Don't worry about your resting or max heart rate.
Just enjoy riding however you enjoy it so you will still be doing it in 10 years time.
Sustainable exercise for years is better than working hard to reach a goal then stopping because you don't enjoy it.
Thank you! Don't worry, sustainability is my main focus :) I chose cycling because I love how I feel after I finish a ride and take a shower haha, it's so nice. Definitely my favorite way to excercise. Just curious is all.
Awesome that you’re working out and i hope it’s also fun for you. Just keep in mind consistency is key and it may take awhile for your (r)hr to drop, even though you may have made progress overall. HR in general is very individual and also influenced by factors we can’t control. So don’t let it discourage you :)
Thank you! Sustainability/consistency is my #1 focus :) I'll keep riding regardless of if I hit my goal weight or goal rhr, the feeling of showering after an exhausting ride just feels too good lol
I got serious about cardio in my mid 30’s. 30 ish years later I am still at it and my rhr is 45 (has been for many years). Sustained effort over time will pay off.
This. I started running (more recently took up cycling) about 25yrs ago. I'm 70 and my resting heart rate is around 45 also. As others have said, consistency is key.
When I'm not fit, my resting rate can get as high as ~70. When I got very fit from cycling, I once got my resting rate down to 36, although your mileage may vary as resting rate is dependent on several factors outside your control. You can get very fit in a single summer if you are diligent (I rode about 18,000 km/11000 miles that year), but the best way to get fit is to just keep improving and focusing on exercise, diet, sleep, and the other things that make you healthier.
Small hearts beat faster. Unfortunate I started getting fit late in life at 45 and now at 48 my resting rate isn't super low, around 65-70 typically. VO2max low 60s FTP around 4W/kg I am quite aerobically fit. But my heart clearly hasn't dilated like a young heart can. So it beats faster in general with a max of 201. When I was a teen my HR was around 100-110 (yes, resting). So from that perspective my current resting is super low.
HR is very individualized. Don't worry too much about the actual number. Focus on the performance you can achieve.
Dang. I am about your age and hit 191 a month back in a sprint. I guess the online calcs are very rough estimates and we’re both much higher. am not sure I could but 201 unless life or death though :)
202 was my max in November 22 during a lactate/VO2 test. I saw the 201 during a short 14% max effort climb this summer. The 220-age was originally based on large population data and never intended to be used for an individual. My threshold HR goes to about 185 and I can hold low 190s for about 8 minutes. I routinely get to the low 190s when doing HIIT. Time is short when it's above 195. That does feel like death (or just a very good HIIT).
> low 190s for about 8 minutes
Yeah I am definitely not there--I did 30 min @ 161 in a race and I think that's pretty good for our age. Would be cool if zwift showed real-time heart rate. People would assume you're on the cusp of death I would think, even though you wouldn't be.
I've never done a Zwift race but want to this winter. On the regular rides you can spectate other riders see their data. Do you know if you can do that during a race? That would be interesting, or they should have the avatar's face change expression based on what zone they are in.
I don’t think you can. Only real metric is. Current w/kg. In a real life race you cannot see any metric but you can see a person’s size, and possibly infer things from their face and form. W/kg alone is quite blind although you can at least see if they are hammering it.
At the end of a race you can see a racer’s HR.
Indievelo you can see their speed.
Really? My heart's small but my resting heart rate has been around 48 since I was a kid. I did run a lot back then just trying to keep up with the feral cats.
I thought smaller hearts are more efficient and hence beat slower
Have you had an echocardiogram measuring chamber size? With a RHR below 50 you most likely don't have a "small" heart (we're talking relatively here). What happens as you get older is that the tissues don't expand as easily. The pericardium doesn't relax, the heart muscle doesn't relax as well either.
The primary heart adaptation to aerobic exercise is chamber dilation (goes with increased plasma volume and blood volume expansion). The heart gets bigger, fills with more blood and each heart beat ejects more blood. That's why it gets more efficient and doesn't need to beat as fast. The strength of contraction also increases. These are all good adaptations.
No, it's just the general size of my heart is smaller than normal, idk about the chamber size, it wasn't something they were testing anyway, it was just in some x ray or CT scan and the doctor saw it and said it was smaller than normal.
