What would cause my resting heart rate to rise over time?

[Bjorn]

Hi everyone,

Over the last month, I've lost ~8 lbs (1000 cal deficit.) Over the last week, I decided to increase my protein intake. Perhaps this is the cause to my increased resting heart rate? Should I be worried about this? I already have an appointment with my doctor for a physical, just to make sure things are all okay with my bloodwork.

[Heybales]

Over-training.

Or rather - lack of recovery, including sleep.

Same thing.

Also - body starting to fight off some bugs - hope it wins.

I've usually found the latter follows the former.

And my body doesn't win in that case.

One of those gotcha's - if you don't give adequate rest for recovery - your body usually gets it eventually - outside your control sadly, and longer than you would like, and with far less activity it would have taken to head it off in the first place.

[Bjorn]

Hmmm. I don't feel like I'm over training, lol... I sometimes wonder if I'm
not pushing myself hard enough.

Alright. Should I take a week off and just focus on diet?

[Heybales]

Not unless going hard for like 5-6 weeks.

Then again, if exercise is new, or the stuff you are doing is new to you, you could get the same effect in shorter time.

Do you have a weekly workout schedule that alternates hard days with easy days?

Just like intervals, the slow part allows the hard part to be truly hard.

So some days could be lifting, and then hard cardio.

Recovery day is easy cardio.

And a true rest day a week always useful.

Then again - could be getting a cold or fighting it off before you know it.

[Bjorn]

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@Heybales wrote:

Not unless going hard for like 5-6 weeks.

Then again, if exercise is new, or the stuff you are doing is new to you, you could get the same effect in shorter time.

Do you have a weekly workout schedule that alternates hard days with easy days?

Just like intervals, the slow part allows the hard part to be truly hard.

So some days could be lifting, and then hard cardio.

Recovery day is easy cardio.

And a true rest day a week always useful.

Then again - could be getting a cold or fighting it off before you know it.

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Thank you for taking the time to respond to me, @Heybales!

It's hard for me to gauge hard/easy. Walking doesn't seem hard, and I walk a minimum of 7 miles every day at "fat burn" heart rate. Jogging is still hard for me to maintain for more than maybe 1 minute (which seems quite weak?) I'll jog for a minute, walk for a minute or less, then jog again for less than a minute and then walk again. I alternate between walking and jogging, but I can't maintain more than 1 minute of jogging without feeling like I'm out of breath. I probably need to work on controlling my breathing.

When I lift, I don't lift to failure... however, just today I decided to push myself to lift to failure with heavier weights than usual. So my weight training session today felt more productive than all weight training days in the past 3 weeks.

I've only started this regimen about 2 months ago, so perhaps this is still fairly new to my body. 15 years ago, when I was regularly jogging and lifting, I remember exercise feeling this same way.

For example, If I jump rope, I stop after about 45-47 seconds, take a 3 minute break, and start again.

So yeah, I suppose I've never had a "truly hard" interval. I push myself as far as I can go until I feel like I'd not be able to continue at the same intensity, and then stop. 

I can completely revamp my exercise routine to something more sensible. I just don't really know what would be more sensible than what I'm doing.

[Colinm39]

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@Bjorn wrote:
Hmmm. I don't feel like I'm over training, lol... I sometimes wonder if I'm
not pushing myself hard enough.

Alright. Should I take a week off and just focus on diet?

---

@BjornMy RHR has done the same thing, activity is down 40% and Winter here in Australia.  I have put it down to wearing a woollen sweater/jumper/pullover (whatever other countries call them). Here is a snap shot. It just makes me feel warmer overall and I find waiting in hosp[itals etc my HR is about 60 bpm.

Also I don't agree with the way Fitbit calculate RHR My average sleep last night was 50 bpm including toilet breaks. I had 42's and 45's minimum and of course Fitbit wait for you to get moving and the average is taken later in the morning/day.

As I sit typing this, the Surge shows my HR as 50-51 bpm.. I have found the Surge very accurate in the low activity area.

[Bjorn]

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@Colinm39 wrote:

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@Bjorn wrote:
Hmmm. I don't feel like I'm over training, lol... I sometimes wonder if I'm
not pushing myself hard enough.

Alright. Should I take a week off and just focus on diet?

---

@BjornMy RHR has done the same thing, activity is down 40% and Winter here in Australia.  I have put it down to wearing a woollen sweater/jumper/pullover (whatever other countries call them). Here is a snap shot. It just makes me feel warmer overall and I find waiting in hosp[itals etc my HR is about 60 bpm.

Also I don't agree with the way Fitbit calculate RHR My average sleep last night was 50 bpm including toilet breaks. I had 42's and 45's minimum and of course Fitbit wait for you to get moving and the average is taken later in the morning/day.

As I sit typing this, the Surge shows my HR as 50-51 bpm.. I have found the Surge very accurate in the low activity area.

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Thank you, @Colinm39. If fitbit is indeed mucking up my RHR information, then I hope my visit with the doctor will help me feel comfortable with removing the RHR graph from my dashboard 🙂

[Heybales]

For now getting back in to fitness - that is just fine schedule.

While it may indeed feel intense because you are dying trying to breath, it probably isn't that bad on the actual muscles of the body that would really need the recovery time for what I was thinking about.

So that is a great push though, because it is what you can do for now.

Great protocal Colin found in a study that showed great improvements to several parts of body, including weight loss.

After 5 min walking warmup (or longer if muscles need it), 8 sec run like you are doing, or tad harder since only 8 sec - then 12 second walk.

Keep alternating.

