Heart rate - really low when resting and really high during hard exercise

This Heart rate business has been bothering me. It started when someone checked my pulse a few months ago and was really shocked when it was just below 60 bpm. I started checking it once a week or so when I wasn't moving around much and it's always that low, even after drinking coffee. That's one issue, since I am considered obese and all the reports say I'm the least likely person to have such a low heart rate. Everything I've read says that it's in the athlete range, especially for someone younger than 40. Why is my resting heart rate so abnormally low? Does low heart rate have another association anyone knows about? I'd like to think it means I have good CV health but I don't want to jump the gun.

Then there's the other issue...With such a low RHR, I also have a lower maximum heart rate I'm supposed to reach during exercise. I usually stay around 150. But I've been trying to do HIIT and I am supposed to work as hard as possible for 1 minute. Even by just working hard, not exactly pushing my limit, I will attain a 180+ pulse. I need two minutes of intermediate exercise time to get it back to 150s. Is this bad especially with my low resting heart rate? Should I give up intervals?

The 60 RHR is not that low. Some people just have naturally low RHR. *shrug

As for hard efforts 180 is actually quite high. Your Max is probably around 200, so I am not sure why you are saying it is low. Last time I hit 180+ I wished someone put me out of my misery. lol

UD

Low resting heart rate is a good thing and it does not mean that you have a low max rate heart, obviously you don't if you can hit 180 during HIIT.  The point of HIIT is to get your heart rate as high as you can so keep up the good work.  As you become more fit your heart will recover faster.  You don't need to wait until your are fully recovered between your intervals, that's what makes them hard.  The best intervals are 20 sec. full with 10 sec recovery repeated as many times as you can with a goal of 8 reps.  This is the Tabita Protocol.

+1 on that.  My resting heart rate has dropped down to mid 40's, and I'm 42.  60 is not terribly low. It's dropped considerably since I started exercising.

Also, the calculators I've seen for maximum heart rate that also take into consideration a resting heart rate calculate a HIGHER maximum exercise heart rates if your resting heart rate is lower.  Likely because a person with a lower resting heart rate is in better physical condition than one with a high resting heart rate, and can therefore go to a higher maximum safely.  Using http://www.wikihow.com/Calculate-Your-Target- Heart-Rate as an example.

Finally, heart rates are all over the place, and any formulas and calculations are whacked for many people.  According to the formulas, my max heart rate should be 180 or so.  But I'll hit that rate regularly when going for a run, and my average over a 60 minute run is around 175.  My max, according to my HRM, is 197 when doing hill runs. 

I would suggest talking to your doctor, especially if you're considered obese and starting a physical exercise program.  Go to him/her with your information, and clear up any issues/confusion.  Heart issues aren't anything to fool around with, or take advice off anonymous internet forums.

Clint

Umneydurak - vertigal wasn't saying 180bpm was low, but high.

I have a similar issue vertigal, so I'm interested to see the responses.  My RHR is 49 - I always put the medics into a bit of a panic when they measure my heart rate until I remember to tell them it's normally 49, and then they heave a sigh of relief.  Mine shoots up too when I'm exercising, and some exercise I just can't do because I think I'm going to explode.  I had a PT once who thought I was kidding until I showed him my HR monitor - and then he let me ease off!

I ~have~ got a bit of a heart murmur (mitral valve backflows a bit but not enough to need treatment) and I reckon that my heart must've got stronger to cope with it - no-one else has come up with a better hypothesis anyway.  Medics said I had a 'dynamic' heart (you can actually see my chest beating sometimes).  Basically, it doesn't affect me much in my day to day life, but I'm likely not to last as long as I would otherwise - one of the reasons I try to look after my health as best I can (which isn't always very well!).  

normypie this is what vertigal said:

Original Post by vertigal:

Then there's the other issue...With such a low RHR, I also have a lower maximum heart rate I'm supposed to reach during exercise.

UD

normypie, I know you have a heart condition and need to careful but for those of us with a healthy heart there is no reason to fear exercising at very intense levels because it will not "explode" our hearts but rather it will make our hearts stronger.

I don't feel like I'm going to explode my heart, the perception of exploding is in my head, and I don't fear exercising either as I want to make ~my~ heart as healthy as I can too.  I wasn't trying to suggest in any way that people should be fearful of exercise.