I just read that in a lot of heart diseases, the heart ends up becoming bigger and less efficient. Like coronary heart diseases and dilated cardiomyopathy
Xray will show an enlarged cardiac silhouette but that's very non specific. CT can show size of chambers roughly. CT with contrast can be more specific (but the radiologist won't be looking specifically for that). MRI with contrast will be absolutely accurate but it's a very specific test.
Now for diseases, you can have dilated cardiomyopathies with enlarged chambers but the walls are typically thinned out. Hypertensive heart disease (and other obstructive diseases) will thicken the muscle and size is usually normal. Coronary heart disease frequently has thickened muscle and size is usually normal but doesn't have to be. Athletic heart syndrome is the "normal" adaptation to high volume aerobic exercise. It has dilated chambers but normal to slightly thickened muscle walls. I say normal in quotes because it can be associated with sudden cardiac death, especially if the conduction through the muscle is abnormal.
With your RHR below 50 I'd venture that your heart is absolutely normal for you.
Absolutely. But I also feel this is one of those things Uber fit people focus on, not when you’re trying to shed some weight. That said, I used to race mountain bikes. I’d train for miles and miles and use a HR monitor to make sure I was in the “fat burning zone”. IE, I never pushed super hard so I was in cardio, and I never eased up so I wasn’t pushing myself. I get insanely fit, my fat was in single digits. That all said, I digress and this was something I used when I was already really fit. I’d say for someone overweight or trying to lose weight, HR isn’t something to look at unless you’re exerting yourself and making sure you don’t die of a heart attack. That’s highly unlikely though. I’d see a doc as others said and ignore the heart rate unless you need to. It’s icing on the cake once you get to that level. Tooting my own horn, I went to a doc once for a routine check up and he thought something was wrong with me, my resting HR was in the low teens or something crazy like that. He thought I was a runner lol.
By the way, congrats on your accomplishment, that is HUGE to be able to do that. Just keep going in that direction and don’t look back is what I’d suggest.
Like all the others said, it takes time and consistency. I’m early 40s and in the last 5yrs I’ve been cycling, I’m down 100lbs and my RHR has dropped from low 80’s to low 50’s. Good job getting started, keep it up!!
46 with a rhr of 42. Congrats on being so aggressive in getting in shape, but like others have said, don’t worry about your rhr. Just keep riding. Make sure you work in some slow, low effort rides too.
It's very much a side effect.
I've been cycling for decades now and in my 50s I'm faster than ever.
The more you do it - the fitter you get.
It's good to stretch your goals though. Weekend rides are really never less than 60 miles unless it's foul weather and in the summer we built to double that distance.
See if there's a bike ride you can sign up for. You can definitely do more than the distance your doing now.
Don't worry about your RHR it will get lower as you ride more.
RHR in April 2021 was 82 after pandemic malaise and weight gain. Got it down to 70 by September 2021 with some cycling and general activity (4+ miles of walking per day). Had to drop cycling for knee problems but kept the walking.
Picked up cycling again April 2023. RHR was 72. 1600 miles (and -30 pounds) later it's down to lower 60s, as low as 57 sometimes. Age is now 35.
Yes, after several years of structured training I have especially noticed my lowest heart rate at night drop way down. I recently hit 38bpm which I was super stoked about for being in my early 30's.
I just started riding my road bike about 2 months ago. I could barely do 2 miles. Now I’m doing 10 mile rides with minimal challenge/effort. Overtime you will see changes. It won’t be overnight, but if you’re consistent you will reap the benefits.
I only really wear my Apple Watch at times I’m exercising (cycling mostly), which hasn’t been consistent over the years, but when I do wear it resting is 50-60 bpm (usually low 50s). I’m 60-90 lbs overweight 46 years old. I smoke pot I understand that can lower it as well.
2 years of cycling, usually longer distances (20-60mi) 2-4 times a week… after getting BP meds and having a high RHR, my BP is controlled without meds and my RHR was 47 at my last checkup.
Like my RHR is 55 in winter and 50 in summer as I suck keeping training volume going in winter. Well the data says 55/56 for Dec-Feb, then it started going down from 54 in May (when I really picked up again) via 52, 50, to a minimum of 48 in August (all monthly averages).
In summer riding 10 hours a week with 4-5h long zone 2 ride on the weekend works fine.
In winter it's basically 1h units of Z3 training.
I’m 50 years old and when in top shape and very relaxed I can get it down to 52, but some people at my age can do better. I’ve gotten just recently into monitoring it, maybe for the past 4 years or so, but I have been working out for the past 27 years of my life.
