I Have A Low Resting Heart Rate. Is That Good Or Bad?
When it comes to comparing athletic prowess, men are probably the worst in wanting to go ‘one up' against a friend or colleague.
Whether it's on the squash court, the football field or simply while reminiscing on their days of representative sport, some men like to insinuate their athleticism is better than the person to whom they are speaking.
At a number of social events, where there are a distinct lack of sporting activities bar the occasional bucking bronco, I have witnessed men (and some women) using their resting heart rate to compare fitness levels. Amusing as this may be around the dinner table, using resting heart rate alone to prove a superior level of cardiovascular fitness is not only a poor indicator of health, but also inconclusive in any scientific test.
So why does the theory exist that the lower your resting heart rate, the fitter you are? Well, in part there is some truth in it. The heart is the biological pump responsible for transporting blood around the body to the working muscles. As your fitness levels improve and you make the heart work harder than it does at rest, like any muscle, it will adapt and become stronger. Over time, the heart becomes more efficient and is able to eject a larger amount of blood for every beat. This is known as stroke volume.
Professional athletes whose sport relies on a high level of cardiovascular fitness, such as running, rowing, cycling etc., have recorded resting heart rates of less than 40 beats a minute - pretty low when you consider that the average person's heart beats about 60-80 beats a minute. It is on this premise that men will automatically draw a comparison between their resting heart rate and their cardiovascular capacity.
Although in some cases a low resting heart rate can mean a stronger heart as a result of intense physical activity, this is not always the case. Various other factors that have a significant influence have to be considered. Stimulants such as coffee, smoking, stress and excitement can all quite easily raise a resting heart rate by 10-20 beats. Equally, certain types of medication, such as beta-blockers, can slow down the heart rate by 10-20 beats. Throw into the mix other factors, such as individuality, gender and even ambient temperature, and comparing a superior level of fitness on resting heart rate alone is unreliable.