Resting heart rate
Author
Discussion

Rob_T

Original Poster:

1,916 posts

280 months

Saturday 4th January 2014
quotequote all
So I received a heart rate monitor for Christmas. I'm not into my riding stats, I like just to get on my bike and ride. I have no idea what my powe outputs are, what my zones thingy bob is. It's generally unwise as far as I'm concerned. So I licked the electrodes and strapped on the band on my chest and paired it up to my garmin. I noted my resting heart rate was 46 / 48. I thought this was a bit low so I checked my pulse on my wrist and neck and both came out at the same. Interesting. So I ran upstairs and ran around closing all the cutrains then ran back down to the kitchen. At point of sitting down my rate was 84but within 33 seconds had dropped back to slightly below my resting rate before settling back up to 46 / 48. I checked on this site http://www.topendsports.com/testing/heart-rate-res... and it would appear my resting rate is lower than 'athlete' for an 18-25 year old. I am 41.

I declare myself 'hero' status. Please bow down before me and garlick I demand a PH jersey. Free. Of. Charge.

Can anyone challenge my god like status?

Disco You

3,748 posts

209 months

Saturday 4th January 2014
quotequote all
Resting heart rate is largely irrelevant, it has a large genetic factor.

BadgerBenji

3,534 posts

247 months

Saturday 4th January 2014
quotequote all
Yep, 38bpm and 40 years young, not sure if that makes me more godlike, no worshippers banging down my door yet smile

Richjam

318 posts

217 months

Saturday 4th January 2014
quotequote all
Wifes brother is 30 at most . Last time I had mine checked it was 100! Although I was lying in a hospital bed at the time....

anonymous-user

83 months

Saturday 4th January 2014
quotequote all
Recovery rate is far more useful than resting rate if you want a general level of assessment. Get you heart rate up to about 170, keep it there for a few minutes, then time how long it takes to get down to 100 or even 80.

Rob_T

Original Poster:

1,916 posts

280 months

Saturday 4th January 2014
quotequote all
Disco You said:
Resting heart rate is largely irrelevant, it has a large genetic factor.
I take it that you are genetically inferior. Bad luck there student grant...


BadgerBenji said:
Yep, 38bpm and 40 years young, not sure if that makes me more godlike, no worshippers banging down my door yet smile
I bow before thee mighty Zeus...

yellowjack

18,451 posts

195 months

Saturday 4th January 2014
quotequote all
Properly measured by my GP, my resting HR was 66bpm. BP was 129/85. Doc was more than happy with that. I'm 43.

Like the OP, I'm not entirely sure which of those figures is relevant, as I'm not training with 'zones' or for anything specific.

My HR averages about 147/148 on a ride, peaking at about 174/175 although it did hit 207 on one big 'climb-fest' I did in the Surrey Hills, although that might be an error, I suppose, as it was an obvious spike in the chart shortly after I began the ride. http://www.strava.com/activities/93725263

I'm not particularly quick - more of a plodder than a sprinter, and my climbing needs work, but I ride principally for the pleasure of it. Riding to me is the 'end', not the means to an end.

Back in October (same day as I got my Garmin with it's HRM) I also used the machine in Boots to measure weight and body fat - I'm officially "overweight" at BMI 28.3 and the machine advises I need to loose at least 9kg and as much as 27kg. However, my body fat % score suggests that if I loose 5.2kg (of fat) my body fat % will be 17.5% or "excellent". At least one of those figures is WAY OFF, and I'll bet it's the BMI figure. I'm not going to be taking any action based on the findings of a 'print your weight' machine, but I'm going to go back and have another go on it soon to see what differences 3 months might have made.

MadDad

3,836 posts

290 months

Saturday 4th January 2014
quotequote all
My RHR is 36 bpm (at 41 years old - has been for years), but I have measured it at 32 in the past!

Max HR is 174, although I have not been able to get near that for a while (too much tempo riding!) - but my recovery is quite good.