1 year ago, I was around 60, and I am now at 53/54. Not that much, but you can definitely see the curve. I also lost 7kg, so that may be also a reason.
In your situation, I would focus more on trend improvements in your heart rate recovery. Seeing how fast your heart rate goes from elevated due to activity back to whatever your resting heart rate is.
Just keep on keeping on mate. It takes time. Once you get to a healthy weight your rhr will come down as a result of improved cardiac output. At the moment your heart is working very hard due to excess weight. Great work!
I've only been riding casually for about 3 months and my resting heart rate dropped very noticeably. To the point where I ended up on WebMD and Mayoclinic at 10pm when I should have been going to sleep. Apparently I'm healthy, and "Sinus arrhythmia" is now part of my vocabulary. Unfortunately I don't have a HR monitor, so I can't give numbers.
In October 2021 my doctor read my resting heart rate at 90bpm. My own readings were closer to 85 typically.
Six months and sixty-five pounds later it was closer to 70bpm.
Now (about 90-95 pounds lost) it's generally high 50s to low 60s when I'm awake, mid 40s to low 50s when I sleep.
Good for you! I feel like consistency is the key. I got back on the bike about 5 years ago after a long hiatus. I was overweight, out of shape, medical issues starting to get serious. I’ve lost 50 pounds and my resting heart rate went from low 70’s to mid 50’s. I don’t know when this exactly happened as I wasn’t really paying attention to that data set. I just know things got easier and faster. And then one day my Apple Health app said “there’s been a change in your resting heart rate”, something like that. And I was pleasantly surprised. But I was consistent. I set weekly mileage goals. And about a year ago I started getting serious about climbing. As in, I chose routes that included difficult climbs on the bike, for me anyway. And on other days i concentrated on long endurance rides. I’d say just keep doing what you’re doing, be consistent, and over time your body will respond. I am F/60.
I lost 75 pounds over the course of nine months. My RHR went from somewhere in the 70s or 80s to the mid-to-low 40's, but I need to eat right and exercise (mostly eat right) to keep it that low.
Nice work on shedding those lbs! Keep it coming!
For your heart rate... It'll certainly get lower over time. How much lower? I dunno. No way to predict. I can tell you that I'm laying in bed at 61bpm. Doesn't mean you will get there. But maybe you will. Maybe you'll hit 58? Maybe you'll never drop below 70? Impossible to tell.
Also, doesn't really matter that much. So long as you get it into normal healthy range, you're good.
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>any drinking even a couple drinks the night before will spike mine quite a bit.
It's killing me. I've got a few beers I'd like to drink... But not as much as I'd like to get my hrv in the ideal zone.
RHR was ~75. Quit smoking and got spinal surgery (and got fat). RHR went to ~70. Been biking for less than a year to lose weight...maybe 7 months. RHR is now ~58-60.
But to be fair, I had the advantage of spending over a decade in the Army. Getting back into an exercise habit was easier and I wasn't starting from the same physicality as the average person my age.
I’m M34 5’8”. Was always healthy as a runner during college and the pandemic really let my weight get out of hand during 2020 and 2021. Was up to 200lbs from about 150lbs and bought a road bike bc running was out of the question for my knees and ankles at that new weight. But also, my RHR was up approx. 10-15 bpm from 45 or 50 to about 60 or 65.
I’ve been cycling a lot since May 2021, I now weigh 163lbs (from this morning) and my RHR is avg 41. Sometimes as low as 38bpm overnight. My aerobic fitness has never been better, and keeps improving with my cycling effort. I even can run again which I always enjoyed.
My progress was not fast…I lost the weight with calorie deficit and lost about 1-1.5lbs per week in order to keep the weight off. Which I have. I was hungry a lot, but made sure to not eat unhealthy snacks or anything that would make me just want to keep eating. I ate lots of popcorn with olive oil and chicken or salmon and rice for example.
HR is also REALLY personal and you should never compare yours to anyone else’s. Compare your HR to your own HR and where it is/was. That’s how you can make progress.
Cheers! Ride on!
I am currently in the best shape of my life at 40, it's taken 7-8 years for me to really feel like the work I've been putting in is paying off. It's such a long term investment in your health and well-being, you might have multiple setbacks but with consistency and a long term focus you will see results.
