Low resting heart rate (too low?)

[LakesGeek]

Hi

I just bought a Fitbit Charge HR and have therefore started keeping an eye on resting heart rate.

The dashboard so far says 55, 60 and 62 for the resting heart rate stat for the first few days (first day was a half day as I got it in the afternoon)

If I look at the graph, particularly at night, it goes down into the 50s and even took a momentary dip to 49 last night.

Out of curiosity I googled healthy heart rates and ended up reading that below 60 is considered 'bradycardia' and a possible cause for concern unless you're an athlete. For my age (33) and gender (male) I'm between the "excellent" and "athlete" categories for this resting range.  But I'm definitely not an athlete.  I go for a 30-45 minute brisk walk most lunch hours, do about 30 minutes of bodyweight exercises every 2-3 days (I achieved an intentional 75lb weight loss from obese to lean but neglected to do any strength training so ended up a bit 'skinnyfat' - well underway with fixing that now) but otherwise am sat on my backside at my desk all day, which is one reason I got the band.  It's rare that I do anything massively 'cardio' - sometimes trek up a mountain but we're talking "plod up one a few times a year admiring the scenery" not "run up a few times a week" as I'd expect an athlete to do.

You're generally advised to watch out for dizziness.  It's not usually a problem for me, but I did get dizzy a few weeks ago whilst gardening (which I put down to overexertion and dehydration at the time), I didn't faint but my head and vision got a bit wobbly for a few seconds.  I've only ever noticed this when getting carried away with gardening (not just plucking a few weeds... it's overrun with brambles so better described as terraforming tbh) and I think once when doing a lot of bending around laying a carpet.

Is the consensus that there's any cause for concern?  I know the only real answer is "go and see your doctor, we are not your doctor" and I know all the disclaimer stuff that the Fitbit isn't a heart health tool and no post is official health advice etc, but I'd rather not go dashing straight there potentially wasting his time on something I've read on the internet 😉

Edit: Current HR 56 sat at desk.  Wikipedia is a little less alarmist and seems to suggest down to about 50 may be ok.

[SunsetRunner]

In most of the cases, there is nothing to be worried about as low resting heart rate isn't that unusual. I noticed it quite long time ago before I got my Fitbit when I was using BP monitor. Now, when I'm writing this post the Charge 2 shows me 57bpm ( and lowest I got was 48-49 ). As they say, better safe than sorry and it won't hurt to consult a doctor in order to exclude any problems like for example bradycardia. This is what I did during my last annual checkup. The doctor said that probably this was how it worked for me and he explained in details how it is when it doesn't work ( how the heart is being triggered to beat and what's happening when the HR can't go up etc. ). I can raise my HR from this low to even 170-180bpm which means all wires and electric stuff in a brain do work. The problem may appear as, despite the physical effort, the heart rate doesn't want to go up ( for example stays at 50bpm which is a range of some sort of first "gear" for a heart ). Anyway, for peace of mind, he referred me to do ECG to see if there are any irregularities etc. Everything came back normal. No reason to panic if there are no symptoms like ones mentioned here by others. One of my wife's patients, 10yr old girl, who's a gymnast has even lower resting HR than that ( and just in case, despite knowing why is that, she also has been checked ). It isn't so uncommon. Also, with ageing, the resting HR may go down which is assumed to be normal. Moreover, during sleep, the HR goes even lower ( I think this is how Fitbit is able to detect certain changes of sleep stages, correct me if I'm wrong 🙂 ).

My advice is that if you are worried see a doctor. Better safe than sorry 🙂

[Colinm39]

@USAF-Larry  I went through the low HR with my medical team a couple of years ago when I had one of my hips replaced.. They even had the operation prior ECG with them and still concerned.. Kept them on their toes.. Their machines must have been bleeping on my first nights sleep...

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@USAF-Larry wrote:

I had the same problem when I was recently in the hospital for spine surgery, @Litespeed.  At first the nurses were pretty concerned about my low heart rate with the amount of pain I was in, but I told them that it was actually higher than normal. After a couple days, they finally accepted it as being normal.

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[Colinm39]

@SunsetRunnerGreat information for the forums.. Your HR patterns mirror mine and I'm going on 78 years. 

