Resting Heart Rate - What is Normal? Normal Ranges??

Men tend to be lower than women.

It is a good thing to watch compared to yourself as it is highly individual.

Mine is normally low 40's when I'm fit and well rested.

When I was in my low 20's and running 6.5 minute miles, my resting heart rate was in the low 40's.  I'm 39 now and getting back into shape, and my RHR is in the low 60's.  I'd take a RHR of 70 if I could get back to even a sub 9:00 mile pace. 

Wow,

Very interesting - I had no idea that RHR could vary that much, or that even the range from resting to heavy exercise could be so large.

I always thought anything in the 50's, esp mid to low 50's was about as low as it could go before it was considered dangerous ... and in someone having a medical emergency and their heart is stopping or something like that.

Then considering I see people talking about target heart rates of 145, 155, up to 175 and 180 bpm, the range of low 40's and even 30's to the high end really surprises me.

I did a little research on it today and I guess to get a totally accurate reading, I need to read it first thing in the morning when I wake up, even before I get out of the bed.  I'm going to start this tomorrow morning for the next 3 days, add them up and divide by 3 to try and get a really accurate reading.

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I get mine taken all the time for work and am usually at 42 - 44 resting. My wife has no heart so therefore, her resting heart rate is ZERO! Just kidding

60-100 is "normal".

You people are freaks.

The fact that we are on BT to start with should have been a clue to that.

Here's some charts from netfit.co.uk.  I know people like to compare and contrast, so I keep these handy for my clients...My main goal in watching my OWN RHR is to be able to tell if I am overtraining, dehydrated, etc.  For example, I was lethargic the other day before a run. No amount of food or liquid gave me any energy.  I put the garmin on and went to head out the door at 6:30pm, and my heart rate was 55.  THat's a bit low for me at that point in the day...I seem to always be battling with my electrolytes, so I think that was what it was.

RESTING HEART RATE CHART

I think my table is easier...

HR > 0 - good

HR = 0 - not so good.

HaHaHa ..... the last 2 posts are killing me, simply hilarious.

But a lot of good information, thanks to the person that posted the chart - that is really useful and very interesting to see it all displayed out visually like that.

As I was saying, when I checked it at the Y last night after a very easy night and having been resting for about 15-20 minutes, it was 56 or 57.

I tested this morning right after I woke up (I have one of those electronic home BP meters as well), and I had a RHR of 54.

I'll keep checking for a couple more days to see if this is a consistent number.  Then, I guess as some have posted, my RHR is more a number I should track for myself to compare to what my HR is are certain levels of exercise, and not so much something to compare to other folk's RHR, etc ...

Anyhow, it is still interesting to know.  I wonder how much age and weight/size play on what your RHR is?

I've only started to get back in shape since around Jan of this year (mostly weights and some walking and slight cardio), and really heavy into cardio starting in April of this year.  I started Tri training just Aug 1st of this year.  In Jan 08 I was around 313 lbs. and right now I weigh 249 lbs.

Still big, so I wonder if that is making my RHR a little higher than what it would be for the same fitness level that I'm at but if I weighed less.

Anyone know how big a factor who much one weighs has on your RHR?

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Elite marathoners with 60? Examples please...

Yes, there are, no need to find them (I'm not spending hours finding the articles where it stated them, or getting out my Daniels' book and re-reading about that).  Okay, I'll just throw up a quick one I easily found .......

Simple fact is, it is not whether you have a RHR of 35 that determines how in shape you are, it is the overall range of HR availability you have and whether or not you can maintain a higher HR during an activity.  Those elites with a RHR in the 50 and 60 range also peak at or around 200+, so have a very wide range to work with.

RHR should be used as an indicator as to whether you are recovering enough or are sick or something.  That is the only reason to track it.  Just like max HR, it varies per an individual's genetics and their level of fitness.

From what I understand is that RHR can be an indicator of greater fitness for an individual when compared to that same individual in a lesser fitness state... but comparing across persons is like comparing LT and zones.

 Anyway, elite athletes excel because they can push their LT into the high % range of MHR, with some reportedly having LTs at 90% MHR.