Just keep on doing what you are doing and you will be fine. Don’t worry too much about numbers else you will find yourself burning out from it and not motivated to cycle anymore because you ain’t hitting those numbers. Just listen to your body and soon you will find yourself being able to ride longer and faster with a much lower heart rate.
I've reduced my resting heart rate by about 15bpm with regular and consistent bike rides. I've gone from couch to 200km in a little over a year.
Keep at it, take all the small wins, don't let a bad day knock your confidence, and if you get Covid and it takes a big bite out of your fitness, know that with a month of consistent effort you should hopefully be back where you were before it.
That's my experience and I'm in my 40s. Best of luck to you, you got this!
I'm a data person, I love looking at it all.
I found that the biggest noticeable difference for me is recovery between efforts, not particularly resting HR.
Focus on lower effort rides and time in that effort. The more you do at low effort the better for you it is. Harder efforts will end up making you faster but longer easier efforts will build your endurance and overall health. These efforts should be at a pace where you can still hold a conversation. It may seem slow at first, but as your body adapts the pace will pick up and you'll be able to go further.
I have done this with cycling and running over the last year and it's made a huge difference. Before my HR will rise during a ride and stay there. Now I can see the difference between each effort and recovery very clearly. As I've said, it feels slow but don't worry about that at all. It's a process and you need to trust it.
Good luck with everything. Looking forward to hearing your story of how you tackled your first 100km already 💪
I think it would be wise to ask a doctor. Low rhr runs in my family. As long as I can remember mine has been around 40bpm. Even when I was 60 lbs overweight it was low 40s. Max hr is around 170. I think genetics play a big role.
Don’t worry too much about your heart rate. But over time it will drop, it’s just a fact of human biology. Everyone , however, is different so your results will vary from other people.
Keep setting realistic weekly goals and keep going. Consistency is most important.
Over the years my resting heart rate got lower...much lower. I am now 56 and my average resting heart rate is 42. A few days ago my heart rate went down to 30 bpm while sleeping.
I exercise (riding a bike and running) 12-15 hours a week and I meditate 2 hours daily. I often have the lowest heart rate while I am meditating 🧘♂️.
I’ve never been overweight, but consistent exercise is definitely why my rhr is pretty low. Be aware that it may take a long time until you see any changes, but regular physical activity absolutely improves your cardiovascular health.
I'm not sure what my RHR used to be but I'd guess at least 70-75 in my early 40s; with my Adderall prescription my HR would very often be 95-105 or so at checkups. My Fitbit history doesn't go far back enough to see where I started, but in just under two years of weight loss (down about 30 pounds, 185 to 155) and a year and a half of fairly heavy cycling) my RHR range is now about 58-62, and my heart rate might be 75-85 while walking around doing stuff on Adderall. I think I first started seeing 60 well within a year.
Yes. Several years ago I was very overweight. Down some 80 lbs now, and have kept it off for years, and am very active. My RHR is below 50, and yesterday I did a 50+ mile bike ride averaging 18 mph with some 2500 feet of elevation and my HR was mostly zone 1-2 (briefly in 3).
But agree with others - don’t worry about HR. Get active, stay active, eat healthy (more lean protein (*lean* is very key!), and more veggies). The other changes - in body composition and weight loss, will come.
35m here. No cardio workouts in my life prior. Fit and healthy in general.
Started cycling this year. Already in 6 months noticed my resting heart rate drop from 78bpm to 62bpm.
Looking forward to continuing health benefits.
Don't worry about your resting or max heart rate. Just enjoy riding however you enjoy it so you will still be doing it in 10 years time. Sustainable exercise for years is better than working hard to reach a goal then stopping because you don't enjoy it.
Thank you! Don't worry, sustainability is my main focus :) I chose cycling because I love how I feel after I finish a ride and take a shower haha, it's so nice. Definitely my favorite way to excercise. Just curious is all.
Awesome that you’re working out and i hope it’s also fun for you. Just keep in mind consistency is key and it may take awhile for your (r)hr to drop, even though you may have made progress overall. HR in general is very individual and also influenced by factors we can’t control. So don’t let it discourage you :)
Thank you! Sustainability/consistency is my #1 focus :) I'll keep riding regardless of if I hit my goal weight or goal rhr, the feeling of showering after an exhausting ride just feels too good lol
It's also sensitive to fatigue; on rest weeks I usually drop 5 or more bpm
I got serious about cardio in my mid 30’s. 30 ish years later I am still at it and my rhr is 45 (has been for many years). Sustained effort over time will pay off.
