Heartrate down,weight up?

[Kris111]

I am wondering if there is a reason that my heart rate is lower yet I seem to be gaining weight instead of losing it! 

Usually when it's near my monthly cycle lately yes I will put on weight and my heart rate will go up lately. 

So confusing. 

[Dominique]

Resting HR goes more hand in hand with things like fitness level and stress, less so with weight per se. Does your Fitbit support Cardio Fitness Score, and if so, how has your score evolved?

[SunsetRunner]

Do you tend to stray away from vegetables during or around your TOM? Potassium plays a role in heart rate as well. Maybe lacking potassium around that time? As far as the weight gain goes, weight fluctuations are normal but if you are talking about consistent weight gain then you are not in a deficit.

[Kris111]

 I dont know I'm always all over the place. But for some reason it says my fitness score is poor now...even though my heart rate resting says 57 and I work out a lot, I don't understand anything. 

And yes I probably have been having a little less Veges lately just because the carbs are really helping me get through my runs so much better.  but i still get a decent amount of them in i think

[Dominique]

Cardio Fitness Score isn’t just about resting heart rate. Otherwise everyone with a super-low RHR would have a super-high score, and vice-versa, which is not the case. I’m surprised your Cardio Fitness Score is "all over the place". In my own experience, it has been pretty stable over time, fluctuating between mid-fifties and low sixties.

[bikerhiker]

57 is a pretty good RHR, whereas RHR (Resting Heart Heart of in between 60-100bpm) is considered normal.  As a female, it is normal that RHR will fluctuate depending on your health and well being, stress, body size and weight (the larger the body the more effort the heart has to work to pump blood to all your body parts and organs, having a period (woman stuff), hormonal shifts (woman stuff again) and so therefore I think it is fine.  As long as your RHR is NOT above 100bpm most of the time.  If it is, then this is a condition called Tachycardia (Tachy - Tachometer and Cardia - Heart)  Speeding heart is a very dangerous condition and you should see a doctor to determine the cause.  Otherwise, if your RHR floats between 60-100 bpm or below, then this is fine.

A lower RHR can indicate a higher fitness level.  For example, Miguel Indurian (a former Tour De France rider) has a RHR of 28 bpm and I think Lance Armstrong is about 30 ish bpm.  A lower RHR simply means that the heart pumps blood efficiently.  What determines your fitness level is your VO2Max.  That is something an athletic facility can determine with its machinery.  I am aware that Fitbit has a cardio score which simulates VO2Max, but I am not sure of its validity compared to a machine that determines your VO2Max.  But I don't think it really is a concern for you to determine your VO2Max unless you want to compete professionally in sporting events.

Having said that; I think your weight gain can be a form of water gain from your consumption of carbohydrates.  When you finish exercising, the first thing the body usually seeks is to replenish lost calories in a form of carbohydrates; either simple or complex carbs.  You may gain weight the next day; but if you weigh yourself before exercise and then weigh yourself after and you lose weight, then just means you lost water weight.  If you look at my trendweight, you'll see my weight seesawing up and down between 135lb or 61-62kg.  However, the best determinant of weight gain is by measuring your waist line and your hips.  If your waistline is shrinking and your hips area where fat would accumulate also shrink, then those are more important factors to focus on rather than on weight.  Weight does not tell you a lot about your fitness level and your body fat percentage.