HR is a "respectable" 57.
OP
OP
skyking1
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I did the morning BP thing shortly after getting going and got 130/71 pulse 50
Fitbit said 54~56, my money is on the BP machine's accuracy there.
Fitbit said 54~56, my money is on the BP machine's accuracy there.
How low is too low? I think your body will tell you if you have a serious problem. Otherwise, it's a good sign of being fit!
Back in the day of serious running (25+ years ago) I regularly had a resting HR of under 50.
Two years ago I had quad bypass surgery and the doc prescribed a beta-blocker. For several months I thought I had serious heart damage as I was constantly tired, easily winded, would get light-headed if I did anything quickly. Turns out the beta-blocker was pushing my resting heart rate too low, about 47. Once I convinced the doc that the beta-blocker was a bad idea, all the tiredness and other problems went away, resting heart rate is now about 52, and I have resumed all activities, including running about 3 miles once or twice a week. I'm 72 years old.
Back in the day of serious running (25+ years ago) I regularly had a resting HR of under 50.
Two years ago I had quad bypass surgery and the doc prescribed a beta-blocker. For several months I thought I had serious heart damage as I was constantly tired, easily winded, would get light-headed if I did anything quickly. Turns out the beta-blocker was pushing my resting heart rate too low, about 47. Once I convinced the doc that the beta-blocker was a bad idea, all the tiredness and other problems went away, resting heart rate is now about 52, and I have resumed all activities, including running about 3 miles once or twice a week. I'm 72 years old.
googily
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Hmmm. Oura tells me my overnight HR averages around 54-59 (individual readings bottom out around 52-53). I am most definitely not athletic. I think though the lowest I see my heart rate during the when awake but at "rest" is around 60-63.
I just take it as a good sign overall.
I just take it as a good sign overall.
Thomas3857
Dryer sheet aficionado
56 and my resting heart rate is in the 50s and sometimes drops into the mid-40s. Cardiologist told me as long as I'm not having symptoms it's not a concern.
troutnut1
Recycles dryer sheets
We just returned from a visit with my wife's cardiologist where we had this discussion because she has an artificial aortic valve. She told him she often gets down into the 40’5 or 50’s and the first question he asked was “according to what? Your fitness watch? Your pulse oximeter? Or an EKG?” He went on to explain that her fitness watch takes a very small short (5-6 second) sample. That it probably doesn’t count PVC’s at all. And that depending upon the timing of the 5-6 second sample it might just miss a first and last beat and dramatically under-report the rate. He said EKG’s are much more reliable because the sample taken is of much longer duration. He wasn’t at all concerned as she is fit and not experiencing any symptoms like shortness of breath.
Your mileage, and heart rate, may vary.
Your mileage, and heart rate, may vary.
Delawaredave5
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Wow - lots good information and "low numbers".
I'm regularly in high 50's RHR, max out exercising around 140, 60 years old.
I do get lightheaded if I get up from couch quickly after long run. Never fallen over - but need to pause.
Anybody get this ?
I'm regularly in high 50's RHR, max out exercising around 140, 60 years old.
I do get lightheaded if I get up from couch quickly after long run. Never fallen over - but need to pause.
Anybody get this ?
OP
OP
skyking1
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Yes, I will get a head rush every now and again from doing things bent over and standing up quickly. Last time I was on BP medicine I eventually had to discontinue it when the pressure got too low.
mountainsoft
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I recently picked up an Emay portable ECG monitor to better see my PAC's when they occur. It takes a 30 second sample and provides my heart rate among other things.
https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Windows-Monitor-Heart-Health/dp/B07BHFS39C
Prior to the Emay I was using my home BP monitor to track my pulse. Comparing both I find they provide very close, if not identical, heart rate readings. If I am experiencing a lot of PAC's, then the Emay does provide a more accurate reading. The BP monitor tends to give a really low pulse reading in that situation (The BP readings are way off then too).
I did have to go into the Emay settings and lower the Bradycardia threshold from 60 to 50. My pulse is always below 60 on my Metoprolol, so the Bradycardia always took priority as a warning, even if I was having PAC issues.