Unfortunately not god-like in any way shape or form, merely a greying middle aged bloke here!

WinstonWolf

72,863 posts

268 months

Sunday 5th January 2014
quotequote all
46 aged 48 and very happy with it smile

Daveyraveygravey

2,112 posts

213 months

Sunday 5th January 2014
quotequote all
Erm, resting heart rate is around 90 bpm. You've all got very low heart rates...

okgo

42,133 posts

227 months

Sunday 5th January 2014
quotequote all
While it means bugger all, just like max hr, I would say 90 is pretty high and getting towards the upper limit of what is defined as healthy.

whatleytom

1,536 posts

212 months

Sunday 5th January 2014
quotequote all
Mine is around 36 at the moment. I've had it down at 32 when I've been fitter. Got slightly concerned at this last year and went for a multitude of tests and wore a 24 hour monitor. Nothing to worry about though in the end just the way it is. I did an Ironman last year which was when it got to its lowest, but I don't see myself as incredibly fit. Which also means I don't see it as a particularly good indicator for fitness, and as a result god like status! I'm 26.

S6PNJ

5,838 posts

310 months

Sunday 5th January 2014
quotequote all
Mines about 46-48, aged 42. My dad had to wear a medical heart rate monitor for 24 hours a couple of years ago. While sleeping, his heart rate dropped to 29 3 times! He would have been about 75 when those tests were taken, and yes, he is as fit as the proverbial butchers dog, regularly doing 10 and 25 mile TTs! In fact he is probably out on his bike now doing about 45-50 miles at a guess.

mph1977

12,467 posts

197 months

Sunday 5th January 2014
quotequote all
'normal' ( i.e. none athlete ) resting heart rate is usually given as 55- 85, 60-80 or 'around 60 to 70' ...

a resting herat rate above 80 something may be a sign of something - or just the fact you are unfit and heavy ...

Daveyraveygravey

2,112 posts

213 months

Sunday 5th January 2014
quotequote all
Got me worried now! Will look into it more; I'm 49, 6 foot and around 80 kg; I rode 5,000 miles last year so I think my fitness is ok. I am impressed (and a little sceptical!) at all you lot around 40 bpm - Big Mig famously was 27 but also famously freaky!

47p2

1,902 posts

190 months

Sunday 5th January 2014
quotequote all
Last February I was sitting in my office and checked my rest heart rate, it was hovering at just under 100bpm. That was a shock as it used to be around 40bpm when I was in my 30s and cycling. Today almost a year later with 2600 miles of cycling, over 116,000 feet of climbing, 26lbs of lard shed I now have a rest heart rate of around 48-50bpm.

As been said already the rest rate isn't so important, the recovery rate is what you need to work at and then you will feel the difference when cycling

Kermit power

29,622 posts

242 months

Sunday 5th January 2014
quotequote all
I'm 43, 5'10 and a not completely musclebound 19 stone. This doesn't stop me from having an RHR of 60-65 and BP of 110/80, as I'm reasonably fit under the insulating layer.

From what I can see, external appearance and stats such as RHR and blood pressure are largely unrelated if you've got any sort of degree of fitness at all.

Herman Toothrot

6,702 posts

227 months

Sunday 5th January 2014
quotequote all
Remember resting rate is supposed to be taken before you get out of bed in the morning, this can make a significant difference. MEasuring this way mines about 50, once up and about its about 58.

Daveyraveygravey

2,112 posts

213 months

Sunday 5th January 2014
quotequote all
The NHS website says a normal adult rhr is between 60 and 100; and a pro athlete between and 40 and 60. I had my hrm on during the footie and it was between 72 and 85, so not bad. Interestingly I kept it on during a motorway drive in the rain and it dropped to 33 at one point!

okgo

42,133 posts

227 months

Sunday 5th January 2014
quotequote all
Why did you post that your rest heart rate was 90 when it clearly isn't? I'm confused.

Also doubt it was sub 100 unless you're playing in goal in an 11 a side game.