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What is normal Resting Heart rate Fluctuation?

‎09-14-2015 09:04

‎09-14-2015 09:04

Over the course of a week my resting heart rate will vary from 68 to 65 and back usually in 1BPM steps over a couple of days. I was wondering what is concidered a normal range spread for resting HR?

 

Thanks,

 

Richad

Best Answer
59 REPLIES 59

‎02-03-2017 05:32

In response to Mikeg9699

‎02-03-2017 05:32

 

Normal RHR will generally only vary by a couple of beats a day unless influenced by other factors such as overtraining, fatigue, illness or in the longer term decling or improving fitness. Thing is Fitbit and the other providers use an algorythm to calculate the RHR which gives daily changes greater than expected. Best thing to do is take your HR within a minute or two of waking before you get out of bed. This will give you a much better idea of your true RHR. Use the Fitbit stats as a guide to a longer term trend rather than for daily inconsistencies. 

Best Answer

‎02-03-2017 17:20

In response to BaltazarFitbit

‎02-03-2017 17:20

Or a low HR may indicate heart disease, usually an issue with the electrical conducting pathways of the heart. You should give people accurate information so if they see this they can seek medical help.

Normal HR is 60-100bpm. In a highly trained endurance athlete (i.e a cyclist or marathon runner), the heart rate can be less than 40bpm. This is due to myocardial hypertrophy (i.e increase size of the heart muscle), increased blood volume, and more efficient oxygen carrying capacity and deilvery to body cells and utilisation of oxygen by the cells.

I wouldn't rely in Fitbit devices to deliver accurate HR information. If you're concerned seek help from your GP.

 

 

Best Answer

‎02-03-2017 17:24

In response to RRKPL

‎02-03-2017 17:24

Dehydration will affect HR as you will have a reduced blood volume and therefore the heart has to pump faster to deliver oxygen to the tissues with less volume. Its a normal response.

Best Answer

‎02-03-2017 17:26

In response to Arcaenah

‎02-03-2017 17:26

And you're also dehydrated after you drink alcohol so the heart has to accomodate by pumping faster. a 10bpm difference is not significant, especially if your HR is within the healthy normal range (60-

 

Best Answer

‎02-08-2017 02:39 - edited ‎02-08-2017 02:41

In response to Tabby_30

‎02-08-2017 02:39 - edited ‎02-08-2017 02:41

Tabby_30 There are a lot of things that could cause your heart rate to fluctuate, but what you are describing sounds like heart palpitations. I would get this checked out by your doctor just to be safe. Palpitations can be caused by anxiety, but they can also indicate that there is abnormal electrical activity of the heart. 

Best Answer

‎02-08-2017 02:52

In response to Laker23

‎02-08-2017 02:52

Yes I agree, although heart palpitations covers a big range of different arrythmia, mostly benign and normal. Always wise to mention it to your Dr. though. They may just feel the need to reassure or run an ECG to look at your waveform. Also possibly a 24 hr monitor that will record any abnormal beats. These are normal procedures and nothing to worry about. Likely an echocardiogram too which will check your heart is structurally sound.

It all sounds worrying but 99% of the time these things happen because of alcohol, coffee, dehydration, fatigue, oncoming virus, stress etc, many things, and are very, very common.  

The heart is a very sensitive but incredibly resilient organ! 

Best Answer

‎03-15-2017 06:41

In response to Tabby_30

‎03-15-2017 06:41

By chance, did you have something with a lot of sodium?  That happens to me sometimes.  When that happens, I usually get a significant spike in blood pressure also. 

Best Answer

‎04-06-2017 11:07

In response to RRKPL

‎04-06-2017 11:07

Or Fitbit could considering partnering with a public health researcher in order to investigate the trends...there are cardiac activity experts that already study some of these phenomena...

Best Answer

‎05-28-2017 03:07

‎05-28-2017 03:07

Enjoyed all the comments. My RHB fluctuates from 52-68. I am not an athlete nor particularly fit. Have very low blood pressure as well. When I am sleep deprived or ill my RHB is higher. Nice to know that dehydration also causes RHB to elevate. Cheers

Best Answer

‎06-03-2017 22:07

In response to BeaT

‎06-03-2017 22:07

I am the same way I suppose. I just got my fit bit last week and being a borderline hypochondriac, I started to over analyze my RHR. I'm 5ft 2in and I am 170 pounds. I just started to walk again and was not exactly big on hydration until this thing makes me log it... 🙂 anywho... my RHR ranges from 68 on May 28, 2017 (day 1) to 59 today June 3, 2017. I started drinking more water this week and started to walk. I was wondering if that made such a dramatic decrease in my RHR. Seeing now that it can, I'm more at ease. I also read that ovulation in us women can cause our RHR to fluctuate. Very interesting. Also being an anxiety sufferor, I started thinking when my RHR was 55, I was going to pass out or something was wrong with my heart. Though it didn't feel like there was, I just read data that I didn't understand and seeing the fluctuations worried me. (Didn't know much about RHR until this week). Fit bit kinda helped and hindered my hypochondriac mind. 🙂 