For what it's worth, I took a printout from one of my Emay readings to my doctor a few days ago. I expected him to say it was just a useless toy, but he said it did have enough information for most situations. Obviously it can't match a full multi-lead EKG, but for something I can grab any time of day and get a reading it's great.
gooddog
Recycles dryer sheets
Bradycardia is a 'relative' term, and the definition of bradycardia is for the 'average' person. Almost all athletes would be labeled with bradycardia. When I was in top shape my resting pulse was 36, and there was no concern. One thing that IS helpful is to let your surgical team know ahead of time that you have a low heart rate so they don't panic should you be put under for surgery. Meditations used with major surgery can decrease your resting heart rate even lower than normal, so let the team know.
When to get concerned regarding bradycardia is when you are not athletic and your heart rate falls. The heart has a 'backup' to the sinoatrial node (the pacemaker of the heart) that will kick in should there be transitory ischemia or tissue death of the SA node which can cause a drop in BPM. The backup kicks in when the heart rate falls in to the 30-40 BPM area, it is a little different for everyone where it kicks in. Oops, forgot - the backup is the AV node (Atrioventricular node). The AV node has it's own job to do, but does take over should the SA node fail. It is worth doing routine vital signs at least one a month, as low blood flow or very low blood pressure (two different things) can result in poor perfusion of vital organs. As an example, poor perfusion for an extended time will lead to irreversible kidney damage.
There is a secondary backup, just in case anyone is interested. It is called 'the bundle of HIS' (soon to be renamed for equity and inclusion). It kicks in in the event of both a SA and AV node failure, and has a rate of about 15 BPM.
When to get concerned regarding bradycardia is when you are not athletic and your heart rate falls. The heart has a 'backup' to the sinoatrial node (the pacemaker of the heart) that will kick in should there be transitory ischemia or tissue death of the SA node which can cause a drop in BPM. The backup kicks in when the heart rate falls in to the 30-40 BPM area, it is a little different for everyone where it kicks in. Oops, forgot - the backup is the AV node (Atrioventricular node). The AV node has it's own job to do, but does take over should the SA node fail. It is worth doing routine vital signs at least one a month, as low blood flow or very low blood pressure (two different things) can result in poor perfusion of vital organs. As an example, poor perfusion for an extended time will lead to irreversible kidney damage.
There is a secondary backup, just in case anyone is interested. It is called 'the bundle of HIS' (soon to be renamed for equity and inclusion). It kicks in in the event of both a SA and AV node failure, and has a rate of about 15 BPM.
Turbo29
Full time employment: Posting here.
15 BPM, can anyone even stay conscious with that?
gooddog
Recycles dryer sheets
I know of one elderly lady who actually functioned fairly well for a number of years at 15 BPM. Her family said she complained of always being tired. One day her family checked her pulse, and then took her straight to the emergency room. After testing, it was discovered that both her SA & AV nodes had failed due to long term ischemia. A pace maker was placed, and she lived another 4 or 5 years, passing at age 95. She died from kidney failure that was brought on by inadequate perfusion. She might have made it to age 100 if not for the heart issue, as she was still getting around fine and still sharp mentally up until the day she died.
Old Microbiologist
Recycles dryer sheets
Bradycardia, like everything else, is an individual value. The "norms" we use are based on statistical analysis and can be way off for specific individuals. Bradycardia is a symptom of an enlarged heart. The function of the heart is to pump blood and maintain pressure at a given state. The latter is the real thing you worry about not the heart rate unless it is too low to provide enough pressure. Pressure is controlled by several factors including heart rate, heart volume per beat (and efficiency of the heart in the actual pumping), arterial dilation, and capillary resistance.
Back in my youth I trained hard to run marathons and approached it in a scientific way. I adapted my running and emphasized increasing my VO2 max which is a measurement of aerobic to anaerobic function. I wanted to raise my threshold for anaerobic running so embarked on years of fartlek sprints designed to raise the threshold. I have an inherent and genetic issue that makes it hard for me to increase my speed. My fast-twitch to slow-twitch muscle fiber ratio is heavily biased towards slow-twitch. This means I can run long and relatively slow and it was very hard to increase speed hence why I was approaching the anaerobic threshold. You can't change your muscle fiber ratio as that is genetic. Anyway, what I ended up achieving is an enormous heart but I did raise my anaerobic threshold (and coincidentally my heart rate recovery time is almost super-human). My heart grew to a very large size and can cope with high stresses. his came in very handy for me as I added biathlon skiing to my mix in my late 30's and the heart rate recovery is key to shooting well after skiing hard. It also helps in combat where you run hard (carrying a heavy load) and have to shoot quickly and accurately. The same for rescue operations under fire where you spring to a victim under fire and then have to perform emergency field medical procedures which are impossible if your heart is beating too fast. So, there are some practical advantages to this kind of training other than marathon performance.
