Bradycardia

[Schoey]

Fit people can have a relatively low heart rate at rest - typically 40 per minute rather than 70 odd. Some go down to the 30s at complete rest - bed/watching TV. This is "healthy" bradycardia, but it can alarm some health professionals and will often set off audible alarms on for example heart and oxygen monitors. Paradoxically, in some people, a slow heart rate can permit a faster irregular rhythm to take over - atrial fibrillation - which can be more than a nuisance and require treatment up to and including a pacemaker.
What symptoms do you have?

Mike T Thanks for that. My heart rate can fall to 28. When racing!!! I need to manage things very carefully otherwise I become breathless and loss of energy. I also have ectopic heart beats which exacerbate the problem. Seems to be getting worse, but my specialist is reluctant to fit a pacemaker as it is not life threatening.Just turned 65 and not ready to pack in.

[Mike T]

Mike T Thanks for that. My heart rate can fall to 28. When racing!!! I need to manage things very carefully otherwise I become breathless and loss of energy. I also have ectopic heart beats which exacerbate the problem. Seems to be getting worse, but my specialist is reluctant to fit a pacemaker as it is not life threatening.Just turned 65 and not ready to pack in.

28 when well into a race is a bit too slow I would have thought, certainly slow enough to make you feel it - different if it is in the first 30 seconds or so, before your system has had a chance to wake up. If it is in the first 30 seconds then a decent warm up should bring your heart rate up for runs/races.

Some pacemakers are fitted as the underlying problem is life threatening - clearly not in your case - others are fitted because of symptoms of going too slow, and/or because they paradoxically end up too fast.

Chat to your specialist about your symptoms - make sure he/she understands the importance of running in your life.