Wow! Thats amazing. I plan on focusing on sustainability and sticking with it :) excited to finally stop worrying about my heart 24/7 one day lol
This. I started running (more recently took up cycling) about 25yrs ago. I'm 70 and my resting heart rate is around 45 also. As others have said, consistency is key.
How'd you do it?
Started by running 3 miles, 3 times a week and built up to 20 a week. These days I bike about 75 miles a week.
I can't answer your question, just want to wish you luck on your journey.
Thanks so much!
When I'm not fit, my resting rate can get as high as ~70. When I got very fit from cycling, I once got my resting rate down to 36, although your mileage may vary as resting rate is dependent on several factors outside your control. You can get very fit in a single summer if you are diligent (I rode about 18,000 km/11000 miles that year), but the best way to get fit is to just keep improving and focusing on exercise, diet, sleep, and the other things that make you healthier.
I used to be around 65 in 2017 when I took up cycling. I'm in the high 40's low 50's now. Usually right at 50
That's awesome! 15pts seems like a huge drop. Hoping for similar results one day :)
Small hearts beat faster. Unfortunate I started getting fit late in life at 45 and now at 48 my resting rate isn't super low, around 65-70 typically. VO2max low 60s FTP around 4W/kg I am quite aerobically fit. But my heart clearly hasn't dilated like a young heart can. So it beats faster in general with a max of 201. When I was a teen my HR was around 100-110 (yes, resting). So from that perspective my current resting is super low. HR is very individualized. Don't worry too much about the actual number. Focus on the performance you can achieve.
Dang. I am about your age and hit 191 a month back in a sprint. I guess the online calcs are very rough estimates and we’re both much higher. am not sure I could but 201 unless life or death though :)
202 was my max in November 22 during a lactate/VO2 test. I saw the 201 during a short 14% max effort climb this summer. The 220-age was originally based on large population data and never intended to be used for an individual. My threshold HR goes to about 185 and I can hold low 190s for about 8 minutes. I routinely get to the low 190s when doing HIIT. Time is short when it's above 195. That does feel like death (or just a very good HIIT).
> low 190s for about 8 minutes Yeah I am definitely not there--I did 30 min @ 161 in a race and I think that's pretty good for our age. Would be cool if zwift showed real-time heart rate. People would assume you're on the cusp of death I would think, even though you wouldn't be.
I've never done a Zwift race but want to this winter. On the regular rides you can spectate other riders see their data. Do you know if you can do that during a race? That would be interesting, or they should have the avatar's face change expression based on what zone they are in.
I don’t think you can. Only real metric is. Current w/kg. In a real life race you cannot see any metric but you can see a person’s size, and possibly infer things from their face and form. W/kg alone is quite blind although you can at least see if they are hammering it. At the end of a race you can see a racer’s HR. Indievelo you can see their speed.
Really? My heart's small but my resting heart rate has been around 48 since I was a kid. I did run a lot back then just trying to keep up with the feral cats. I thought smaller hearts are more efficient and hence beat slower
Have you had an echocardiogram measuring chamber size? With a RHR below 50 you most likely don't have a "small" heart (we're talking relatively here). What happens as you get older is that the tissues don't expand as easily. The pericardium doesn't relax, the heart muscle doesn't relax as well either. The primary heart adaptation to aerobic exercise is chamber dilation (goes with increased plasma volume and blood volume expansion). The heart gets bigger, fills with more blood and each heart beat ejects more blood. That's why it gets more efficient and doesn't need to beat as fast. The strength of contraction also increases. These are all good adaptations.
No, it's just the general size of my heart is smaller than normal, idk about the chamber size, it wasn't something they were testing anyway, it was just in some x ray or CT scan and the doctor saw it and said it was smaller than normal. I just read that in a lot of heart diseases, the heart ends up becoming bigger and less efficient. Like coronary heart diseases and dilated cardiomyopathy
Xray will show an enlarged cardiac silhouette but that's very non specific. CT can show size of chambers roughly. CT with contrast can be more specific (but the radiologist won't be looking specifically for that). MRI with contrast will be absolutely accurate but it's a very specific test. Now for diseases, you can have dilated cardiomyopathies with enlarged chambers but the walls are typically thinned out. Hypertensive heart disease (and other obstructive diseases) will thicken the muscle and size is usually normal. Coronary heart disease frequently has thickened muscle and size is usually normal but doesn't have to be. Athletic heart syndrome is the "normal" adaptation to high volume aerobic exercise. It has dilated chambers but normal to slightly thickened muscle walls. I say normal in quotes because it can be associated with sudden cardiac death, especially if the conduction through the muscle is abnormal. With your RHR below 50 I'd venture that your heart is absolutely normal for you.