My resting heart rate is in the mid-40's (and I am 70 now). My problem is if I have surgery it drops into the 30's and they freak out, alarms going off and panic ensues so I have to always stress that I have this condition which is normal before I have a medical procedure. I am physically fine. I still work out a lot and in particular do fartlek type training swimming. This maintains my anaerobic threshold which is around 130 bpm now in my old age. I have no cartilage in my knees now (parachuting problems unrelated to running but associated with my military career) so I no longer run but I hike, swim, and mountain bike a lot. I am in great health and have almost no medical problems at all. I did develop exercise-induced arrhythmia somewhere along the line which occurs when my heart rate goes above roughly 130 bpm. However, I know about it and I have a procedure of holding my breath for 3 heartbeats and it normalizes after a weird very hard skipped beat. I have demonstrated this to the cardiologists while doing a stress test who were amazed at it. That said I do try and keep my heart rate under 130 bpm which isn't hard to do except when hiking/climbing hard in the mountains at high elevations. Pacing is the key. I also do sauna 3 times a week and it can get up in that range which is an indirect measurement of core temperature. The heart rate increases as core temperature also increases. When my internal core temperature reaches 41 degrees my heart rate is roughly at 130 bpm. So, I use my heart rate to decide when it is time to leave the sauna. Heat stress is another thing you can train into and is beneficial by also raising non-specific innate immune responses (heat shock proteins) which is a benefit of doing saunas. This also has implications for performance under stress like fire fighting or operations in high-temperature environments.
The bottom line is if you have a reason for the bradycardia, like years of running, then it is of no consequence UNLESS you are having issues with blood pressure. Low blood pressure is far more healthy than high blood pressure and if syncope is a problem then it can be accommodated. I experience it myself frequently when standing up too fast. So, don't do that. It is kind of that simple. I don't bother with medical exams and physicals unless I have a reason to suspect something is wrong. But I am in this business so know what I am doing. Athletes always have medical issues that are not "normal" and require medical specialists familiar with this kind of physique. My local GP is the same age as me and he still runs marathons so we understand each other completely (he is in fact a cardiologist but works as a government GP and maintains a private practice for cardiology). I have to add here in our small town on Lake Balaton Hungary we have the National Cardiological Institute and hence our small town of 10,000 people has a plethora of cardiologists (more than 100). The Institute Director is a friend and my wife's cardiologist is the Chief of emergency medicine and intensive care and sees her in his private clinic. It is fun as we all debate the finer points of cardiology, physical training, and things like statins. I am a PITA to some of them but we all are more or less agreed on things.
Back in my youth I trained hard to run marathons and approached it in a scientific way. I adapted my running and emphasized increasing my VO2 max which is a measurement of aerobic to anaerobic function. I wanted to raise my threshold for anaerobic running so embarked on years of fartlek sprints designed to raise the threshold. I have an inherent and genetic issue that makes it hard for me to increase my speed. My fast-twitch to slow-twitch muscle fiber ratio is heavily biased towards slow-twitch. This means I can run long and relatively slow and it was very hard to increase speed hence why I was approaching the anaerobic threshold. You can't change your muscle fiber ratio as that is genetic. Anyway, what I ended up achieving is an enormous heart but I did raise my anaerobic threshold (and coincidentally my heart rate recovery time is almost super-human). My heart grew to a very large size and can cope with high stresses. his came in very handy for me as I added biathlon skiing to my mix in my late 30's and the heart rate recovery is key to shooting well after skiing hard. It also helps in combat where you run hard (carrying a heavy load) and have to shoot quickly and accurately. The same for rescue operations under fire where you spring to a victim under fire and then have to perform emergency field medical procedures which are impossible if your heart is beating too fast. So, there are some practical advantages to this kind of training other than marathon performance.
