This Heart Rate Thing...

[londoncommuter0000]

I had a blood pressure test this morning at my GP's. He said it was 'spot on', and measured my heart rate as I was sat at his desk. It was 55. Usually, resting it's 44 bpm. I'm 52, cycle 120 miles a week into and back from the office, and am vegan. Heart rate is between 130-160 during my commute.

This question may have been asked already, but - is this indicative of health, or is it a bad thing that means my heart is likely to stop overnight and kill me?

https://ibb.co/FsMDc6L

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
11.4 mph and less than 20 ' / mile climbing and avg heart rate 140?

[Paulatic]

In your case low HR will be a good thing. You’re cycling >130 mls/ week you’ll be as fit as a lop.
I was in hospital a few years back for a minor op just had a coffee and walked into the bay. Nurse checks BP and pulse and didn’t believe her reading and took pulse again (54) Then asks if I was an athlete No , at the time just a 60+ yo cyclist.

NA's avg HR is about 15 beats above my MAX

[foxyrider]

Lack of heart beat is generally terminal however a low figure at rest is good in most cases. Mine has been as low as 38 but will generally be in the mid forties these days. I also have low BP, my pump is quite efficient!

Yours would be a little elevated in the surgery as you'll be subconsciously a little tense. Do you check it regularly? I rise to say 65 could indicate the onset of an infection or some other issue.

Unfortunately it's not fantastically reliable, a friend has a condition which can see his bpm drop to 30 or rise to 200, he's 60. That isn't good and has caused several 'incidents' requiring a&e. I do use a hrm for exercise these days, not to specifically train to but I can pick up trends which may indicate illness, it'll be consistently higher if i'm under the weather.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

In your case low HR will be a good thing. You’re cycling >130 mls/ week you’ll be as fit as a lop.
I was in hospital a few years back for a minor op just had a coffee and walked into the bay. Nurse checks BP and pulse and didn’t believe her reading and took pulse again (54) Then asks if I was an athlete No , at the time just a 60+ yo cyclist.

NA's avg HR is about 15 beats above my MAX

I just question your average hr at so a low speed and climbing If what I quoted from your link was correct?
Unless you are towing a concrete block on the tarmac
My resting can be as low as 44 I am 60.
My normal average is about 148 which is 80% of my max 185.
This week average is 148, max is 171.
Average speed is 13 mph with a 26 kilo MTB on off road, climbing is a low 43' / mile at the moment 2.5-4.0 hr rides, normally it would be 70' / mile.
Possible you have a similar condition / makeup as Paulatic (sorry Paulatic If I got that wrong, you mentioned you had to limit your HR, might have mixed you up) / your age condition and what norm for you then it could be perfectly normal.
120 m a week is more that I am doing, but it all about time and effort.
My avg hr can fluctuate 10 bpm on good and bad weeks, so avg 145 on a good fit time and 155 on a feel unwell time possible virus etc.
So your avg could be 130.

Low hr normally means fit and Paulatic can cycle I know
You could be similar to him but your high of 160 says that you are working hard, sounds like you are cycling with a heavy bike off road?
If your low is 45 and average is 140 your max could be 190-200, age makes that a little less likely.
Fitness is recovery time, how quick your hr drops. not what it is.
Effort is work rate so- power watts vs your body weight or % of max hr.

No you are too fit to die
And everyones different, If you have been checked out and you feel good, be happy.

But what happens if you try to speed up?

[londoncommuter0000]

Hi,

In your case low HR will be a good thing. You’re cycling >130 mls/ week you’ll be as fit as a lop.
I was in hospital a few years back for a minor op just had a coffee and walked into the bay. Nurse checks BP and pulse and didn’t believe her reading and took pulse again (54) Then asks if I was an athlete No , at the time just a 60+ yo cyclist.

NA's avg HR is about 15 beats above my MAX

I just question your average hr at so a low speed and climbing If what I quoted from your link was correct?

My usual average varies from 14.4 mph to 17.6 mph.

I was off the bike for a month. One loses 'it' relatively quickly.

I'm not lying.

[londoncommuter0000]

[quote="foxyrider"]Do you check it regularly? /quote]

The little app called 'Cardiogram' on my Apple Watch does. It's 50 right now, as I sit in front of my Mac.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Explains quite a lot if you are recovering.
One hour snap shot you and me for a comparison, mine is taken from 2.5 hr ride, the rest looks the same type of line.
Red line is 150 bpm.

[foxyrider]

Hi,
Explains quite a lot if you are recovering.
One hour snap shot you and me for a comparison, mine is taken from 2.5 hr ride, the rest looks the same type of line.
Red line is 150 bpm.

Flippin'. 'eck, I feel like superman! Even on a bad day my average will be no more than 135bpm, for the last 4 months the average has come out at just 113bpm! I suppose I do do a fair bit of riding, about 350km a week and I am a couple of years younger, coming up 56 but even when I was in recovery 18 months ago it only averaged 145 tops. Most of my riding is in zones 3+4 at this time of year.

It might vary a little between individuals but the general rule for your max is 220 less your age, you'd need to be in your twenties to be in the 190-200 range. At 60 i'd expect your max to be no more than 170 and possibly closer to 160. One of these days i'll get around to doing an FTP test, that gives a fairly accurate indication of your absolute max.

[Paulatic]

We are all very different and using any formula is probably very dubious at best.
Pic below are my figures on the day we (Wimps) rode with NA. Aged 66 I’m a long way short of 220-age

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
As we know we are all different.
In my thirties 30 years ago I was maxing at 200+ on a ride up Haytor.
Fitness is a ability to recover, effort will normally be sustained % of max HR.
FTP, I think you need to be beaten with a stick to do that accurately on a good day
No doubt you are fit for sure foxyrider.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

We are all very different and using any formula is probably very dubious at best.
Pic below are my figures on the day we (Wimps) rode with NA. Aged 66 I’m a long way short of 220-age 6385D408-ADA5-4D51-9D89-96ABCBD053F3.jpeg

Whimps-
Average all day was 121 low 67 (shading under a tree with Mick ) max 177 chasing a punter going to whimps camp but did not catch him Flash pushed me to 172 on his fixed wheel, I mimicked his gear inch
Stats are for the whole 164 miles that day.

Edited - Oh, avg moving speed was 14 mph all day, plenty of down time trying to find the pack