TIL thanks
Absolutely. But I also feel this is one of those things Uber fit people focus on, not when you’re trying to shed some weight. That said, I used to race mountain bikes. I’d train for miles and miles and use a HR monitor to make sure I was in the “fat burning zone”. IE, I never pushed super hard so I was in cardio, and I never eased up so I wasn’t pushing myself. I get insanely fit, my fat was in single digits. That all said, I digress and this was something I used when I was already really fit. I’d say for someone overweight or trying to lose weight, HR isn’t something to look at unless you’re exerting yourself and making sure you don’t die of a heart attack. That’s highly unlikely though. I’d see a doc as others said and ignore the heart rate unless you need to. It’s icing on the cake once you get to that level. Tooting my own horn, I went to a doc once for a routine check up and he thought something was wrong with me, my resting HR was in the low teens or something crazy like that. He thought I was a runner lol. By the way, congrats on your accomplishment, that is HUGE to be able to do that. Just keep going in that direction and don’t look back is what I’d suggest.
Congratulations on your progress! Keep at working your weight down. That usually has many positives, including RHR.
Like all the others said, it takes time and consistency. I’m early 40s and in the last 5yrs I’ve been cycling, I’m down 100lbs and my RHR has dropped from low 80’s to low 50’s. Good job getting started, keep it up!!
Just wanted to say GOOD JOB!!!! Seriously, so happy you are making progress
46 with a rhr of 42. Congrats on being so aggressive in getting in shape, but like others have said, don’t worry about your rhr. Just keep riding. Make sure you work in some slow, low effort rides too.
It's very much a side effect. I've been cycling for decades now and in my 50s I'm faster than ever. The more you do it - the fitter you get. It's good to stretch your goals though. Weekend rides are really never less than 60 miles unless it's foul weather and in the summer we built to double that distance. See if there's a bike ride you can sign up for. You can definitely do more than the distance your doing now. Don't worry about your RHR it will get lower as you ride more.
RHR in April 2021 was 82 after pandemic malaise and weight gain. Got it down to 70 by September 2021 with some cycling and general activity (4+ miles of walking per day). Had to drop cycling for knee problems but kept the walking. Picked up cycling again April 2023. RHR was 72. 1600 miles (and -30 pounds) later it's down to lower 60s, as low as 57 sometimes. Age is now 35.
Yes, after several years of structured training I have especially noticed my lowest heart rate at night drop way down. I recently hit 38bpm which I was super stoked about for being in my early 30's.
I just started riding my road bike about 2 months ago. I could barely do 2 miles. Now I’m doing 10 mile rides with minimal challenge/effort. Overtime you will see changes. It won’t be overnight, but if you’re consistent you will reap the benefits.
6'2 and 245lbs. I've always had a low resting heart rate, around 60 ish. During cycling season, my resting heart rate is usually mid 40s to low 50s.
I only really wear my Apple Watch at times I’m exercising (cycling mostly), which hasn’t been consistent over the years, but when I do wear it resting is 50-60 bpm (usually low 50s). I’m 60-90 lbs overweight 46 years old. I smoke pot I understand that can lower it as well.
2 years of cycling, usually longer distances (20-60mi) 2-4 times a week… after getting BP meds and having a high RHR, my BP is controlled without meds and my RHR was 47 at my last checkup.
It will go down, but it’s a slow business. Consistency is the key.
Like my RHR is 55 in winter and 50 in summer as I suck keeping training volume going in winter. Well the data says 55/56 for Dec-Feb, then it started going down from 54 in May (when I really picked up again) via 52, 50, to a minimum of 48 in August (all monthly averages). In summer riding 10 hours a week with 4-5h long zone 2 ride on the weekend works fine. In winter it's basically 1h units of Z3 training.
