# Lowest Heart Rate?



## Sam Kennedy (1 Oct 2009)

I was just wondering what your lowest heart rate you have ever had was?
This morning I measured mine at 41bpm, I was trying to concentrate really heard to get it to below 40, but I couldn't


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## Chrisz (1 Oct 2009)

31bpm 


I was much younger then (and a helluva lot fitter) and was using beta blockers to keep my HR down for a shooting competition


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## ColinJ (1 Oct 2009)

34 bpm. The first HRM that I owned had a minimum reading of 40 bpm so I could never find out what my actual lowest was - the reading was always 40 bpm whenever I checked it. 

That was lying down in bed by the way. Even sitting up made a few beats difference.

When I got the new HRM it revealed that my resting rate was usually about 36 bpm but if I really relaxed and cleared my mind, I could lower it by a few more beats.

When I was tired or getting ill it would be much higher, say 50 bpm.


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## gavintc (1 Oct 2009)

Hospital staff are often a little concerned with an athletic heart rate. I broke my collar bone recently and the nurses asked me on a number of occasions whether I had a low heart rate.


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## jay clock (2 Oct 2009)

mine has plummetted over the past few years since I got fit. About 42 lying down.


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## I am Spartacus (2 Oct 2009)

Interesting to note that the fella that went into the Yukon wilds to experience survival used HR. When it started to plummet to worry enough to call off the experience as it is a sign that the body is closing down.


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## Jonathan M (2 Oct 2009)

Best ever was 45. That was years ago when i was fit.


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## Jonathan M (2 Oct 2009)

Chrisz said:


> 31bpm
> 
> 
> I was much younger then (and a helluva lot fitter) and was *using beta blockers to keep my HR down for a shooting competition*



Isn't that a bit, erm, naughty?


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## Chrisz (2 Oct 2009)




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## ACS (2 Oct 2009)

My age 30 medical for the RAF recorded my HR as 32. Did a lot of running then. Don't know what it is now.


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## HLaB (2 Oct 2009)

I know what my lowest ever will be, 0 but I'm not in a rush to acheive that


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## The Jogger (2 Oct 2009)

My best ever was 43 but usually resting at 48


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## andrew-the-tortoise (2 Oct 2009)

Just measured 53, it was as high as 70 a few years back...


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## Ticktockmy (2 Oct 2009)

Not so many months ago, I decided to get myself MOTed, all was well as far a as I knew, but as the nurse was doing all the usual checks she, looked pussled, went to see the Doc, who come back, did the recheck, then told me I was either was a very fit guy, or Dead:-) seems my heart rate was ticking over at about 38.. which for a guy in his late 60's is not bad.
I have since bought of of those Heart momiters thingies, but the lowest I get a reading on it averages about 44 resting and 75-90 cycling topping out at about 115 on some 
Hills around the north and South downs


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## Fab Foodie (2 Oct 2009)

Jonathan M said:


> Isn't that a bit, erm, naughty?


Not for me... doctors orders 

I get sub 40 bpm.


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## cheadle hulme (2 Oct 2009)

Varies, average 52, but can be as high as 60 (tested after a stag weekend).

My GP says mine is the lowest he sees though...


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## fossyant (2 Oct 2009)

gavintc said:


> Hospital staff are often a little concerned with an athletic heart rate. I broke my collar bone recently and the nurses asked me on a number of occasions whether I had a low heart rate.



It really fluffs them up.............. 

Yeh right.............. it is............. and BP....especially the lower end.....

it's like PUMP....................PUMP...................PUMP............. and ..well.......

Erm...
Pic of bike...pump..puu..p p p p 150........bingo, pre warm has worked.... - doing 100 plus looking at it...FFS................hence I don't use the pulse monitor much any more.


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## Bill Gates (3 Oct 2009)

I;ve had that hospital thing as well. The nurses woke me up in the middle of the night when I was awaiting an angioplasty as it went down to 38 bpm. When awake it once measured out at 36 bpm, but that was a manual count over 10 seconds x 6, and that was also when I was regularly winning open 10 miles to 100 mile TT's.

The lowest now as being healthy is 42. About 6 months ago when feeling quite ill it went down to 34 and I was a bit worried having had 2 x heart attacks.


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## Sam Kennedy (3 Oct 2009)

fossyant said:


> It really fluffs them up..............
> 
> Yeh right.............. it is............. and BP....especially the lower end.....
> 
> ...



Were you drunk when you wrote this??


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## 02GF74 (4 Oct 2009)

satans budgie said:


> My age 30 medical for the RAF recorded my HR as 32. Did a lot of running then. Don't know what it is now.



it is the same, you put one leg in front of the other quickly and repeat.


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## Rockus (4 Oct 2009)

Soz to be a bit of a pooper, but resting HR is a bit relative and influenced by many factors, one off readings should be taken with a pinch of salt. more important methinks is HR Vs effort. Ive hit 95% of my max and felt fine and other times hit that level and felt like dying -usually after a night Jack Daniels.

Im a pharmacist and for me B blockers to lower HR is a bit naughty, mind over matter any time for me. NB they lower your exercise threshold - by lowering work of the heart, essentailly their job for really unhealthy people. So i dont see their benefit in healthy people. 

