I took my resting heart rate yesterday for the first time in a couple of months.
Last time I took it: 72 bpm
Yesterday: 62 bpm
I was very pleased that my RHR has come down and I presume it is because I've got fitter, but could it be a reason for concern at all?
I'd be interested to know what you more experienced runners' RHRs are.
Thanks.
Beth
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A low RHR is generally a reasonable indicator of fitness (stronger heart = less beats to supply body's needs) however a number of experts believe that it is the speed with which the heart slows again after exercise that is a more reliable indicator of fitness.
Looking at your RHR can be a good indicator of overtraining and/or illness. You should monitor your RHR every morning before getting out of bed - if it is significantly higher on one day then perhaps best not to train.
Average rates for men and women are different (I'm not sure what the average is but 72 is often bandied about). My RHR is currently 40.
Remember that heart rates can be adversely affected by heat.
This is a huge topic and once you get hooked on heart rates and exercise it can be quite addictive.
I have also witnessed my RHR drop as I have become fitter and my current average RHR (taken 1st thing in the morning) is about 40bpm give or take a couple
On my last visit to the docs he did inform me that I had a large left ventricle but it was nothing to be worried about – which was good as I was in with a suspected heart attack – turned out to be reflux )
A decrees in RHR along with a decrease in the time it takes your HR to recover after intense exercise can be good indicators of improvement in general fitness.
Will
Martin: How do measure your recovery rate? I have a HRM and am interested in know how to do this properly. I usually finish a run at about 140 ish and start stretching. After a minute I check my HRM, if it is around 100 then I think that I am doing ok.
I have a function on my HRM that measures recovery speed – you set the upper and lower limits and it measures the time to recover from one to the other – I use this mainly on interval or hill session with walk recoveries where I have the upper set at about 170bpm and the lower at 120bpm – So I measure how long (In Seconds) it takes my HR to recover by 50bpm
PS I use a Cardiosport ultima to do this – when I use to use my Polar I had to watch the display as it did not capture this info.
Will
I think it's quite suprising how quickly your heart adapts to the exercise. I thought it would take years of training rather than months to make a significant difference to your RHR.
Millipede
Also another indicator is your blood pressure - athletes find that their blood pressure is alot lower than the average Joe's because the heart doesn't have to work as hard to maintain the same level of cardiac output. For example, my blood pressure used to be 140/90 but it is currently 110/60 but I fully expect it to drop further and wouldn't be at all surprised if it is as low as 90/50.
The main thing to remember with heart rates and blood pressures is, there isn't usually any cause for concern unless there are other symptoms as well. Sportsmen and women do occasionally have heart problems but this is more often than not due to congenital (inherited) problems rather than the effects of their sporting exercise regime.
Will --- If someone told me I had a huge left ventricle I think I would be extremely pleased - it means your heart can shift more blood with each pumping action. I bet you rarely suffer with the lactic cramps.
I don't tend to monitor recovery heart rate (I'm sure there are some prescribed formula), however, as with RHR you should monitor it over time i.e. after 60 seconds and this will then tell you whether you are improving or not and will also indicate (as with RHR) whether you are ill, overtrained etc.
WW's idea is also one suggested way of monitoring intervals i.e. don't start the next until you rate reaches a certain level.
To measure my recovery rate, like Will, i use a Cardiosport but i have to keep looking at my watch for the time. I did a hard session last Thursday - 4 minutes at 85% WHR, 2 mins recovery slow jog. It took me about 30 seconds from recovery when i was around 134 bpm up to 85%, then about 40 seconds back down below 140 when my Cardiosport started beeping again.
I appreciate your advice and am glad that there is a nurse on the forum for that professional opinion!
Beth
Funnily enough I don’t suffer from lactic cram and have found over a 10k race I can maintain a very high heart rate (92-94%MHR) for the full race, which for me at the moment is around 48mins
Will
Well done on starting to regain your health.
Just it take it nice and easy in these early days and don't be afraid to walk!
I've recently found this site and have been really interested to hear what you have all have to say. What a friendly bunch! I'm doing a half marathon in march and a full marathon in june. I have already done the half marathon distance (actually did 14.5 miles!) I noticed that during running my heart rate is around 160-180. My resting heart rate is around 60. It usually takes me a couple of minutes for my heart rate to come back down to normal level once finishing exercise. Does this sound ok? I'm 24 and i would say reasonably fit.
You need to take your resting hr, and find your max. Max hr minus resting hr gives you your heart rate range, from which you calculate your percentages.
Example: my resting is 40, max 178. Deduct min from max and my heart rate range is 138.
Today's long run came in at an average of just under 70 per cent of hr range. The 70 per cent figure is more important than the number of beats (133).
Your hrm manual will have more info on this. Or try John L Parker's Heart Monitor Training for the Compleat Idiot.
Hope this helps!
I want one with a good selection of functions, but it doesn't need to be top of the range as I probably wouldn't be downloading info to a computer etc.
Any suggestions or recommendations? I appreciate any help with this.
Polar are good in the gym as most machines are compatible, but I know CardioSport are also rated by some folks.
I bought a HRM yesterday, a SUUNTO T1. i have been doing a lot of research on how to train. through running, i want to loose weight, but i also want to become fit. i have been training for a couple of months now and i am seeing some results. however, yesterday using my HRM, my average HR was 173, 88% of MHR (195),over 45 mins and it felt like any other day training. my hr went from zone 1 to zone 3 in 20 minutes, and i spent the next 27 minutes above zone 3. i had a hard time, but i could maintain the pace.i have all this data, but how do i turn it into information? how do i set up a training plan or shedule?any advise?
DW
This is an old thread, but just wondered, are there any watches nowadays, that have 100% accuracy for heart rates, without the straps?