My resting heart rate is in the mid-40's (and I am 70 now). My problem is if I have surgery it drops into the 30's and they freak out, alarms going off and panic ensues so I have to always stress that I have this condition which is normal before I have a medical procedure. I am physically fine. I still work out a lot and in particular do fartlek type training swimming. This maintains my anaerobic threshold which is around 130 bpm now in my old age. I have no cartilage in my knees now (parachuting problems unrelated to running but associated with my military career) so I no longer run but I hike, swim, and mountain bike a lot. I am in great health and have almost no medical problems at all. I did develop exercise-induced arrhythmia somewhere along the line which occurs when my heart rate goes above roughly 130 bpm. However, I know about it and I have a procedure of holding my breath for 3 heartbeats and it normalizes after a weird very hard skipped beat. I have demonstrated this to the cardiologists while doing a stress test who were amazed at it. That said I do try and keep my heart rate under 130 bpm which isn't hard to do except when hiking/climbing hard in the mountains at high elevations. Pacing is the key. I also do sauna 3 times a week and it can get up in that range which is an indirect measurement of core temperature. The heart rate increases as core temperature also increases. When my internal core temperature reaches 41 degrees my heart rate is roughly at 130 bpm. So, I use my heart rate to decide when it is time to leave the sauna. Heat stress is another thing you can train into and is beneficial by also raising non-specific innate immune responses (heat shock proteins) which is a benefit of doing saunas. This also has implications for performance under stress like fire fighting or operations in high-temperature environments.
The bottom line is if you have a reason for the bradycardia, like years of running, then it is of no consequence UNLESS you are having issues with blood pressure. Low blood pressure is far more healthy than high blood pressure and if syncope is a problem then it can be accommodated. I experience it myself frequently when standing up too fast. So, don't do that. It is kind of that simple. I don't bother with medical exams and physicals unless I have a reason to suspect something is wrong. But I am in this business so know what I am doing. Athletes always have medical issues that are not "normal" and require medical specialists familiar with this kind of physique. My local GP is the same age as me and he still runs marathons so we understand each other completely (he is in fact a cardiologist but works as a government GP and maintains a private practice for cardiology). I have to add here in our small town on Lake Balaton Hungary we have the National Cardiological Institute and hence our small town of 10,000 people has a plethora of cardiologists (more than 100). The Institute Director is a friend and my wife's cardiologist is the Chief of emergency medicine and intensive care and sees her in his private clinic. It is fun as we all debate the finer points of cardiology, physical training, and things like statins. I am a PITA to some of them but we all are more or less agreed on things.
Music Lover
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
You could probably test any local running club and find that well over half of them are under the "elite" levels indicated on that chart. I was just an average jogger with a best 52 minute 10k and my resting pulse was 47-78. My friend was a 2:40 marathoner back in the day and his used to be about 38.
Even now I'm almost 60 and a good 20 pounds overweight with an almost non-existent cardio routine and my pulse is in the low 60's.
audreyh1
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
DH’s Apple Watch gave him a low heart rate warning the other day while he was sleeping. It had briefly dropped to 39. It’s normally in the 40s while he is sleeping.
He has always had low heart rate, but not low blood pressure.
He has always had low heart rate, but not low blood pressure.
Katsmeow
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This is pretty much the same as me.
Not necessarily. I have no symptoms of anything wrong. My body isn't telling me anything. On that chart that was posted I show as being fit but, honestly, I'm really not particularly.
mountainsoft
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I'm almost 59, probably 40-50 pounds overweight, and get very little exercise. My pulse was usually in the low 60's, but now that I'm on metoprolol it's in the low 50's (occasionally dropping into the 40's). I was pretty active when I was younger, lots of biking and hiking, but now I'm just old, fat, and lazy.
My wife is 55, and probably gets more exercise than I do at work. Unfortunately, she is usually stressed out so her "resting" pulse is usually in the 70's or 80's. Her idea of rest is a lot different than mine. For her that just means doing two things at once instead of four or five.
gooddog
Recycles dryer sheets
Regarding being 'fit' or not, and how it relates to BPM. It is a bit like a car - if you have a V8, it doesn't have to work too much, if you got a little inline 4 in there then the RPM's (beats in this case) will be up a bit to compensate. Left ventricular fraction and the volume (CC's of the chamber) have a large impact on BPM. Smaller than average chambers or low LVEF (or any flow obstruction) would be made up for with increased beats. Smaller chamber is the inline 4, bigger chamber is the V8. Vroom...
