Heart rate

[MUDGUTS]

Just how low can one's heart rate at rest be?

Some years ago when I used to be really fit my resting heart rate was a steady 38 periodically dropping down to 37 every few seconds.

This figure was obtained with a "polar" heart rate monitor which I understand is very accurate.

My maximum heart rate whilst training was around 190, and at times 200 but I could only sustain this for a few seconds, most of my training was done at around 180 on a "stepper" machine for 40 minutes at a time, occasionally twice in one session.

I moved shortly after this period of training and gave up any formal exercise program but am soon to re-start with no other goal than to become as fit as I can possibly be, just as before.

My questions are:

How low can I expect my resting pulse to be once I regain previous form?

Can I expect it to go lower as I become even fitter (hopefully)?

Is there any real point in becoming "super fit"?

I am 32



[This message has been edited by MUDGUTS (edited 19 March 2001).]

[Speedbird 2946]

Well..

Let's see.

At extreme levels of exercise it is definitely possible to sustain a heart rate of greater than 200 beats per minute for periods of time. Recently I heard of friends cycling for a study at 200 pulse for 15 minutes, three times per day for three days. Knackering, but possible!

A pulse of below 60 is good and below 50 is very fit. I hear that Steve Redgrave has a resting pulse rate in the 20s..no joke.

Is being super fit good for you? Well, apart from all the muscle to show the ladies, it depends on your diet. If you eat a balanced, nutritional diet and exercise regularly then you are at less risk of developing some diseases : Coronary Heart Disease being one of them, but many diseases involve a genetic component so you can't protect against them (cancer being a big one)

Good Luck... I wish I could get a pulse rate of 37!

SB 2946

[MUDGUTS]

Thanks for the reply SB 2946

At the time I had abstained from any intake of coffee and tea and also had recently completed a "internal cleanse" program which is designed to remove large amounts of "mucoid plaque" from the intestines.

It's a bit like a pull-through with a burning duffel coat only not as painfull.

I believe that was one of the factors contributing to my low heart rate at the time as it seemed to go down a little during the two weeks I was on the program and stayed down.


------------------
EVERY CAT HAS ITS SAY

[rob_frost]

Steve Redgraves resting heart rate is not in the 20s. I remember reading all his stats in September including his heart rate. I can't remember what exactly it was, but it sure wasn't 20 bpm.

When did you take your heart rate? In bed, and standing up during the day?

I'll see if I can find out Redgraves resting heart rate though.

Thanks

Rob

[MUDGUTS]

I took my heart rate whilst lying down on a bed during the day, around 1400 seemed to be the time when I felt it was lowest.

Also it was higher by around 5 BPM when standing up.

[knxhyy]

A resting heart beat of 20 is absolute nonesense. I was a professional cyclist a long time ago and represented my country (GB) several times.i took my heart rate every morning prior to getting up and if was 35 - 40 beats per minute.(aged 19 at the time)My heart rate never exceeded 185. Seeing how high you can raise your heart rate is not a measure of fitness. Fitness is measured ( by competitive results in the first place)by your recovery rate. This can be completed by interval training. i recall during my training that from 180 BPM down to less than 120BPM would take approximately 25 secs.

[Speedbird 2946]

I apologise to those misled by my statement about low heart rates made above. As I said I only passed on what I had read so I am sorry that this is inaccurate.

knxhyy, thank you for your information. I am not an sports expert but your recovery rate information was interesting.

Regards,

SB

[LewTon]

From an aviation medicine point of view a heart rate in the 'normal range' roughly 50-90 beats per minute, depending on aerobic fitness, is what an aviation medicine examiner would be happy with. A pulse rate of 20 would certainly get you grounded straight away, and quite rightly, since levels this low are associated with disease and sudden death. I agree with previous post that it is very unlikely that Steve Redgraves pulse was ever that low, but I don't know for sure.

[foghorn]

MUDGUTS

Getting your heart rate that high during excercise is not good. There is a maximum heart rate called the anaerobic threshold above which you are not doing any good. You should aim to exercise just below your threshold to get maximum benefit (please excuse me if you are a highly trained athlete and 190bpm is within your anaerobic threshold!)

For accurate determination of your anaerobic threshold you need to have blood samples taken after exercising, there is an easier way of estimating it.

I remember that when I trained heavily for the boat club years ago, mine was around the 160-170 mark.

[MUDGUTS]

Thanks for the replies gents.

knxhyy: My recovery rate was around 40% in the two minutes right after strenuous exercise, I'm not sure if this is good or not. Your drop of 33% sounds impressive.

foghorn: I attempted to exercise around the anaerobic threshold as I understood that this was the best place to have your pulse to build up some serious stamina.

I was told also that although a high pulse rate(190-200)was of no benefit during exercise it did indicate "good liver function" I suppose this was because it was proccessing lactate sufficiently fast enough for this not to be too painful for the subject. I estimated my anerobic threshold to be around 192 and I think this is the same thing as the "deflection point".