Again sorry to be a bore... lol


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## Fab Foodie (4 Oct 2009)

Rockus said:


> Soz to be a bit of a pooper, but resting HR is a bit relative and influenced by many factors, one off readings should be taken with a pinch of salt. more important methinks is HR Vs effort. Ive hit 95% of my max and felt fine and other times hit that level and felt like dying -usually after a night Jack Daniels.
> 
> Im a pharmacist and for me B blockers to lower HR is a bit naughty, mind over matter any time for me. NB they lower your exercise threshold - by lowering work of the heart, essentailly their job for really unhealthy people. So i dont see their benefit in healthy people.
> 
> Again sorry to be a bore... lol



Seems good written English is no longer a requirement to pass a Pharmacy degree. Worrying stuff.


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## Rockus (4 Oct 2009)

Thank god for that, i can bearly read too...


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## Jonathan M (5 Oct 2009)

Rockus said:


> Soz to be a bit of a pooper, but resting HR is a bit relative and influenced by many factors, one off readings should be taken with a pinch of salt. more important methinks is HR Vs effort. Ive hit 95% of my max and felt fine and other times hit that level and felt like dying -usually after a night Jack Daniels.
> 
> Im a pharmacist and for me B blockers to lower HR is a bit naughty, mind over matter any time for me. NB they lower your exercise threshold - by lowering work of the heart, essentailly their job for really unhealthy people. So i dont see their benefit in healthy people.
> 
> Again sorry to be a bore... lol



Resting HR is useful, can tell you if you've recovered after a period of intensive training, can also tell you if you are coming down with something.

Agree random one offs are pretty useless, and Sam's first post of "trying to concentrate" to get it lower wouldn't produce a genuine resting HR either, need to put a HRM on, rest on a bed or sofa with feet up, then check the display after about 10 minutes. You can check it in the morning, but there are things like full bladder sensation that may mean the resting HR is raised then.

One of the Polar training manuals uses the relationship between resting HR and max HR to calculate training zones, I followed that guidance and it seems to fit well with my perceived efforts.

I was wondering about the effects of beta blockers on exercise threshold, which you've confirmed, thanks.


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## youngoldbloke (5 Oct 2009)

Rockus said:


> one off readings should be taken with a pinch of salt.



- is that before or after taking the reading, and would ready salted crisps be an acceptable alternative?


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## Rockus (5 Oct 2009)

[I was wondering about the effects of beta blockers on exercise threshold, which you've confirmed, thanks.[/QUOTE]

No problem mate.

Resting HR is useful, more importantly your recovery time in giving you an indication of your overall fitness level. Bikes are great for fitness since they maintain a high HR for a sustained period.

Don't worry about your ready salted crisp habit Youngbloke, since the sweating you do rids the body of many toxins -not least excess salt.


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## Fab Foodie (5 Oct 2009)

Rockus said:


> Thank god for that, i can bearly read too...





I'm on 50mg Atenolol, have been for nearly 4 years now since stenting (am 47 now and a bit overweight). Can't say I've noticed my performance is any worse since taking them. I'm OK kicking along at 20 mph on the flat and don't seem too much worst than the average club rider of my age. My average HR's are slightly below my peers for a given run, one can only assume that my heart shifts slightly more volume/beat as it is rate-restrained. On a good (naughty) day I've maneged to get my HR up to 160 for a few seconds but it takes a lot of doing!
Overall being on Beta-blockers at my dose has not severely curtailed my cycling performance or enjoyment, but they do make you feel generally a bit lethargic and dopey (more than I was!).


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## Stig-OT-Dump (5 Oct 2009)

I tried lying down and checking my resting pulse with my garmin (bottom limit 35bpm) and when I uploaded the results, I saw I'd been flat-lining for a 3rd of the time, not that I felt dead.

I think there may be a healthy dose of genes in there - my brothers have low heart rates as well (can't you tell the evenings just used to fly by in our house....).


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## Rockus (5 Oct 2009)

Fab Foodie said:


> I'm on 50mg Atenolol, have been for nearly 4 years now since stenting (am 47 now and a bit overweight). Can't say I've noticed my performance is any worse since taking them. I'm OK kicking along at 20 mph on the flat and don't seem too much worst than the average club rider of my age. My average HR's are slightly below my peers for a given run, one can only assume that my heart shifts slightly more volume/beat as it is rate-restrained. On a good (naughty) day I've maneged to get my HR up to 160 for a few seconds but it takes a lot of doing!
> Overall being on Beta-blockers at my dose has not severely curtailed my cycling performance or enjoyment, but they do make you feel generally a bit lethargic and dopey (more than I was!).



Your right to surmise that your stroke volume has probably increased to compensate for you limited HR. Its kinda like a car engine that doesn't rev highly but with a bigger capacity. 

You're taking Atenolol because you need it and Im glad to hear it hasnt severly curtailed your enjoyment or performance. That by far is the most important consideration for someone like me


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## Rockus (5 Oct 2009)

Stig-OT-Dump said:


> I tried lying down and checking my resting pulse with my garmin (bottom limit 35bpm) and when I uploaded the results, I saw I'd been flat-lining for a 3rd of the time, not that I felt dead.
> 
> I think there may be a healthy dose of genes in there - my brothers have low heart rates as well (can't you tell the evenings just used to fly by in our house....).



LOL!!


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