Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

I went to give blood the other day and was rejected because my heart rate was too low. ( 49 ) Knowing that I run all of the time I asked if I could do some exercises and they again ? They said yes so I did some speed walking and moving around. After 5 minutes they checked me again and I was at the minimum of 50 and was able to donate. :)

Resting Heart Rate Chart For Women

Age RHR for Athletes Excellent Good Above Average Average Below Average Poor
18-25 54-60 61-65 66-69 70-73 74-78 79-84 85+
26-35 54-59 60-64 65-68 69-72 73-76 77-82 83+
36-45 54-59 60-64 65-69 70-73 74-78 79-84 85+
46-55 54-60 61-65 66-69 70-73 74-77 78-83 84+
56-65 54-59 60-64 65-68 69-73 74-77 78-83 84+
65+ 54-59 60-64 65-68 69-72 73-76 77-84 84+

Resting Heart Rate Chart For Men

Age RHR for Athletes Excellent Good Above Average Average Below Average Poor
18-25 49-55 56-61 62-65 66-69 70-73 74-81 82+
26-35 49-54 55-61 62-65 66-70 71-74 75-81 82+
36-45 50-56 57-62 63-66 67-70 71-75 76-82 83+
46-55 50-57 58-63 64-67 68-71 72-76 77-83 84+
56-65 51-56 57-61 62-67 68-71 72-75 76-81 82+
65+ 50-55 56-61 62-65 66-69 70-73 74-79 80+


What's a normal resting heart rate?
Answer
from Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
For an adult, a normal resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats a minute. For a well-trained athlete, a normal resting heart rate may be closer to 40 beats a minute. For healthy adults, a lower heart rate at rest generally implies more efficient heart function and better cardiovascular fitness.

To measure your heart rate, simply check your pulse. With your palm facing upward, place two fingers on the thumb side of your wrist — or place your index and third fingers on your neck to the side of your windpipe. When you feel your pulse, count the number of beats in 10 seconds. Time yourself with a timer or the second hand on a clock or watch. Multiply this number by 6 to determine how many times your heart beats in one minute.

Keep in mind that many factors can influence heart rate, including:

Activity level
Fitness level
Air temperature
Body position (standing up or lying down, for example)
Emotions
Body size
Medication use
Although there's a wide range of normal, an unusually high or low heart rate may indicate an underlying problem. Consult your doctor if your resting heart rate is consistently above 100 beats a minute (tachycardia) or below 60 beats a minute (bradycardia) — especially if you have other signs or symptoms, such as fainting, dizziness or shortness of breath.



The rule of thumb for your maximum heart rate is 220 - your age. For me that means 170. When I am done my 3 miles I am usually right at 162.

Them gigging you on a 49 with the minium of 50 is total BS and more nonsense why the RC is falling short of their goals. Especially since they probbaly did the old 15 second x4 or 30 second times two measurement. I went to donate a few weeks back and was rejected for my BP being too high. I asked for another nurse to rec-check. While they got one, I did some quick square breathing and the second nurse got a totally different reading and was allowed.

I understadn there are "standards" but folks need to be flexible a littel as not everyone fits the mold.

I have seen a guy cross the fisinh line ofteh NYC Marathon in his 60's, and have a rate of 50.

I'm 45 and was 66 RHR even after 3 cups of coffee this morning.



Be Safe.

at home resting I'm 60 at work when I'm on my feet I'm 72 range.. I honestly think some of the parameters are bogus only b/c every person's " normal" range is different.I usually access all my patients sysptoms like you mentioned if they are dizzy , vomiting, feeling faint then they are symptomatic etc....but yet we still have parameters we must follow..I'm actually surprised the " normal" limits have not changed.. myself for example I usually run 92/60ish for my B/P if my systolic gets over 110 I get a horrendous headache blurred vision all the symptoms of HIGH b/p but this is not considered high according to text books so go figure...kudos for donating!!! I personally had a blood transfusion in 2004 ( three pints) and yes it saved my life..

