Gooshin

I've recently purchased a chest-strap-type HRM and have had some fun logging my various activities

my average HR during sleep is 51
my average HR during work (sitting in a chair) is 65ish

so I assume that the average of the two is my natural rest rate


now, my question is.. when I come in to work after a spirited 30min bicycle ride (where I average 145 bmp), my heart rate drops to 90-ish within 5 minutes or so. However it takes it about 2-2.5 hours to get from 90 to 65... and it tends to just hang in the 85-90 zone for quite some time (maybe an hour straight)

i'm just learning about this stuff, so is this two step heart recovery normal? I guess the body "calms down" but still thinks it's about to do more work for the two hours after I got off the bike until it finally figures out that I'm not going anywere?

Buzzatronic

My understanding is that average sleeping heart rate and resting heart rate are not the same. To get your "resting" heart rate, you should check it when you wake up in the morning BEFORE you get out of bed. I typically wake up, grab my phone and wait a minute or two then use the HR monitor on my phone to do 3 readings. The lowest one I get is what I record for the day.

Then for the day the things I focus on are:

1. Resting heart rate patterns. Is it higher/lower than normal in the morning and does that mean something. Higher than normal could mean you're fighting off illness or fatigued for some reason.
2. Is my perceived effort on the bike matching my experience with what my HR would be at that effort level? If it's higher/lower, why?

I'm not sure your HR while working during the day is a useful data point after you've gotten off the bike. So many other factors impact your HR all day that you'll have far more noise in the data than you'll be able to sift through.

One thing some people track is how long it takes for them to go from close to their max (zone 5) to zone 2 or lower, but this is usually done within a few minutes of hitting max effort (i.e. climb a badass hill in Z5 for 5 min then at the top, completely stop and see how long it takes for your HR to drop down to Z2). I haven't gotten around to tracking this yet since I don't like to stop mid-ride and just wait for my HR to drop.

zandoval 

Are you taking any medications? And what are they?

Also, some supplements and energy drinks change your heart rate drastically...

Carbonfiberboy 

Yes, what you are seeing with your HR is normal. Recovery after hard exercise involves many different hormones, which do different things at different speeds.

The best way to take morning resting HR is to get up, use the bathroom, get dressed, and start your morning routine. After a few minutes, put on the transmitter, and lie down. Your HR will settle on a number after a few minutes. You can also take your morning standing HR after taking your resting HR: stand up and record your HR after 2 minutes of standing. These are separate numbers, not to be averaged. An increase of 5-8 beats in your morning resting HR indicates lack of recovery from training, illness, or partying - don't exercise hard until it goes back down. An increase of 10 beats in standing HR indicates a prolonged period of hard training. Again, back off the intensity until it goes back down.

Jseis 

About 4 years ago my arrhythmia was acting up and I wore a Holter chest monitor for 48 hours. I got back to the doc a week later and he shows me one days worth of heart beats. One page has 10 1-minute charts, each showing every beat, 6 pages to the hour x 24 page hours to the day. A lot of pages. So he shows me here's were you fell asleep 60 bpm. Here's were you slept for 7 hours 60 bpm. And here's were you woke up 60 bpm. That's 60 x 60 x 7 = 25,200 beats and NOT A SINGLE BEAT MISSING AND EVERY MINUTE AT 60 BPM. Blew me away. 7000+ biking miles later I'm at 55 bpm resting. No more arrhythmia too.

OldTryGuy

Funny thing is I don't do much based on heart rate other than the biking during a triathlon. Want to make sure I stay around 150/155 during the 56 or 112 miles of biking so the half or full marathon is easily transitioned into and completed.

As far as resting heart rate, after waking up, eating, getting dressed I sit on the throne before heading out and the HR drops to below 40. Figure at almost 64yo, that's not too bad.

Gooshin

good info, thank you

no medication or supplements, just regular food.

rumrunn6

interesting thread. I have a simple automatic BP machine w/cuff etc. you press a button and it takes your BP and gives you HRM too of course. after a long ride a week or so ago I showered and layed down on the bed and tested myself and did not see a low "resting" HRM. I was a little worried but this thread put my mind at ease. also, now I remember reading that regular exercise increases your metabolism. maybe this is part of that? exercise some every day and if helps you more than for just the time you are exercising.

ModeratedUser150120149

You might want to take a gander at how the parasympathetic system works. Not a lot of fun passing out on the throne while passing firm feces.

Garfield Cat

Sounds like you need to speak to those cardiologists who ride and train in Colorado.

rumrunn6

related? I broke my led peeing once. had been drinking all nite but didn't pee. eventually though walking home I just had to stop between cars. I "woke up" starring at a hubcap in terrible pain. apparently I went, zipped up and passed out twisting my leg until it broke like a pencil twisted in a vice. Turns out there's a condition where this happens and someone else I know passed out at home hitting his head on his sink.

good times

hermanchauw

I think it is normal. You need elevated heart rate to get rid of the heat built up, to bring more blood to the surface for heat exchange.