Zombie-like resting pulse rate

G

Golfingirl

Cathlete
I recently discovered that my usual resting pulse rate is around 45 beats per minute. I know that runners and trained athletes can have lower resting pulses than the norm (I think normal is supposed to be 60-80 or something like that), but while I do workout with Cathe regularly, I don't think of myself as ultrafit or anything. Is anyone else's this low? I feel perfectly fine!
 
Mine is also 45 bpm, and I've been able to track its slow, steady downward climb over the past 6-7 years or so. Very gratifying, considering I come from a family with a history of heart disease and sedentary living.

You SHOULD feel fine with an RHR like that! George Dubya's RHR is 44 bpm and he's pushing 59 and pushing it hard.

Just to make the jaws drop - elite cyclist Miguel Indurain's RHR is 30 bpm. Grrrr.

A-Jock
 
Mine is about 42 bpm, and I'm no elite athlete, tho I do run regularly.

The nurses at my doctor's always take it twice because they always think they're mistaken. Then they say "you must work out."

So, I guess you don't have to be super fit to have a lower RHR.
 
Mine is usually right around 40 BPM too. I've been working out for years and have watched it drop too. It's a nice feeling!
 
Thanks for the reassurance everyone! I had thought that a low resting pulse rate was good, but just worried mine was a little TOO good given my current fitness level (which is decent, but as I said not ultrafit). Looks like I'm about where I should be for a member of Cathe's "educated crowd"! :)
 
Hi,

my RHR is around 44-45 too, and I am also no elite athlete. I work out regularly with Cathe and consider myself in decent shape, but in no way ultrafit either. I always thought it's partly hereditary, though obviously ones fitness level is a big factor.

I was just curious about all you others with low RHR:s; I heard a theory that people with low RHR:s take sort of longer to "warm up" for cardiovascular exercise; ie. ones they get their heart rates up there, they can go on quite long and strong. The story was about an Olympic gold medalist (with a low RHR), that always ran really good 'til the last spurt, where he was always left behind. Then he realized he had to start his final spurt before the others to have more time to "get in gear", and that's when he actually started winning his medals.

So I was just curious, I find I prefer longer cardios (I don't quite get into short bursts like say in Bootcamp or HSTA), and I was wondering if this could be the reason? What do you other low RHR:ers think? Sorry if I'm changing the subject here too much, but since there was a bunch of you here I thought...

Have a good day, everybody,

Maria
 
Don't worry. You're absolutely fine. As you can see from the previous posts, you're in good company.

For an amusing little aside, when I had some surgery last June the nurses had to turn off the monitor because the alarm kept going off: My heart rate kept dropping too low. I told the nurses not to worry--it was normally that low and I'd worked hard to get it that way.;-)

Carol F
 
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