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‎06-17-2017 07:55

In response to Tabby_30

‎06-17-2017 07:55

Tabby_30, had you had any alcohol? In the last few years this happens to me sometimes even after one beer and it doesn't matter what kind of alcohol- wine, liquor, beer. I've read it can be hormone related in women. It's a horrible feeling, like my heart will explode. It doesn't always happen when I drink, which I rarely do anymore because of it. 

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0 Votes

‎09-13-2017 21:01

In response to tannermp

‎09-13-2017 21:01

Finally!

Best Answer

‎10-15-2017 08:53

In response to Naniii

‎10-15-2017 08:53

My RHR is between 60 and 68 and worked out that the pattern of rise and fall fits in very nicely with my monthly cycle. 

Best Answer

‎10-21-2017 15:07

In response to BaltazarFitbit

‎10-21-2017 15:07

Hi wondered if anyone knows if it's normal for my resting heart rate to have increased from around 57/59 in the summer to 64/67 since end of September. Is this because your blood thickens in the winter, so the heart has to pump harder or should I be concerned and keep an eye on it? ...............

@BaltazarFitbit wrote:

Hi @RRKPL,  welcome to the community! It depends but normal resting HR ranges from 60 to 100 beats a minute for adults

A lower heart rate while resting means a more efficient heart and better cardiovascular health. For example, an athlete might have a normal resting heart rate closer to 40 beats a minute.

 

Hope this helps 😄

Hi wondered if anyone knows if it's normal for my resting heart rate to have increased from around 57/59 in the summer to 64/67 since end of September. Is this because your blood thickens in the winter, so the heart has to pump harder or should I be concerned and keep an eye on it? ...............

Best Answer

‎12-16-2017 11:56

In response to SunsetRunner

‎12-16-2017 11:56

A girlfriend and I have noted a similar pattern! So clearly hormonal activity plays a part. Some days I can figure out why my RHR has changed and other days I just have to shrug my shoulders and move on. I love a run and exercise regularly and my RHR seems to vary between about 49 at its lowest and 56 just before my period is due, or if I’m a bit dehydrated or sometimes for no good reason. Seems to sit generally around 52 or 53 but I’ve got no great answers for why it fluctuates.

Best Answer

‎12-18-2017 09:15

In response to wendy_glen

‎12-18-2017 09:15

I have noticed a big fluctuation with my hormonal cycles. I am 47 and probably going through some changes. I notice that I will start sleeping through the night for about 3 weeks, during and around my cycle, though I only have a couple of cycles per year at this point. So it's very obvious. At that same time, I notice my RHR drops about 10 points. I find it very interesting and feel there is some definite correlation, at least for me. Mine run in the mid 70s until my sleep pattern changes, then it drops into the mid to low 60s. Otherwise, it will fluctuate but not as drastically. 

Best Answer
0 Votes

‎01-09-2018 15:36

In response to JillianR

‎01-09-2018 15:36

Your post sounded like I wrote it.  I got a Fitbit Alta HR for Christmas. I've had the Zip for a few years, but couldn't check my heart rate with it.  Now that I can, I've become a little crazy with checking my RHR.  It used to be around 65, but recently I've noticed that it dipped into the 50s, which scared me. I convinced myself something was wrong.  I was unemployed for 2 years, and was fairly sendentary, but started a job 2 months ago, and average 10,000 steps a day. I wonder if the exercise could have lowered it. As I'm typing this, it's 64, but I know it will change and scare me again. I was also diagnosed with Costochondritis which causes chest pain, and my job has me bending and lifting which causes me pain. In my head, it's all heart related. 

Best Answer

‎01-10-2018 01:41

In response to KeepGoing421

‎01-10-2018 01:41

Hi
I wouldn't worry too much. Its sudden changes that you need to keep an eye
on.
I'm waiting until the summer, as apparently the heart rate speeds up over
the winter, as the blood is thicker during the winter, so it has to work
harder to pump it round.
However, i do think the charge2 is registering it differently.
Best Answer

‎02-18-2018 12:33

In response to KeepGoing421

‎02-18-2018 12:33

I am not a medic but wouldn’t HRV not be the parameter to check?

Best Answer

‎04-14-2018 02:53

‎04-14-2018 02:53

I've noticed that my RHR increases when I have alcohol and am thus not getting good quality sleep. Definitely a pattern developed with this as I usually have a few glasses of wine at the weekend and my RHR is always higher after this. 

Best Answer