A resting heart rate of 60-100 is considered normal. But what does it mean when your heart beats less than 50 times per minute?
The Athlete Heart Phenomenon
Endurance athletes often develop a resting heart rate between 40-50 BPM. The heart becomes more efficient: greater stroke volume means fewer beats needed. Lance Armstrong reportedly had a resting heart rate of 32 BPM.
Heart Rate Variability (HRV): The Better Indicator
Even more telling than pure resting heart rate is HRV. It measures the variation between heartbeats and reflects your autonomic nervous system activity. High HRV = good recovery and stress resilience.
How to Lower Your Resting Heart Rate
- Regular endurance training (Zone 2!)
- Stress management and adequate sleep
- Reduce caffeine and alcohol
- Breathing exercises and meditation
When to See a Doctor?
A low resting heart rate in fit people is usually harmless. But if you experience symptoms like dizziness, fatigue, or fainting, you should get it checked out.
With Pulselyze, you can automatically track resting heart rate and HRV and identify trends over weeks and months.