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· 08 Jan 2022

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Why do athletes have a low heart rate?

Endurance athletes typically have a resting heart rate that is lower than the general population. The rate of your heart is expressed in beats per minute (bpm). When you're seated or lying down and relaxed, the resting heart rate is easiest to monitor. The typical resting heart rate is between 60 and 80 beats. Some athletes, however, possess resting heart rates as minimal as 30 to 40 beats per minute.
Unless you're dizzy, weary, or ill, a resting heart rate that is lower isn't normally a cause for concern if you're an athlete or anyone who exercises frequently. In fact, it usually indicates that you're in fantastic shape.
Resting heart rate of an athlete

When compared with the general population, an athlete's resting heart rate may be deemed low. A youthful, healthy athlete's heart rate may range from 30 to 40 beats per minute. This is most likely due to the fact that exercise strengthens the cardiac muscle. It makes it possible for it to pump more blood with each beating. Muscles receive more oxygen as well.

This means that the heart beats less frequently than in a nonathlete. During exercise, though, an athlete's heart rate may reach 180 to 200 beats per minute. Everyone, including athletes, has different resting heart rates. It could be influenced by several things, including:

• age

• level of fitness

• the level of physical activity

• the temperature of the air (on humid or hot days, the heart rate may increase)

• feelings (excitement, stress, and anxiety can increase heart rate)

• prescription drugs (beta-blockers usually slow heart rate, while some of the thyroid medications can make it go higher)

How low can you go before it's too late?

When an athlete's resting heart rate is too low, it's usually because they're experiencing additional symptoms. Fatigue, dizziness, and weakness are some of these symptoms. Symptoms like these could point to a more serious problem. If you have these symptoms together with a sluggish heart rate, see a doctor.

Athletes' heart disease

Athletic heart syndrome is a relatively mild cardiac ailment. People who exercise for over an hour each day are more likely to develop it. Arrhythmia, or an abnormal heart rhythm, can develop in athletes having a resting heart rate of between 35 to 50 beats per minute. An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) may indicate this as abnormal. Athletic heart syndrome is usually not diagnosed because it does not create any health complications. However, you should always consult a doctor if you:

• you have chest pains

• When your heart rate is measured, it appears to be erratic.

• having passed out while exercising

Athletes do occasionally collapse owing to a heart condition. But, rather than athletic heart syndrome, this is frequently due to an underlying problem like congenital heart disease. According to new research, athletes having low resting heart rates are more likely to have abnormal cardiac patterns later in life. Lifelong endurance athletes exhibited a higher risk of subsequent electronic pacemaker insertion.

The long-term impacts of endurance training are still being studied. At this point, researchers do not advise making any adjustments to your sports regimen. If you're worried about the low heart rate, see a doctor.

How to figure out what the ideal resting heart rate is.

Well-trained athletes may possess a resting heart rate of 30 to 40 beats per minute. However, everyone's heart rate differs. There is no such thing as an "optimal" resting heart rate, despite the fact that having a lower resting heart rate can indicate that you are more fit. Your resting heart rate can be measured at home. Check the pulse first item in the morning to get your resting heart rate.

• Gently push the tips of the index and middle fingers against the lateral part of the wrist, slightly below your thumb.

• Keep track of the beats for a minute (or count for exactly 30 seconds and multiply by two, or count for exactly 10 seconds and multiply by six).