What are the conditions for resting heart rate?

volké

I'm interested in finding my resting heart rate, but I'm a bit unclear about what exactly 'resting' means.

For example;
If I just put my HRM on I get a reading of about 70.
If I sit down for a minute I get something around 60-65, depending on the room temperature, time of day etc..
If I sit down and actually relax, eg think calm thoughts etc. it goes to about 53-55.

Which one of these is my resting heart rate?

Cheers,

Volké

Bronzie

It's best to take it in the morning on waking up before you get out of bed

lvquestpaddler

I've always done it first thing in the morning before even getting up, averaged over a few days. That way its done before food(raises HR for digestion), stress, stimulants (caffeine etc).
Keep the transmitter and watch on the bedside table ! 8)

SteveR_100Milers

Volké wrote:

I'm interested in finding my resting heart rate, but I'm a bit unclear about what exactly 'resting' means.

For example;
If I just put my HRM on I get a reading of about 70.
If I sit down for a minute I get something around 60-65, depending on the room temperature, time of day etc..
If I sit down and actually relax, eg think calm thoughts etc. it goes to about 53-55.

Which one of these is my resting heart rate?

Cheers,

Volké

Of your three choices, the last one is the most accurate. The longer you lie still the more accurate it will be. You could as some have done I am sure (which must have perplexed many a wife / husband/household pet) which is to go to sleep with an HRM on all night and see what your average is the next morning.

hopper1

I have my HR kit on the bedside table and use it every morning, before I get up...

Pokerface

hopper1 wrote:

I have my HR kit on the bedside table and use it every morning, before I get up...

I keep mine there and use it during sex. :oops:

keef66

Ooh! Never thought of that. "can't go any faster dear, It's my night for endurance miles, got to stay in Zone 2. We'll do some intervals tomorrow"

"and I didn't call you Tabatha"

nottscobb

You seriously put your HRM on to check your heart rate in the morning? I look at the clock and count the beats. I think it would take too much explaining to the other half if I used the HRM, my method means she thinks I'm just snoozing for a minute or two before I get up!

oldwelshman

Pokerface wrote:

hopper1 wrote:

I have my HR kit on the bedside table and use it every morning, before I get up...

I keep mine there and use it during sex. :oops:

Does you HR monitor have vibrate mode then ?

volké

oldwelshman wrote:

Does you HR monitor have vibrate mode then ?

Patent pending - it's my idea now .

I tried it this morning just after I woke up; after some small fluctuations it stabilized at about 50bpm, with a low of 48 when I was most relaxed.

Is there any specific type of training that could lower that, perhaps to about 40bpm?

SteveR_100Milers

Volké wrote:

oldwelshman wrote:

Does you HR monitor have vibrate mode then ?

Patent pending - it's my idea now .

I tried it this morning just after I woke up; after some small fluctuations it stabilized at about 50bpm, with a low of 48 when I was most relaxed.

Is there any specific type of training that could lower that, perhaps to about 40bpm?

ingesting some forms of class A substances? Why would you want to lower it further? There is a reason for it beating you know...

Bronzie

Volké wrote:

Is there any specific type of training that could lower that, perhaps to about 40bpm?

Monitoring your RHR won't necessarily tell you much more than when you are not fully recovered and could do with a rest day (ie your RHR is elevated following hard training).

A reduction in RHR over a period of time may indicate a higher level of fitness, but it doesn't necessarily follow that lower is "better".

Focus on training to reduce your heart rate at any given power output / speed as this will actually allow you to ride faster for the same level of effort.

keef66

My understanding is that there is no correlation between RHR and fitness. It's down to your genes.

rokkala

keef66 wrote:

My understanding is that there is no correlation between RHR and fitness. It's down to your genes.

Maybe true if you mean comparing RHRs with between different riders. But looking at a rider in isolation, it should get lower the fitter you become. Certainly was my understanding, and personal experience!

doyler78

Rokkala wrote:

keef66 wrote:

My understanding is that there is no correlation between RHR and fitness. It's down to your genes.

Maybe true if you mean comparing RHRs with between different riders. But looking at a rider in isolation, it should get lower the fitter you become. Certainly was my understanding, and personal experience!

To an extent it should get lower however once you reach a certain level of fitness it tends to tail off however having said that a raised resting heart rate can be a indicator of both overtraining or onset of illness..

Personally I no longer use it as the Peformance Manager Chart tells me all I need to know with respect to avoiding overtraining and well what exactly can I do to stop illness once it is already present?

SteveR_100Milers

Rokkala wrote:

keef66 wrote:

My understanding is that there is no correlation between RHR and fitness. It's down to your genes.

Maybe true if you mean comparing RHRs with between different riders. But looking at a rider in isolation, it should get lower the fitter you become. Certainly was my understanding, and personal experience!

until what rate? 0?
Come one, this has zero science behind it, unless prove otherwise.

SteveR_100Milers

doyler78 wrote:

Rokkala wrote:

keef66 wrote:

My understanding is that there is no correlation between RHR and fitness. It's down to your genes.

Maybe true if you mean comparing RHRs with between different riders. But looking at a rider in isolation, it should get lower the fitter you become. Certainly was my understanding, and personal experience!

To an extent it should get lower however once you reach a certain level of fitness it tends to tail off however having said that a raised resting heart rate can be a indicator of both overtraining or onset of illness..

Personally I no longer use it as the Peformance Manager Chart tells me all I need to know with respect to avoiding overtraining and well what exactly can I do to stop illness once it is already present?

glad to see good ole common sense can work

rokkala

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

Rokkala wrote:

keef66 wrote:

My understanding is that there is no correlation between RHR and fitness. It's down to your genes.

Maybe true if you mean comparing RHRs with between different riders. But looking at a rider in isolation, it should get lower the fitter you become. Certainly was my understanding, and personal experience!

until what rate? 0?
Come one, this has zero science behind it, unless prove otherwise.

Sorry Steve, thought you perhaps had a modicum of common sense.

From being untrained to getting very fit, it will change, and eventually plateau.

I had done pretty much no exercise for 2 years, my resting heart rate was consistently around 60bpm. Started cycling, it gradually came down, and now its normally around 38-40bpm.

SteveR_100Milers

Rokkala wrote:

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

Rokkala wrote:

keef66 wrote:

My understanding is that there is no correlation between RHR and fitness. It's down to your genes.

Maybe true if you mean comparing RHRs with between different riders. But looking at a rider in isolation, it should get lower the fitter you become. Certainly was my understanding, and personal experience!

until what rate? 0?
Come one, this has zero science behind it, unless prove otherwise.

Sorry Steve, thought you perhaps had a modicum of common sense.

From being untrained to getting very fit, it will change, and eventually plateau.

I had done pretty much no exercise for 2 years, my resting heart rate was consistently around 60bpm. Started cycling, it gradually came down, and now its normally around 38-40bpm.

Yeah I was being a bit pedantic when i posted that My point was it does plateau, and doesn't keep on going down. I'm not sure other than to give you a rough indication of onset of illness of overtraining what value it has.

rokkala

Fair do's

Never said it actually has any value either, don't think anyone did!

miurasv

Sorry to but in here but is there no advantage in lowering the resting heart rate? I always assumed I was getting fitter the lower my rhr becomes after training over a period of time or is a low rhr no indicator of heart health?