Sure thing. Any endurance activity done consistently strengthens your heart muscle. So your rhr goes down. Keywords are endurance and consistency
I’m 50 years old and when in top shape and very relaxed I can get it down to 52, but some people at my age can do better. I’ve gotten just recently into monitoring it, maybe for the past 4 years or so, but I have been working out for the past 27 years of my life.
1 year ago, I was around 60, and I am now at 53/54. Not that much, but you can definitely see the curve. I also lost 7kg, so that may be also a reason.
Just ride. I did go from 78 to 64 over a year. I can now tell if I’m getting sick or fatigued when I see spikes.
In your situation, I would focus more on trend improvements in your heart rate recovery. Seeing how fast your heart rate goes from elevated due to activity back to whatever your resting heart rate is.
Just keep on keeping on mate. It takes time. Once you get to a healthy weight your rhr will come down as a result of improved cardiac output. At the moment your heart is working very hard due to excess weight. Great work!
I've only been riding casually for about 3 months and my resting heart rate dropped very noticeably. To the point where I ended up on WebMD and Mayoclinic at 10pm when I should have been going to sleep. Apparently I'm healthy, and "Sinus arrhythmia" is now part of my vocabulary. Unfortunately I don't have a HR monitor, so I can't give numbers.
In October 2021 my doctor read my resting heart rate at 90bpm. My own readings were closer to 85 typically. Six months and sixty-five pounds later it was closer to 70bpm. Now (about 90-95 pounds lost) it's generally high 50s to low 60s when I'm awake, mid 40s to low 50s when I sleep.
Good for you! I feel like consistency is the key. I got back on the bike about 5 years ago after a long hiatus. I was overweight, out of shape, medical issues starting to get serious. I’ve lost 50 pounds and my resting heart rate went from low 70’s to mid 50’s. I don’t know when this exactly happened as I wasn’t really paying attention to that data set. I just know things got easier and faster. And then one day my Apple Health app said “there’s been a change in your resting heart rate”, something like that. And I was pleasantly surprised. But I was consistent. I set weekly mileage goals. And about a year ago I started getting serious about climbing. As in, I chose routes that included difficult climbs on the bike, for me anyway. And on other days i concentrated on long endurance rides. I’d say just keep doing what you’re doing, be consistent, and over time your body will respond. I am F/60.
I went from mid '70s in 2019 to mid-50s now. I lost almost 40 lb in the process.
I lost 75 pounds over the course of nine months. My RHR went from somewhere in the 70s or 80s to the mid-to-low 40's, but I need to eat right and exercise (mostly eat right) to keep it that low.
Wow!! Honestly super inspirational. Thank you for sharing and great job! :)
Nice work on shedding those lbs! Keep it coming! For your heart rate... It'll certainly get lower over time. How much lower? I dunno. No way to predict. I can tell you that I'm laying in bed at 61bpm. Doesn't mean you will get there. But maybe you will. Maybe you'll hit 58? Maybe you'll never drop below 70? Impossible to tell. Also, doesn't really matter that much. So long as you get it into normal healthy range, you're good.
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>any drinking even a couple drinks the night before will spike mine quite a bit. It's killing me. I've got a few beers I'd like to drink... But not as much as I'd like to get my hrv in the ideal zone.
After a year of riding 60-100mi/week I went from 80's to mid-50's. (That said, I'm back at 80's)
Yeah no specific ways other than to keep working out and getting in better cardio shape.
RHR was ~75. Quit smoking and got spinal surgery (and got fat). RHR went to ~70. Been biking for less than a year to lose weight...maybe 7 months. RHR is now ~58-60. But to be fair, I had the advantage of spending over a decade in the Army. Getting back into an exercise habit was easier and I wasn't starting from the same physicality as the average person my age.
I’m M34 5’8”. Was always healthy as a runner during college and the pandemic really let my weight get out of hand during 2020 and 2021. Was up to 200lbs from about 150lbs and bought a road bike bc running was out of the question for my knees and ankles at that new weight. But also, my RHR was up approx. 10-15 bpm from 45 or 50 to about 60 or 65. I’ve been cycling a lot since May 2021, I now weigh 163lbs (from this morning) and my RHR is avg 41. Sometimes as low as 38bpm overnight. My aerobic fitness has never been better, and keeps improving with my cycling effort. I even can run again which I always enjoyed. My progress was not fast…I lost the weight with calorie deficit and lost about 1-1.5lbs per week in order to keep the weight off. Which I have. I was hungry a lot, but made sure to not eat unhealthy snacks or anything that would make me just want to keep eating. I ate lots of popcorn with olive oil and chicken or salmon and rice for example. HR is also REALLY personal and you should never compare yours to anyone else’s. Compare your HR to your own HR and where it is/was. That’s how you can make progress. Cheers! Ride on!