41 Y.O. male. RHR averages between 44 and 45 BPM when I wake up in the morning. I've been active my entire life however, and even pumped with esspresso and a fat dip of Copenhagen, I'd be lucky to bust 60 BPM during the day just sitting on my arse.

Resting heart rate should be measured in the morning as soon as you wake up in bed for better accuracy. Conditions throughout the day, such as stimulants from coffee, exercise, near death experiences on the roadway and such, can skew the results.

That chart seems to be off a bit, as uber-athletes, like cyclists and marathoners, usually have RHR's in the mid to low 30's.

Lance Armstrong's RHR during his prime was somewhere around 33 BPM. One HB every 1.8 seconds...not too bad. Mine is between 58-62 during the day, I haven't checked it in the morning.

I just find it odd that a heart rate in the 30's is considered safe. even for a athlete ...I can't match that pulse rate in my head as safe..makes me want to grab a crash cart instead :) I guess it's all about the cardiac cycle blood flow of the heart to determine how safe or unsafe it is? Now I'm going to be quizing the cardiologist at work about this....

Mine's pretty good for a kid my age. I'm normally in the low 70's and I'll be 66 years old next month. And that's with fairly advanced emphysema. I've always been blessed with a strong heart and good blood pressure. Even now, my BP is usually less than 130/75, usually about mid 120's / low 70's. Unfortunately, with the emphysema the pulse rate climbs rapidly with much exertion.

I never liked running although I did some, I did most of my workouts with weights doing lots and lots of reps. Now I do a lot of walking.

All that chart shows is that I'm never at rest.

All that chart shows is that I'm never at rest.

your heart rate is higher then the chart??

not good buddy not good...inless..you are always busy doing something and truly never resting..

22 year old male, sitting at work after a cup of coffee about 2 hours ago and I am at 60 BPM. Cool as the other side of the pillow. Speaking of pillows, I'll have to take Joethe GI's advice and check it in the morning for yet another incentive for rolling out of bed!

I did encounter what seems to be a pretty damning case against the [HRmax = (220-age)] formula from 2002...
*I can't post links yet, but its called: Robergs R and Landwehr R (2002). "The Surprising History of the "HRmax=220-age" Equation" (PDF). Journal of Exercise Physiology 5 (2): 1–10)

The piece goes on to give not an acceptable, but the least objectionable (lol@science) equation: [HRmax = 205.8 − (0.685 × age)].

About two minutes after an hour to hour and fifteen minute body/weight-lifting workout I have been between 120-138 BPM all summer.

If I accept that scholarly article: my max HR is 190.1, that means my Training Heart Rate or "intensity" for those workouts is between 63.2% and 72.6% of my HRmax.

From my limited understanding on the subject it seems I should to raise the "intensity" (up the weights/sets/reps or take less time to workout) and get closer to 161.5 BPM (85% of my HRmax) to get the most of out it.

I'm 42, I'm on my second large coffee of the day, and I have had a cigar already today. I just took my resting heart rate and it was 60.

I remember reading an article that stated Lance Armstrong's resting heart rate was 32 beats per minute in his prime.

I find this interesting that athletes have lower heart rates only b/c the diffferent cardiac rates and rhythms are derived from certain locations of the heart perhaps it's possible his rhythm was sinus bradycardia depending on the rhythm it would be interesting to know what node His rhythm started in..and if it's contrary to all athletes.

Ex sinus rythm is like the Mac daddy of all Rythms It's 60-100 beats per minute but it starts in the SA node of the heart...same as sinus bradycardia. Other rhythms start in the av node of the heart curious as to which node athletes Rythms start in... And why is it so low? You would think a healthy heart would make the blood pump faster makes me wonder if being a athlete is so healthy after all?

The heart of an athlete is like a regular engine with high performance parts added to it. It has been excercised to the point that it doesn't have to work as hard to get the same " power ". Kind of like an alcoholic who builds up a tolerance to alcohol ( needing more booze to get drunk) , the athletic heart has been strengthened so that under lower ( normal demands) it just doesn't need to pump as hard.

