# Heart rate question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 1, 2004, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heart-rate-question/248120 "2004-06-01T19:16:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![griffen2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ce7236/32.png) [@griffen2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffen2)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heart-rate-question/248120/1 "2004-06-01T19:16:34Z")
My heart rate is 90-100 bpm when I’m just doing mundane shit like typing SDMB OP’s or watching TV. This seems high to me. Especially considering I’m 21, 5 foot 10 & 12 stone. What should my heart rate be? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heart-rate-question/248120/2 "2004-06-01T19:34:47Z")
That seems a little high. How good a shape are you in? If you are atheletic your heart doesn’t have to work as hard and doesn’t beat as fast (at least that’s how the doc explained to me why my heart rate was low when I used to run every day). Conversely, if you are out of shape your heart rate will be faster. 50 to 100 is the normal range according to the american heart association but anything over 70 indicates a higher probability of heart disease. ---
**Author:** ![griffen2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ce7236/32.png) [@griffen2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffen2)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heart-rate-question/248120/3 "2004-06-01T19:39:21Z")
I smoke and eat a little too much junk food than is good for me but I’m not _that_ out of shape. I could probably stand to lose 5lbs. Still, at 21 Don’t you think I’m a little young for heart disease? ---
**Author:** ![P\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a587f6/32.png) [@P\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P_T)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heart-rate-question/248120/4 "2004-06-01T19:43:14Z")
Nicotine and caffeine both raise your heart rate. Usually not quite as much as yours is though. I’d probably have a visit with a Dr, may be nothing, but I’d want to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heart-rate-question/248120/5 "2004-06-02T00:29:59Z")
IANAD, but before I went on my diet and started working out my resting HR was about 82, and I am 52 years old. Now that I have lost weight and have been working out, my resting HR is about 60. You may be further out of shape than you think. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heart-rate-question/248120/6 "2004-06-02T01:04:52Z")
Please remember that a fast heart rate can be due to more than poor physical fitness. There are a number of medical conditions associated with an elevated heart rate such as anemia, hyperthyroidism, infection, dehydration, low oxygen, heart disease itself. \<== incomplete list for illustrative purposes only And, as mentioned, many drugs also bump up the heart rate. Medicines used for asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease, depression, cold remedies, … as well as some illicit ones come to mind. ---
**Author:** ![King\_Friday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@King\_Friday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Friday)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heart-rate-question/248120/7 "2004-06-02T01:07:52Z")
I just clocked in at 84. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heart-rate-question/248120/8 "2004-06-02T01:09:12Z")
Weight != fitness Even if you’re within you’re ‘ideal weight’ bracket, that’s no evidence that you’re fully healthy. You’ve already mentioned two risk factors, and I’m guessing you don’t exercise, either. Not that I can preach about this… ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heart-rate-question/248120/9 "2004-06-02T02:28:16Z")
> [@griffen2](#): > > Still, at 21 Don’t you think I’m a little young for heart disease? Yes. That’s why you should take this seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heart-rate-question/248120/10 "2004-06-02T02:46:49Z")
> [@griffen2](#): > > I smoke… For me, that’s the tip-off. When I was still smoking, my resting pulse was usually around 90. Now, having quit smoking 5 years ago, and getting regular exercise (walking about at least 5 miles a day, plus getting into the gym 4-5 times a week for a mix of weight training and aerobic exercise), my resting pulse is down in the 60s somewhere. _ **Stop smoking now!!!** _ My lung capacity will never fully recover from the damage done by 27 years of smoking, and there’s no telling what it did to my cardiovascular system. It was the stupidest thing I ever did, and I regret it every day. ---
**Author:** ![jweb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/71c47a/32.png) [@jweb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jweb)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heart-rate-question/248120/11 "2004-06-02T04:25:25Z")
My heart rate, as of 30 seconds ago, was 72. I’m 6’4", 264lbs, 25 year-old male. I work out frequently. Today I did 40 minutes on one of those eliptical machines (1000 calories if the counter on the machine can be believed), and just over 1/2 mile in the pool. ---
**Author:** ![aurelian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f4b2a3/32.png) [@aurelian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurelian)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heart-rate-question/248120/12 "2004-06-07T05:28:24Z")
I’m really glad this thread is here, because I’ve been wondering about this exact thing… I’m 25, 6’0’’, somewhere between 150-155 pounds very consistently, and I exercise frequently. I don’t smoke or do any (illegal) drugs. Ever since 8th grade (when we took our pulses in gym class), mine has been high (around 80) - it was 83 according to the machine at the Seattle museum. I am asthmatic - I use an inhaler, and take allergy medication, and drink coffee frequently (all of which, according to this thread, can increase heart rate) I go to the doctor frequently, and they’ve never said anything about my heart rate…but does the mere fact that my heart works more than other people mean that I may not live as long? (that may be a dumb question, but I’ve been genuinely wondering about it) ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heart-rate-question/248120/13 "2004-06-07T05:58:26Z")
