Resting heart rate

[ColmMcC]

Why is resting heart rate higher than actual heart rate?  My heart rate has been reading 46-47 for the last 20 minutes, but the dashboard states that my resting heart rate for today is 50. This happens most days. Am I misunderstanding what resting heart rate is

[MrMarv · Accepted solution]

@ColmMcC -

What you are missing is the word "average" the resting BPM shown is your "average resting heart rate".

It takes your HR during sleep periods and averages that with periods of inactivity during the day. The actual algorithm that Fitbit uses is something they are not sharing.

But I can tell you that I have seen my average resting BPM as presented on my app actually go down 1 BPM during the day and it has actually happened more than once since getting my device in June.

[Colinm39]

@ColmMcC  I have been following this RHR dilemma because Fitbit really emphasize "wear your tracker while asleep".. and as @MrMarv has posted...I was also tracking the sleeping temperatures at night, with blankets and no blankets because we have had some high night temperatures.. No air con at night.

In my case the sleep HR average and RHR are close.. During the night my sleeping HR gets down to 44 but averages around 53bpm. While I have been using the computer and light domestics for the last couple of hours my average HR was 61bpm..

My sleeping HR and RHR for the last 3 months coming out of a coldish Spring and now into the last month of Summer..

[MrMarv]

@ColmMcC -

Not as detailed of an analysis as @Colinm39, but I can state that my heart rate when sleeping between last night at 10:00 pm and this morning at 6:00 am ranged between 64 and 76 BPM, and pretty evenly between those numbers. The hight points tend to match my known times awake because of shoulder pain from an issue when I was sleeping in a sling and my shoulder and associated muscles and tendons didn't like it. And are still telling me about it.

And my heart rate after sitting at my desk during the day - mostly between 68 and 72 BPM.

My calculated resting heart rate for today? 70 BPM.

Seems to be reasonable. And believe me, I have been an IT professional for over 35 years, and I don't put up with "stuff" - and I have been pretty impressed with the Alta HR and the whole Fitbit way of calculating many things. For instance, the calorie burn calculations supported a weight loss of 4 pounds over a 4 week period, only missing by 2 days because I burned a little more each day above intake than the "Food Plan" called for.

Once again - "average resting heart rate" - and since I was remiss before, welcome to the boards.

[Colinm39]

@MrMarvOur body is definitely a well oiled machine when it regulates for pain.. I'm feeling your pain now.. I used to have sciatica before my op below.

When I had my Total Hip Replacement 2.5 years ago, I was using the Surge then.. my RHR shot up to 74 and took 6 weeks to come back to normal.. The Surgeon wasn't concerned.. But, the nurses were, on my pre-op because my RHR was around 51 and the low HR while asleep, down to 44bpm......

I apologize if I have repeated this elsewhere but the more the better because many Fitbitters don't search the Forums..

The Graph below was for the 86oF (30oC) night.. just shorts on top of the bed and fresh air...

The colours on the graph are incorrect because my fat burning cuts in at 71bpm..  I have reported that to Fitbit and like you, being 50 years as IT  etc these little things annoy me as an ex professional..

But as a plus we now get 24 plot points/minute for a HR whereas a year ago it was only about 9 plots/min.. So one thinks that Fitbit are gearing up for SPo2 etc...

I create this graph by using a Custom Activity, and on the phone because it fills in the calories..  Some of the larger spikes are bathroom breaks.... 

[MrMarv]

@Colinm39 - 

Oh yeah - when I had pneumonia last year and apparently after the virus attacked my heart, my heart rate during my Doctor's appointment prelim was 96 BPM, up from the 'normal' visit of 72 and 75 BPM during my two visits prior.

My doctor considered that much of the increase may have been because of the pneumonia, but was concerned it may not be the root cause. He cut two orders - 1) full blood panel looking for thyroid issues (Nope) and 2) a Cardiologist referral (Bingo!).

That was in June - some visits to the Cardiologist, three different tests and one visit to the surgical suite at the local hospital for an ICD and all is better. Except for that darn shoulder that locked up when it was in a sling for two days. It has been bothering me ever since. Not as bad as the first week, but still wakes me up at times. And it has been 2 1/2 months since the implant.

Let's see. Pain in shoulder or heart failure. Pain in shoulder or heart failure. Pain in shoulder or heart failure. 

Pain in shoulder wins out every time.

CYA around.