Increase in resting heart rate

[paulrm71]

I have worn my Blaze since November and have had an average resting heart rate of 58 during this time.   Over the past three weeks my rhr has slowly increase to 64, and I am a bit concerned.   I am not feeling ill, not have I changed my workout exercise habits....has anyone else experienced this at all?

Thanks, 

Paul

[Esya]

For me it happens when my anxiety pops up. RHR is not just determined by our physical health. There might be some minor stress going on for you that you may not even be aware about. A RHR of 64 is still healthy and our RHR tends to fluctuate over time. I would give it some more time myself, but we cannot provide you with medical advice on these boards for obvious reasons.

[paulrm71]

Thanks Esya.  It's just that during the last five months my rhr never changed more that 2-3 beats.  I suppose the best thing would be to make an appointment with a doctor.

[Esya]

When you are concerned it is always a good thing to make an appointment, if only for the peace of mind. I just did so myself lately for something minor that turned out to be nothing.

[betpchem]

I wonder if it has something to do with temperature. I saw somewhere on these boards once that the temperature of your house as you sleep affects the resting heart rate. If you've only had your tracker in the winter, maybe you aren't sleeping as deeply or as restfully as the temperatures warm up. But I agree, it is always a good idea to see a doctor, if only for reassurance.

[paulrm71]

Thanks betpchem.  I'll check my sleep patterns to see if that could potentially be the cause.

[A_Lurker · Accepted solution]

I was looking online myself for this the other day.  Mine normally runs high 50s/low 60s but can cycle up and down a bit (so I usually ignore the swings).  The last month though it's pretty much done nothing but climb. Thursday it was as high as 77, and I have a history of not paying attention to signs.  I'm chalking mine up to over-training, lack of sleep, working long hours, etc.  However, I did see a couple of references to ambient temperatures affecting it as well.

So, a decent amount of sleep last night (close to 10h) and a complete rest day and my resting rate has dropped to 72.  For me this means I'm probably on the right track.  For you though, if you're concerned, as others have said it's probably not a bad thing to check with your physician.

[paulrm71]

Thanks A Lurker.   Following a suggestion by another member I checked my sleep patterns and they are not great for the past month.  Resting heart rate now down to 62 so it's getting better and may also have something to do with ambient temp.  I will keep an eye on it and if it doesn't settle down will go and see the doctor.  Thanks everyone for your help.

[skylineg35]

RHR depends many things as many mention.  I do use for my recovery.  As long as i am calm and relax, it works great as a  recovery gauge.  If it is high like 4-5, i work out less intensive and bring it back.  But i do also check my HRH with an other device like pulse oximeter for backup when i getup in the morning.

[chappy78rva]

Thanks to my Fitbit, I noticed my rhr increase 30 bpm in the course of 10 weeks.  I also noticed a few other things/symptoms.  I was very concerned and went in for a physical.  My thyroid levels in my blood work came back abnormal and I have been diagnosed with Graves' disease (overactive thyroid).  Definitely keep a watch on your Fitbit vitals.

Take care, A 

[paulrm71]

Thanks for your message. I wish you a speedy recovery and in some ways
it's good that your fitbit has provided early warning signs. My rhr has
returned to almost normal levels now, so I have put it down to either
warmer temperatures or stress.

Regards

[BFO]

I had the same problem, started to ramp up shortly after a case of the flu (from a steady 47 for several months to about 70).  Checked my pulse manually, seemed typical, not what the fitbit was reading.  I remembered I did a lot of yard work in the mud a few days previous, so I cleaned off the back sensor, and heart rate immediately dropped by 20 bpm to previous normal.  I've also read that sometimes they need a reboot (for charge 2, plug it into a charger, hold for 4 sec).  Would recommend 1) Check your heart rate upon waking or after sitting for a while, if ok 2) clean back sensor.  If that does not resolve, 3) reboot.  If there is a real change in heartrate and you don't have an explanation, worth a check-up. 

[eltoo]

I have had a similar experience recently.  I had put off updating the software on my Charge 2.  But at some point the system forced it about three weeks ago.  Since that time, my average resting heart rate has increased from around 61 to around 66.  Nothing else in my life - sleep, exercise, travel - has changed.  It has made me wonder whether the algorithm FB is using to infer and calculate resting heart rate has changed with the new software upgrade.  I hope someone at FB can answer this question.  Thanks.

[skylineg35]

You should check your RHR in the morning right after you wake up.  Also will be good idea to back the accuracy of the device by checking it with an other device.  I use pulse oximeter which measure pulse and oxygen in blood.  RHR of your device should be close those values.  From there you can decide if it is a software issue or health change.

[eltoo]

Thank you. Very helpful. I believe FB does determine your RHR based
principally on the night-time and early morning HR readings. But it seems
pretty clear that it uses an algorithm to extrapolate or infer your RH.

What puzzled me is that immediately after FB forced a software update, my
calculated RHR increased from 59 to 65. There were no other changes that
would have affected it. It made me wonder whether their algorithm had been
altered. Still waiting to hear from someone at FB. I'm less interested in
the actual RHR, and more interested in the delta between the pre- and post-
software update. Thanks.

[skylineg35]

 I was just letting you know how to check RHR accurate so you can decide if programming is accurate in your watch.  Hopefully you find your answer soon.

[eltoo]

Thanks.  

[eltoo]

After waking, and waiting a bit, I sit still at my table, and my HR ranges from 59-61.  The FB however states a RHR of 66.  So there is a mismatch.  Before the software update, the reported RHR was pretty much right on.  So it feels like something was changed.  But who knows.