My doctor had me checked recently because "he thought he had heard something"......and the specialist used the Echocardiogram and everything came back as normal and that includes the size of the heart... 18 months earlier I had an ECG prior to an operation and that was all clear as well.. They didn't worry about my missing heart beat which they thought I was born with because they detected that and had a laugh about it.  The reaction.... "Did you notice when it misses a beat it does a couple of catchups".. I was involved in many athletic sports in my younger days and a known issue with some athletes...

@HeybalesReading your post from a couple of years ago when I had a treadmill ECG Stress test, the specialist conducting the test, when I was near the end.... He said, "How do you feel, because I would like to keep the test going because you are getting oxygen from somewhere". It was a great result back then and all Fitbit is doing is confirming.

Definition....

The test is also called echocardiography or diagnostic cardiac ultrasound. An echo uses sound waves to create pictures of your heart's chambers, valves, walls and the blood vessels (aorta, arteries, veins) attached to your heart. A probe called a transducer is passed over your chest."

Last night I had a gradual downward HR in the first 8 hours.

The first image below shows my HR while asleep and it shows the Fitbit the Deep Sleep and my HR.

Fitbit use HRV (Heart Rate Variablity) to detect the periods of sleep, not HR. I'm trying to get my mind around that... Some of us have asked for their definition because in the studies I have examined it gets difficult to understand.  It analyses the time difference between heart beats..

But I'm no medical expert and my GP doesn't like the questions because he said, "Too many of my patients have Fitbits and Heart Rate Monitors etc..... and tells me to get out there and enjoy life...."

I'm happy to ask the GP because over the years I have been with Fitbit there have been many cases where some Fitbitters have had life improving intervention because of the issues thrown up by their Fitbits..

Polar have a laymans description and this thinking is how Fitbit are measuring our levels of sleep

stages.. BUT... I wish they would put more into their Help dialogue for the everyday person.

This second image from the features section after entering HRV search parameter shows what our users are requesting,  and not one has been examined by the Moderators...  That's my bleat for the day and I trust a moderator will reply to us..

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@SunsetRunner wrote:

In most of the cases, there is nothing to be worried about as low resting heart rate isn't that unusual. I noticed it quite long time ago before I got my Fitbit when I was using BP monitor. Now, when I'm writing this post the Charge 2 shows me 57bpm ( and lowest I got was 48-49 ). As they say, better safe than sorry and it won't hurt to consult a doctor in order to exclude any problems like for example bradycardia. This is what I did during my last annual checkup. The doctor said that probably this was how it worked for me and he explained in details how it is when it doesn't work ( how the heart is being triggered to beat and what's happening when the HR can't go up etc. ). I can raise my HR from this low to even 170-180bpm which means all wires and electric stuff in a brain do work. The problem may appear as, despite the physical effort, the heart rate doesn't want to go up ( for example stays at 50bpm which is a range of some sort of first "gear" for a heart ). Anyway, for peace of mind, he referred me to do ECG to see if there are any irregularities etc. Everything came back normal. No reason to panic if there are no symptoms like ones mentioned here by others. One of my wife's patients, 10yr old girl, who's a gymnast has even lower resting HR than that ( and just in case, despite knowing why is that, she also has been checked ). It isn't so uncommon. Also, with ageing, the resting HR may go down which is assumed to be normal. Moreover, during sleep, the HR goes even lower ( I think this is how Fitbit is able to detect certain changes of sleep stages, correct me if I'm wrong 🙂 ).

My advice is that if you are worried see a doctor. Better safe than sorry 🙂

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[Joeb212]

I've had bradycardia since infancy thiught to have been caused by rheumatic fever.  My resting heart rate normally is 45-55 bpm; it has been as low as 40. And yet I have hypertension  (medicated controlled). The only problems it causes is when I'm ill, then it can get low & stay low for longer periods.  That said, bradycardia by itself is not bad IF it's your norm like mine. If you get a heartbeat below 60 occasionally,  no real concern but if you have normal HR the got bradycardia for an extended period, a day sustained,  then run don't walk to your cardiologist.  Otherwise bradycardia is not necessarily a bad thing. The problem with it now, my fitbit doesn't record some activities quite accurately at times, like sleep. It frequently does not record my sleeping in my recliner always but sometimes it does. If you do have bradycardia normally then adjust your heart rate zone in your fitbit.