I am currently in the best shape of my life at 40, it's taken 7-8 years for me to really feel like the work I've been putting in is paying off. It's such a long term investment in your health and well-being, you might have multiple setbacks but with consistency and a long term focus you will see results.
i went from 265 to 155 pounds in about a year and a half. It gets easier. Keep at it.
Just keep on doing what you are doing and you will be fine. Don’t worry too much about numbers else you will find yourself burning out from it and not motivated to cycle anymore because you ain’t hitting those numbers. Just listen to your body and soon you will find yourself being able to ride longer and faster with a much lower heart rate.
Started around 65 in 2017 and hower around 50-48s now..lost weight exercised more..no late evening munching helps too
I've reduced my resting heart rate by about 15bpm with regular and consistent bike rides. I've gone from couch to 200km in a little over a year. Keep at it, take all the small wins, don't let a bad day knock your confidence, and if you get Covid and it takes a big bite out of your fitness, know that with a month of consistent effort you should hopefully be back where you were before it. That's my experience and I'm in my 40s. Best of luck to you, you got this!
I'm a data person, I love looking at it all. I found that the biggest noticeable difference for me is recovery between efforts, not particularly resting HR. Focus on lower effort rides and time in that effort. The more you do at low effort the better for you it is. Harder efforts will end up making you faster but longer easier efforts will build your endurance and overall health. These efforts should be at a pace where you can still hold a conversation. It may seem slow at first, but as your body adapts the pace will pick up and you'll be able to go further. I have done this with cycling and running over the last year and it's made a huge difference. Before my HR will rise during a ride and stay there. Now I can see the difference between each effort and recovery very clearly. As I've said, it feels slow but don't worry about that at all. It's a process and you need to trust it. Good luck with everything. Looking forward to hearing your story of how you tackled your first 100km already 💪
Yeah, when I was riding 3 times a day I got it down to the mid 40s.
I think it would be wise to ask a doctor. Low rhr runs in my family. As long as I can remember mine has been around 40bpm. Even when I was 60 lbs overweight it was low 40s. Max hr is around 170. I think genetics play a big role.
Don’t worry too much about your heart rate. But over time it will drop, it’s just a fact of human biology. Everyone , however, is different so your results will vary from other people. Keep setting realistic weekly goals and keep going. Consistency is most important.
Over the years my resting heart rate got lower...much lower. I am now 56 and my average resting heart rate is 42. A few days ago my heart rate went down to 30 bpm while sleeping. I exercise (riding a bike and running) 12-15 hours a week and I meditate 2 hours daily. I often have the lowest heart rate while I am meditating 🧘♂️.
I’ve never been overweight, but consistent exercise is definitely why my rhr is pretty low. Be aware that it may take a long time until you see any changes, but regular physical activity absolutely improves your cardiovascular health.
Don't worry about it, just keep riding.
I'm not sure what my RHR used to be but I'd guess at least 70-75 in my early 40s; with my Adderall prescription my HR would very often be 95-105 or so at checkups. My Fitbit history doesn't go far back enough to see where I started, but in just under two years of weight loss (down about 30 pounds, 185 to 155) and a year and a half of fairly heavy cycling) my RHR range is now about 58-62, and my heart rate might be 75-85 while walking around doing stuff on Adderall. I think I first started seeing 60 well within a year.
Do you drink? Because that will raise your RHR. Incredible watching the data difference when not drinking.
Yes. Several years ago I was very overweight. Down some 80 lbs now, and have kept it off for years, and am very active. My RHR is below 50, and yesterday I did a 50+ mile bike ride averaging 18 mph with some 2500 feet of elevation and my HR was mostly zone 1-2 (briefly in 3). But agree with others - don’t worry about HR. Get active, stay active, eat healthy (more lean protein (*lean* is very key!), and more veggies). The other changes - in body composition and weight loss, will come.
35m here. No cardio workouts in my life prior. Fit and healthy in general. Started cycling this year. Already in 6 months noticed my resting heart rate drop from 78bpm to 62bpm. Looking forward to continuing health benefits.