Original Post by umneydurak:

normypie this is what vertigal said:

Original Post by vertigal:

Then there's the other issue...With such a low RHR, I also have a lower maximum heart rate I'm supposed to reach during exercise.

UD

 

Sorry UD, I think it was your post rather than vertigal's I misunderstood.  I think I'm going to extricate myself from this thread now as it seemed relevant to me, and I thought I could contribute at first, but now I think I'm just making a mess!

When I first started exercise my resting heart rate was over 100 now its 48 - my husband has a very high RHR and he isn't overweight by much.  I am more overweight than him.  If you do not have fainting, dizziness or other symptoms of a slow pulse then your probably fine.  

As far as maximum its whatever you can do and still breath and stand up and not puke.  I'm soon to be 50 and according to the charts and such I shouldn't go over 156 -- I can do 156 and more especially when lifting heavy weights.  Your maximum is what you can do.  

as i sit here right now my rhr is 39... 60 or a little below isnt low

normypie - please continue to post, all inputs are welcome. I miss read tons of posts, didn't stop me from sticking my nose in to threads. lol

UD

Original Post by pbear999:

I would suggest talking to your doctor, especially if you're considered obese and starting a physical exercise program.  Go to him/her with your information, and clear up any issues/confusion.  Heart issues aren't anything to fool around with, or take advice off anonymous internet forums.

This would be my advice, too - your low resting heart rate might be just fine, but it's something you should probably confirm with a doctor.

glad to see so many responses --

With respect to my maximum heart rate, I'm sorry if I confused anyone but I was saying that I tend to reach 180s and actually 190s when I am doing HIIT. I thought this seemed like I was going too high, especially since my heart rate is under 60 and using the link from pbear999, 80% of my maximum is 168. I also was under the assumption that in any type of exercise, you are supposed to stay withing 60-80% of the so-called maximum, or I thought something terrible happens.

When my heart rate does get this high during HIIT, I am not at a point where I need to stop. I could push myself even harder, but it's the heart rate thing that scared me. What I'm reading here, however, seems to say that I shouldn't worry about these constraints during HIIT but just work as hard as possible for a very short amount of time.

I am also in my mid twenties so that was another reason for the low heart rate concern. Although I am classified obese, I am healthy in the other aspects that matter (ie  run about 3 miles a few times a week, have good bloodwork, endurance etc). So I didn't know if it was something pointing to my poor heart having to work too hard to supply my larger body mass during intense exercise.

BTW I know it's good to ask a doctor and I will. But I've noticed that they usually have no idea, especially when it comes to advanced fitness, they  tell me what I already know and practical experience from you guys can be more illuminating. It sounds like other people have similar patterns of heart rates so that is comforting.

My resting heart rate when I wake has been between 50-55 for almost a year. I can get my heart rate up to 160 with hard-fast walking on a treadmill with a steep incline. I walk everyday for 30-60 mins and am in good shape. A year ago when 50lbs heavier and out of shape I was hitting 200 easily.

Original Post by vertigal:

glad to see so many responses --

With respect to my maximum heart rate, I'm sorry if I confused anyone but I was saying that I tend to reach 180s and actually 190s when I am doing HIIT. I thought this seemed like I was going too high, especially since my heart rate is under 60 and using the link from pbear999, 80% of my maximum is 168. I also was under the assumption that in any type of exercise, you are supposed to stay withing 60-80% of the so-called maximum, or I thought something terrible happens.

 

This is just the "workout zone" you should try to achieve with each workout not the maximum you should go.  Meaning you need to achieve at least 60 - 80% to be considered "working out"

 

I am male, 42 years old.  My resting heart rate is usually in the mid to high 40's.  I have no symptoms of bradycardia (slow heart rate).

During a routine physical, my doctor noticed my slow heart rate.  I told her I have been that way for many years and have never had a problem.  She didn't seem concerned about it.

For my age, my max heart rate is 220-my age = 178.  I average 150-160 bpm during cardio.  If I push myself extremely hard for several minutes, I will approach my maximum.  If I get too close, I will ease up on the intensity.

Having said all this, if you are concerned about your slower than normal resting heart rate, I strongly recommend you get a full physical, including an EKG, and discuss your concerns with your doctor.

Good luck!

Scot