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@DominicJ wrote:

"Low heart rate" isnt really bad, its "erratic heart rate" thats the killer.

Low and erratic is especially bad, but high and erratic is worse than low.

If you only beat once every 1.5 seconds a missed beat leaves a 3 second gap.

But if you beat 60bpm and skip two beats thats just as bad.

Any over the counter HRM is ill suited to diagnose erratic beats

Mines been recorded as low as 40bpm, but I've lost 4 stone, so its reasonable to assume my heart has less blood to pump and less distance to pump it.

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[BTeal]

So any feedback on what it might have been? Are you still healthy? Any insight from doctors during the past few years since you posted this? Thanks! 🙂 

[badger65]

No I have completed multiple 10k runs two half marathons and 4 open water mile swims with no ill effects since the post.However I have suffered from fatigue recently and aching joints but have been diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis which has not been associated with my low heart rate........auto immune system disorder

[FitGrannie]

Had an ECG month ago and my resting heart rate was 38 but I feel great and my doctor is not worried. I work out everyday and no issues and my checkup and blood work were all perfect. I have lots of energy and only tired if I overdo it which can be my age (68) but overdoing it is a lot more than people half my age.

Sent from my iPad

[Colinm39]

All well here.. Annual checkup normal and bloods perfect... Some age related lower back issues which I control through walking and regular visits to the physio with the occasional traction. 

My 50 year old daughter delights in telling people, who comment on my Ionic watch, especially when I'm using Fitbit Pay , that I will be 80 next year... Skips a birthday...

Seven months ago I started plotting my average sleeping HR with my RHR. Reason, because Fitbit stress to wear our wrist based trackers 24/7.. Ironically it coincided with a spike in my BP which has always been pre-hypertensive at 135/75, and of course, when your GP is away and another doctor in the clinic, pl;ays safe and prescribed a different medicine..

The second image is an external download of sleeping data and Fitbits presentation. We are now getting about 24 plots/minute from Fitbit which wasn't the case 2 years ago.  But I still can't detect my missing heart beat.. This thread started 3 years ago, amazing how time flies..

Wow, within 2 days I had trouble walking, my lower legs were cramping, headaches and balance issues.... My GP was back a week later and his first reaction was, "we have many on this medication without any issues".. He gave in, and took me off it and you can see from the graph, another couple of months to get back to normal..

Since then I have used the RHR as my precursor to issues and a couple of weeks ago when I had no symptoms for a strep throat there it was, and antibiotics quelled that in 2 days and I ran the course of the antibiotics.

I had my first flu, pneumonia and shingles shots last year at 77 because I'm mixing with relatives who are all in their 80's, due for flu again next week as we approach winter,

[Heybales]

When sites or devices have been talking about making your data useful - and then have problems trying to figure out a way to do that exactly - Colin provides the example.

Now - if they would only hire him as a consultant to provide the ideas to include what he does easier in the data/app usage.

[Colinm39]

@HeybalesThanks for the compliment... It's my method of staving off Dementia... Maybe Fitbit want us to do this as a mental exercise..

I have just ordered my Pulse Oximeter from Amazon so that I can compare my Corsense device due next month.. I have been using the Elite HRV on my Android and using the Polar chest device to record the HR..  Corsense will also delay the SPO2 part of their release and only give us the HRV to start with..

I will come well armed to compare Fitbit's offerings when it's released.  There are so many Pulse Oximeters out there, and I can't understand why the delay from Fitbit..  Maybe it's wrist V's finger..

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@Heybales wrote:

When sites or devices have been talking about making your data useful - and then have problems trying to figure out a way to do that exactly - Colin provides the example.

Now - if they would only hire him as a consultant to provide the ideas to include what he does easier in the data/app usage.