Study used a stational bike where seeing a clock likely tad easier, but probably some decent way to get a jog/walk routine too.

[Bjorn]

Phew, thank you again @Heybales 🙂 I was beginning to look at cutting
down my walks to just 3.5 miles a day, glad that I may not really see any
benefit from lowering my walk time. I'll admit, it's easier for me to eat
to deficit if I walk less. There are many times I feel like I'm annoyed at
all the eating I'm doing

[tonyfrompetone]

Not sure where this post will appear or who will see it but my resting heart rate has risen from about 75 to 87 in one month. I have had a few bouts of high pulse rate at night after drinking too much booze (Shame-shame!, I know) but I don't know what effect that would have over the long term. Is it an indication of some developing health issue or is it just a quirk of the fitbit algorithm used to calculate the RHR?

[Heybales]

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@tonyfrompetone wrote:

Not sure where this post will appear or who will see it but my resting heart rate has risen from about 75 to 87 in one month. I have had a few bouts of high pulse rate at night after drinking too much booze (Shame-shame!, I know) but I don't know what effect that would have over the long term. Is it an indication of some developing health issue or is it just a quirk of the fitbit algorithm used to calculate the RHR?

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Well, this post appeared in a topic that someone else had started - not usually a great place to ask questions about your own thing unless really related.

If true resting HR (as measured first thing in morning), or Fitbit's definition of resting HR (which includes calm times daily) has steadily increased - that's not good.

Usually it's an indication your body is not recovering well from the workouts you are putting it through.

This is when you get ready for sickness as you'll have weakened immune system - which increased HR is also way that shows up by itself.

So either body fighting something else, or over training.

Could also be warmer and you are out more and elevated HR is from trying to keep cool, so Fitbit's meaning is inflated - but if you did true restingHR right after waking up - no issue.

[tonyfrompetone]

Thanks for that. I did realise that I was posting ito an existing exchange, however my question seemed relevant t the conversation and I didn't want to start another conversation all over.

As you point out there could be any number of things that cause an individual's RhR to change - in either direction so perhaps not worth asking why here. I just thought some sage might have a simple answer.

Cheers 

Tony F.

New Zealand.

[Heybales]

No prob, usually your own topic can get more views, depending on the question that can help get more answers.

I guess the summer idea is out since you are going in to winter actually - which could be the opposite effect though usually not that big of a difference - body making itself warmer.

But that usually doesn't require more oxygen since it's so low level, so no need for faster beat.

I'd say with winter, immune system is likely culprit.

[Leyna]

Bjorn-

You can over train, while not being used to working out. If it has been a while (I believe you said over 10 years?) this is a lot for your body. i am not saying that you are overtraining, but do keep in mind that it is a bit foreign for your body.

your calorie deficit seems way low? why 1000 calorie deficit? are you eating more than 1000 calories per day? super low calorie intake can also mess with heart rate and such.

I am in no way, shape or form an expert, but worry about others doing super low calorie and being new to exercise. I've been in both shoes and really messed up my hormones, many injuries and such, and don't want others to go through the same grief I did!

[PinchHitre1]

Over the last month of so, I have also noticed that my resting heart rate is up about 8 or so points for no reason. Is anyone else noticing the same thing. The change seemed to come after the last few updates and I'm wondering if something is messed up.

[tonyfrompetone]

I have proved without doubt that alcohol causes my actual heart rate to climb, sometimes as high as 96 bpm while in bed at night. Quite disconcerting. As I only drink (socially) after 5 or 6 pm it affects me between going to bed before midnight and about 4 am. Obviously this effects my 'resting heart rate'. No booze - hr drops. There is also a possibility that the alcohol could be dehydrating me thus causing a thickening of my blood and the heart having to work harder/faster. I am obviously not a serious fitness fanatic however do try to enjoy good health. Everything in moderation.

[PinchHitre1]

Thanks, but I know that's not the issue in my case.


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[RichCLI]

My resting heart rate was in the mid to low 50s.  Then I ran two 10-Ks this past Saturday and Sunday and my resting heart rate increased to 62 then back down slightly to 60.  Not sure what it means - perhaps over training - taking a break from running this week.

[Bjorn]

Thank you, everyone, for the input on my resting heart rate. I believe it was a combination of overtraining and the weather getting warmer. Now that it's cooler outside, my resting heart rate has dropped below 50 again. My routine is less of a challenge now after having kept at it for so long, so my body expends less energy completing it (it is not trivial, but it's certainly a lot more manageable) i have finally found a pace i can jog at for 45 minutes now with minimal breaks. Next goal: get the same distance competed using less time each month or so.

Good luck all! Thanks for taking the time to reply to this post

[Heybales]

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@RichCLI wrote:

My resting heart rate was in the mid to low 50s.  Then I ran two 10-Ks this past Saturday and Sunday and my resting heart rate increased to 62 then back down slightly to 60.  Not sure what it means - perhaps over training - taking a break from running this week.

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That is exactly why it's beneficial to keep track of that, like morning after rest day each week.

If it starts trending up - not good.

Do that a few times, and notice getting sick more often then - you make the connection - body stressed, immune system compromised, get the bugs.

Usually it's the recovery from a race. People think they feel decent enough, so workout within 1-2 days.

Last 2 years after doing a half-ironman, I took 4 days off, maybe walking. By 5th day a bike ride was done with new higher average speed and lower HR than I'd been hitting during training - showing the body needed a rest, and recovered well.

Sometimes merely have more active recovery HR zone workouts is enough - that's also called the fat-burning zone in recent years with that fad.