My resting heart rate is normally (now), in the 60s and 70s, but I’ve had it all over the place. When I had horrible insomnia and nerves, it could be above 100. When I would do lots of exercise (such as walking a marathon or playing raquetball for 8 hours), it could stay really high for a long time–but then the next day it would be below 60, resting. Go to the doc and get a checkup. You will probably need to quit smoking and start taking better care of yourself. In the meantime, don’t panic. ---
**Author:** ![carterba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85e7bf/32.png) [@carterba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carterba)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heart-rate-question/248120/14 "2004-06-07T13:56:26Z")
> [@aurelian](#): > > I’m 25, 6’0’’, somewhere between 150-155 pounds very consistently, and I exercise frequently…but does the mere fact that my heart works more than other people mean that I may not live as long? (that may be a dumb question, but I’ve been genuinely wondering about it) I’m in almost exactly the same position as you, and I’ve been wondering as well. 25, 6’0", 160-170 pounds, exercise fairly frequently. I’m not asthmatic, though. My resting heart rate is 80-85. Is this good? Bad? Neutral? Are **aurelian** and I doomed to early demises? ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heart-rate-question/248120/15 "2004-06-07T15:10:49Z")
> [@carterba](#): > > I’m in almost exactly the same position as you, and I’ve been wondering as well. 25, 6’0", 160-170 pounds, exercise fairly frequently. I’m not asthmatic, though. My resting heart rate is 80-85. Is this good? Bad? Neutral? Are **aurelian** and I doomed to early demises? I don’t think an early demise would be for that reason alone. I have always had a heart rate in the low 80’s and I’m 81. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heart-rate-question/248120/16 "2004-06-07T16:50:09Z")
Clocking in at 57. 37y, 6’3", 15 stone (had to look up that unit :)) I typically run 15-20 miles per week. My resting rate dropped _substantially_ when I started exercising. I’d ask the doc about it if I were you. Probably means time to get down to the gym. Of course I have always been worried about the other end of the spectrum: for my age, the machines tell me that my heart rate should be 129, but when I’m running, it’s usually far above that. Next time I have an opportunity, I’m going to ask my doc if I’m heading for disaster. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heart-rate-question/248120/17 "2004-06-07T18:05:37Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > Of course I have always been worried about the other end of the spectrum: for my age, the machines tell me that my heart rate should be 129, but when I’m running, it’s usually far above that. Next time I have an opportunity, I’m going to ask my doc if I’m heading for disaster. Yeah, maximum heart rates are mostly bunk. I did some research on it recently because I was concerned about the same thing. I’m 37 and my max is supposedly 183 (220 - my age) but I routinely see it over 200 and have hit 211 on one occasion. Turns out the formula was based on a very limited number of studies and a quick back of the envelope calculation. Here’s an interesting [article](http://www.athletictrainingservices.com/MHR.htm) about the subject. From the article: > [@](#): > > The common formula was devised in 1970 by Dr. William Haskell, then a young physician in the federal Public Health Service and his mentor, Dr. Samuel Fox, who led the service’s program on heart disease. They were trying to determine how strenuously heart disease patients could exercise. > > In preparation for a medical meeting , Dr. Haskell culled data from about 10 published studies in which people of different ages had been tested to find their maximum heart rates. > > The subjects were never meant to be a representative sample of the population, said Dr. Haskell, who is now a professor of medicine at Stanford. Most were under 55 and some were smokers or had heart disease. > > On an airplane traveling to the meeting, Dr. Haskell pulled out his data and showed them to Dr. Fox. “We drew a line through the points and I said, `Gee, if you extrapolate that out it looks like at age 20, the heart rate maximum is 200 and at age 40 it’s 180 and at age 60 it’s 160,” Dr. Haskell said. > > At that point, Dr. Fox suggested a formula: maximum heart rate equals 220 minus age. > > But, exercise physiologists said, these data, like virtually all exercise data, had limitations. They relied on volunteers who most likely were not representative of the general population. “It’s whoever came in the door,” Dr. Kirkendall said. > > In addition, he and others said, gauging maximum heart rates for people who are not used to exercising is often difficult because many prematurely stop the test. > > As the treadmill hills get steeper, people who are not used to exercise will notice that their calves are aching. “They will say they can’t go any further,” Dr. Kirkendall said. > > In addition, Dr. Wilmore, the exercise physiologist, said it was clear from the scattered data points that maximum heart rates could vary widely from the formula. “If it says 150, it could be 180 and it could be 120,” Dr. Wilmore said. > > But the formula quickly entered the medical literature. Even though it was almost always presented as an average maximum rate, the absolute numbers took on an air of received wisdom in part, medical scientists said, because the time was right. I haven’t seen an article on it, but I would bet resting heart rates have as much of a variation as do max heart rates. My resting is around 60 but that’s for a _real_ resting heart rate, i.e. just after I’ve woken up. If I’m sitting up typing or watching TV, it’s anywhere from 80-90.