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[Colinm39]

Here is another example of comparing the external to the internal (Fitbit) of 5 minutes of my sleep last night.. Average 22 plots/minute

Oh! for the HRV because the download only shows the minutes, nothing smaller, but on the Fitbit Activity Log it shows the seconds and all equi distant spacing

[Colinm39]

@Heybales  We are getting there... On a 2 hour Workout today, moving and shifting things etc, average HR  was 119bpm... That HR plotted at 33/minute.. So there must be an effort based cutover where Fitbit record and store more data..  Here is the link

Also I have received my Kardia ECG to test for Afib and here is the result via my phone from the device..AND... their compatibility phone list is top end but works seamless on my Sony.

[alanhouston]

My resting heart rate is usually around 50 to 55 but can dip briefly to 38 or 39 when I am deeply asleep.  My family doctor referred me to a cardiologist for testing.  The tests show my heart rate speeds up normally when I'm moving about the house (70 to 90 bpm) and when walking at moderate speeds (90 to 110 bpm).

The cardiologist said my low resting heart rate is common for guys age 65 to 75.  He said that folks who have lightheadedness, dizzy spells or fainting because their heart rate was too low need to see a doctor....otherwise, no big deal.

[Colinm39]

@alanhoustonThanks for the response...

I also have a genetic factor, because when I was in my mid forties, I volunteered for a 3 months middle aged study at our cardiology hospital to examine "diet and affects on adults for middle aged onset Diabetes".

At the end of the tests and interviews I asked the questions about my low RHR, excellent blood flow and normal bloods etc and the specialists came back with.... "Blame your parents, you're genetically programmed to be a long distance runner and not a sprinter nd you have an excellent immune system... So 30 years on and that still prevails.

It's great we can use the RHR to show us of possible prevailing illness...

Also for those interested I have established why it may be difficult for many to detect any anomalies with their HR's on the wrist type Fitbits.  Fitbit vary the recording level of HR's depending on effort..  I found I was getting variable HR's from 6-22 plot points/minute and yesterday I achieved 33 plot points/minute... See this link.. 

[Heybales]

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@Colinm39 wrote:

@Heybales  We are getting there... On a 2 hour Workout today, moving and shifting things etc, average HR  was 119bpm... That HR plotted at 33/minute.. So there must be an effort based cutover where Fitbit record and store more data..  Here is the link

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I'm wondering if they do like Garmin does for "smart-recording" - you only save the data-points that change.

So if the HR stays the same for 30 sec, you have 2 recorded points, 2 big differences in time, and 1 little difference in HR.

So while it's polling in 1 sec intervals during a workout, what is saved is not per-second data.

In the Garmin xml data, you'll actually see new data point for time change when gps info changes enough, and then HR is logged then too even though it remains the same.

I did recall that change to 1 sec polling, compared to, what is it now, 5 sec during normal usage?

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[Colinm39]

@Heybales  Just adding another twist... During sleep last night it averaged 22 plot points/minute, say every every 3 seconds.. Even the bathroom break when HR went onto Fatburning...

BUT, I set Workout today on the Ionic while I walked around a shopping mall for a couple of hours and shopped.. It got the exaggerated HR up to 160... with a pulse check of only 100.. Not worried about that but the plot points were 38, every 1.6 seconds.. I pushed the Ionic further up my wrist and as the pulse went down I was still getting 28 plots/minute then down to 100 bpm and the again at 71 bpm, still 28plots/minute..

I have asked Fitbit to define...

[Monie78]

Same thing happened to me.  I’m on a low calorie diet and started exceeding every day for the past two months. My resting heart rate went from 60 to 49. I did lose 23 lbs. keeping an eye on it. I’ll probably make an appointment with cardiologist later. I 

[FitGrannie]

I have seen cardiologist twice, last year and this past July. He said I am very fit and have a very efficient heart due to my fitness which I heave kept up most of my life. I work out 6 days a week and just walk on the 7th.

Sent from my iPad

[Monie78]

Is it common for it to decrease with two months of excercising daily? I also lost 23 lbs. I’m just concerned with it at night being in the 40’s

Regards,
Ramona Vennam

[kbmm]

Nothing abnormal about resting heart rate in 40s. Many many athletes are that low and others are that way by genetics. If there's no pathology, fainting, discomfort, inability to exercise etc, there's no course of action necessary other than to be happy you're healthy cardiovascularly 😀