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Yes, there are cases when a sub-60 resting heart rate is bad. For the vast majority of people, lower is better. The athlete's heart undergoes remodeling that is

Yes, there are cases when a sub-60 resting heart rate is bad. For the vast majority of people, lower is better. The athlete's heart undergoes remodeling that is similar in outcome to pathological processes (eg, cardiomegaly and cardiac hypertrophy), but is in fact healthy, not harmful. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletic_heart_syndrome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletic_heart_syndrome I have personally found that average RHR per week tends to correlate strongly with my own physical activity. With consistent workouts, I can get down to 47 bpm. When my RHR gets above 55, I know I've been slacking off for too long (or it's an exam week and I'm stressed).

stef25 8y ago
How old are you? How many work outs or what frequency thereof does it take to notice lowering of your RHR ?
- kendallpark 8y ago
  Young adult. It takes about 1-2 weeks to notice a trend. I'm just looking over my summer RHR data and it pretty much matches my activity level. Steady decline in May and June when I was working out consistently. Steady climb after I injured my knee and had to lay off a bit. Decline when I got back on the exercise horse. Incline towards the end of the summer when workouts became rare due to wrapping up projects and traveling. On a good week, I'll do 1-2 hours of cardio 5x a week, maybe with some HIIT thrown in. On a bad week I'll do nothing.
  - ivelkov 8y ago
    Here are my RHR stats and Total Distance stats from the last 12 months: - RHR - https://ibb.co/gbbV2z https://ibb.co/gbbV2z - Distance - https://ibb.co/gGtk2z https://ibb.co/gGtk2z I do mostly running with some very infrequent gym and ski. There's definitely a correlation between activity level and RHR.
mikestew 8y ago
I have personally found that average RHR per week tends to correlate strongly with my own physical activity. Weird, my morning RHR has consistently been 54bpm since I was eighteen years old, whether training for an ultra marathon, high-level bicycle racing, or sitting around being a (relatively) fat slob for a period of time. So consistent, that now in my 50s I just don't bother paying attention anymore.
- kendallpark 8y ago
  That's super interesting. I wonder why that is.
  - mikestew 8y ago
    Dunno. It’s why I always thought RHR was kind of fixed, and if it varied then you’re measuring me wrng (differing times of day and the like). As for the affect of exercise, one of the better bike racers I’ve known said his resting rate was never below 60. Young guy, too.

stef25 8y ago

How old are you? How many work outs or what frequency thereof does it take to notice lowering of your RHR ?

kendallpark 8y ago
Young adult. It takes about 1-2 weeks to notice a trend. I'm just looking over my summer RHR data and it pretty much matches my activity level. Steady decline in May and June when I was working out consistently. Steady climb after I injured my knee and had to lay off a bit. Decline when I got back on the exercise horse. Incline towards the end of the summer when workouts became rare due to wrapping up projects and traveling. On a good week, I'll do 1-2 hours of cardio 5x a week, maybe with some HIIT thrown in. On a bad week I'll do nothing.
- ivelkov 8y ago
  Here are my RHR stats and Total Distance stats from the last 12 months: - RHR - https://ibb.co/gbbV2z https://ibb.co/gbbV2z - Distance - https://ibb.co/gGtk2z https://ibb.co/gGtk2z I do mostly running with some very infrequent gym and ski. There's definitely a correlation between activity level and RHR.

mikestew 8y ago

I have personally found that average RHR per week tends to correlate strongly with my own physical activity. Weird, my morning RHR has consistently been 54bpm since I was eighteen years old, whether training for an ultra marathon, high-level bicycle racing, or sitting around being a (relatively) fat slob for a period of time. So consistent, that now in my 50s I just don't bother paying attention anymore.

kendallpark 8y ago
That's super interesting. I wonder why that is.
- mikestew 8y ago
  Dunno. It’s why I always thought RHR was kind of fixed, and if it varied then you’re measuring me wrng (differing times of day and the like). As for the affect of exercise, one of the better bike racers I’ve known said his resting rate was never below 60. Young guy, too.