Weird HR after run

That is strangely low after finishing. Did you get these from a HRM or from your own pulse finding effort? If by yourself, maybe you just were missing a few beats?

If there was an issue, I would think that you would have felt like crap. So, I would see if I could borrow an HRM just to see how it goes. Then again, I am no Dr. whatsoever, so anything I would have to say on this can be largely discounted.

I have a HRM, but I was counting my pulse. I'm almost positive that I wasn't missing beats though, because the ones I was counting were very noticeable as they always are after I exercise. I think I'll wear my HRM for my next run just to see what that tells.

Were you taking it by your carotid artery under the jawline. If you press down to hard you can slow your pulse

Yeah, I doubted you were missing beats... just kind of being hopeful. Keep an eye out on that...

One word... Jim Fixx (although I am not sure of the context of his heart disease).

Yes I was taking it on the carotid. That's really interesting, I've never heard that before, that could be what happened.

Pressing too hard on the carotid induces the baroreflex and decreases heart rate because of the pressure change.

Pressing on the carotid artery would NOT reduce an exercising heart rate all the way down to 60 bpm. You should seek medical advice on this. Jim Fixx died of heart disease but electrical problems with the heart, while rarely fatal, can REALLY ruin your day. This is a great place to argue about trival matters but a lousy one to seek advice about matters of import. Find a cardiologist, preferably one who runs. An internest or sedentary Doctor very well won't understand.

I think everyone here is needlessly freaking out. If you are in good shape and 6-minute pace is not especially hard for you, I don't see why your HR would not recover that fast. What is your resting pulse, about 40 probably? Well 60 is still 50% higher than your resting pulse.

Now if your HR is 190 at 6-minute pace, then drops to 60 after you stop, and then goes back up to 80 or 90, that might be something to worry about.

Scrauf,

Needlessly freaking out!?

Here are two reasons: Jeff Drenth, Travis Landreth.

Unless you are a cardiologist with expertise in athletes and arrythmias you might consider keeping your subjective analysis to yourself. An ekg treadmill and an echo will cost a few bucks. Ignoring the early warning stages of a major condition will cost one hell of a lot more than that.

I wore my HRM on my 8 mile run this morning. I went about 7:30 pace for an hour, and my HR was between 123 and 151, and basically stayed mid-130's for the flat parts. 60 seconds after I finished, my HR had dropped down to 85, then picked back up again as I started to walk around.

Yes, my resting HR is about 40, I've actually seen it in the high 30's before. My run this morning was also at a surprisingly low HR, because when I started running this summer I was helping a college coach with some research and he had me wear a HRM around a track for 5 miles at 8 minute mile pace. My average HR was 144 and ended in the 150's. The test was done at like 7:30 AM, the same time as I ran today, but I was going slower then and my HR was about 10 points higher. Is this strange or to be expected due to improved fitness (and maybe 10 degrees cooler)?

Well after today's experiment do you think everything is fine or I should bother looking into this? I had to get a cardiac screening a few weeks ago and nothing seemed to be the matter then, but it was just a very basic check-up. Thanks for all your replies so far.

I would get it checked - possibly a treadmill test and measure blood pressure also.

A HR of only 60 following immediantly following a run is not normal.

If you press on the artery too hard when checking it will surpress the pressure in the artery. Softly does the trick.

Might want to see if a heart-rate monitor shows the same results after a run. That's not to say don't go get yourself checked. By all means do so. But I'd trust a HRM over checking your pulse no matter how certain you are that you got all the beats.

Did you see my last post about how I used the HRM this morning?

oviattp wrote:

Unless you are a cardiologist with expertise in athletes and arrythmias you might consider keeping your subjective analysis to yourself. An ekg treadmill and an echo will cost a few bucks. Ignoring the early warning stages of a major condition will cost one hell of a lot more than that.

Keep my subjective analysis to myself? What the fricken hell do you think the original poster was asking for? I don't think they posted their question on this board expecting a dozen cardiologists to answer. What they expected was advice from other runners who have some, but not a lot, of knowledge about heart rates in relation to exercise.

If I am cruising along at a moderate pace and then stop and lie down, my pulse often gets down to 60 in 2-3 minutes. Not as fast as the original poster, but in the same ballpark. Based on this, I don't think there is a problem with a HR dropping to 60 in a little over 90 seconds, it just means you are in good shape and are not dehydrated, too hot, etc.

Having said that, the subject still appears to be very worried about their heart, so they might as well go get in checked out just so they don't stress out so much.

kartelite wrote: Did you see my last post about how I used the HRM this morning?

Sorry, no I did not. I'd read about 3/4 of the messages when I responded.

It could indicate either that you have a problem or that you are very fit. If you just started training and this is happening I would be worried. If you have been training awhile and this is happening I would be encouraged as this would indicate that you are recovering very quickly. I have trained with a heart rate monitor alot and have seen my HR drop into the 70's within a couple of minutes after finishing an easy 10-12 miler when I have been in pretty good shape, but only then. If I'm not in shape it takes more like 5-10 minutes to drop back down that low. I don't think I've ever seen it drop down to 60 after only 2 minutes but it's been so long since I've been anywhere near fit that maybe it did and I just can't remember.

I just started "training," as in running this summer. But I have always been very fit and my resting HR was already about 40 (I ran a 4:34 1600 when I started running this July). My recovery just wasn't that low--but the numbers from and after my run today are probably more accurate because they were taken with a Polar HRM, not two fingers on an artery with stopwatch in hand. 60 for anyone seems very strange to me, and I'm guessing it was probably an inaccurate measure or my pressing on the carotid slowed it down somehow. Although I was doing the last half mile at about 6 mins, the run had been a pretty easy relaxed one up to that point, I just felt like finishing hard.

Need to get it checked out, my man. It's possible you might have some type of congenital heart block- i.e. aberrant electrical pathway. Treadmill test vs. dobutamine echo are the buzzwords that you might use when you speak to the cardiologist. Might want to also mention an "EP study"- (electrophysiology study). STOP your run and go to nearest ER if you experience real chest pain that you haven't had in the past or if you feel like you might pass out (syncope). Good luck with all that.

"I wore my HRM on my 8 mile run this morning. I went about 7:30 pace for an hour, and my HR was between 123 and 151, and basically stayed mid-130's for the flat parts. 60 seconds after I finished, my HR had dropped down to 85, then picked back up again as I started to walk around."

-Kartelite

Still strange (but better than 60)... What do you mean in the last phrase by picking up when you started walking around? Picked up to 90, or 110?? If you were just walking around casually, I would say it is different for it to have "picked back up" at all (unless you are going uphill or speedwalking, etc). If you have easy access to a professional opinion, then you may want to take that route. Otherwise, I would keep a close eye on it as you are doing (wear a HRM again for a bit). I may catch a little flak for the following (again, I am no dr. and I did say you probably want one's advice), but if there was an issue, I think you would have other symptoms/indicators that their are problems... ie. you'd probably feel like crap after your run. Take care of yourself.