I have been working all year on my 1.5 mile time. Last night I finally broke the 12 minute mark which I wanted to be able to do without sprinting at the end. I did it in 11:55 :) To graduate from the police academy in PA in the 20-29 age group , you have to do at least 12:18 or faster.

( and I am a few months from turning 51 :)

The heart of an athlete is like a regular engine with high performance parts added to it. It has been excercised to the point that it doesn't have to work as hard to get the same " power ". Kind of like an alcoholic who builds up a tolerance to alcohol ( needing more booze to get drunk) , the athletic heart has been strengthened so that under lower ( normal demands) it just doesn't need to pump as hard.

I have been working all year on my 1.5 mile time. Last night I finally broke the 12 minute mark which I wanted to be able to do without sprinting at the end. I did it in 11:55 :) To graduate from the police academy in PA in the 20-29 age group , you have to do at least 12:18 or faster.

Congratulations!

Went to dontate blood today and got the bad news..I am too good of a shape to donate !

My heart rate right after arriving was 47. They require 50 as a minimum. The guy that took my vitals knew that I run and made a note of it. One of the other ladies had a small cow over it saying that it doesn't matter and they can't allow it. They had the supervisor come out who looked at me ( and knows me from over 20 years of donating ) and said " he's good to go ". " Just write athletic next to his heart rate ".

I told them ( in fun ) that I am sorry that I am in good shape and that I promise to go find a large bag of Dorito's and start leading the life of a tree sloth.

My heart rate is normally about 84 to 92 (keep in mind I'm a blimp!). I started excersizing regularily in May, I was 315 and now am 282 (i had 3 weeks with no PT in there). When I'm at the gym on the treadmill I'll run between 2 and 5 miles a day and I can get my heart up to about 163 for 20min at a time then I walk a while then run again with sprinting thrown in to keep it "intersting". I also did a few Saturday "full body bootcamp" where I did a 2 hour nonstop PT. It sucked but man, after it was over I felt awesome. I took 2 weeks of for vacation at the end of July and then another week after because I got a cold. I'm still struggling to get back to the comfort running I had prior to vacation but I'm getting there. I also do some stuff at home (small weights, squat thrusts, situps etc) but the running is big for me because, well, I'm big :). I'm hoping to get to 240-ish and get my heart rate to where I can do a mile or mile and half run without getting my heart rate into the "WARNING, STROKE EMINANT" range!

Mcsap that's great! And funny you should be proud ... Chewy that's good that you are dedicated just don't kill yourself in the process :) I admire people that are determined.. You will get there just takes time.

Mcsap that's great! And funny you should be proud ... Chewy that's good that you are dedicated just don't kill yourself in the process :) I admire people that are determined.. You will get there just takes time.

Ya, I know. The think is I USED to be there and it's been 20 years... how long is a long time?! :D

Of course I didn't excersize a lot of those 20 years :)

After a few coffees this morning and just gettig back from being dragged by hell hound 65. Not bad for someone who's 40, 'clinically obese', unfit, has slight hypertension and ragged from silly hours of duty and little sleep because of the recent events in London.

Makes me wonder what it'll be if I did start hitting the Gym properly again.

Chewy my moto is : motivation makes ya do things you don't want to do... Atleast that's my theory these days.....

Makes me wonder what it'll be if I did start hitting the Gym properly again.

Sore

"Oh yeah, that's why I stopped doing this."

I found early on that if I get into a routine, then I feel guilty and crummy if I miss a day. In fact, if I missed more than a week, I would get sore from not working out.

I'm glad this topic was brought up b/c I've always had a fairly high resting heart rate. I'm generally in the mid to high 80's. I'm a 25 y/o male 5'10" 160ish LBS, I run 1.5mi in 9:20's. I routinely do crossfit. Non-smoker, don't take any supplements or medication. I've been active my entire life,typical sports in high school, straight into the Army for 5 years then straight into the Academy. Does anyone have any ideas?

LOL - Good one.

All that chart shows is that I'm never at rest.

LOL. Good one.