Recovery from training and resting heart rate

[Anssi]

Hi,

My resting heart rate is 42 (last measured at that about two months ago). However, when I train (indoor rowing, riding), my RHR stays elevated for many days even if I don't do much. Over 50 the next day, over 45 the second, and gets down to 42 the third or fourth day. I always measure it before I get out of bed.

I get sick pretty easily, e.g. I don't ride two days in a row anymore in the winter, I have got bronchitis(diagnosed) two years in a row now, and you know it takes weeks to recover back to full strength even though I don't get very sick.

I get reasonable sleep (7.5 to 9 hours), I eat healthy (fiber, protein, carbo, reasonable amounts of fat) and am in reasonable shape (6:51 is my 2000m time on the Concept 2 as of about 3 weeks ago for those that are "in-the-know") and take my multi-vitamin every day. When I go ride I change into dry clothes for the drive home. I exercise using a training program from the Concept 2 people, and have worked up to it, so I didn't just start like a madman. I have taken at least 2 days off every week, and now it seems I have to take more to stay not-sick.

What the hell should I do? Go to the doctor to get my blood checked out? Is there something about my diet I might be missing? Did I over-train(I know the symptoms point to this, but I'll be damned if I believe I should've exercised less).

BTW, one thing I noticed from another thread is that maybe I don't hydrate myself enough. I do take in water when I exercise, but maybe too little otherwise. Might that have a big effect on my recovery?

This would not be such a big deal if I didn't want to exercise a bunch to bring up my aerobic condition and lose fat (at 6'4", 205 lbs, I can't afford any extra fat to be anywhere near competitive for riding MX).

 

[SPD]

Along with more water you might want to try taking some extra vitamin E and C. Also don'nt be afraid to take a week off. Give your body a chance to repair itself and rest. Just do some real lite cardio a couple days.

 

[mgorman]

Anssi,

A few years back I was training like normal when everything went down hill. I was Throwing up at every race (scrambles) from exhaustion. I'd get off my bicycle after a time trial and barely be able to walk to the truck. I went to the doctor and found out I had a deficiency of b-12 in my blood. Low enough that I was becoming anemic. I had to take it by injection till it stabilized. They also found out I was afflicted with a muscular disorder that answered alot more questions that I thought were from over training. I did however have to take a few months away from racing and training. Thankfully it was the end of the year.

These are not what is wrong with you. A blood test and physical is the only way you will find out what is wrong.

A web forum is a place that might set you in the right direction but professional advice is what you need when it comes to your health.

By the way, I was just given a concept rower from a very good friend. I have been using it every chance I get and as soon as I get time will be using those same workouts they recomend. Aslo, I am 6'2" and weigh 215 lbs. I do need to loose weight but 200 is all the lower I want to go before I get too thin.

Good luck

 

[Anssi]

Thanks for the pointers, guys. I think I will try a bit less exercise for a week more and then go to the doc if no improvement. I don't feel sick, and my RHR is not alarming (to me). I also need to find a doc who understands athletes and why "rest for twi weeks" isn't the first option for curing just about anything even though it may be the best solution in some cases.

I didn't do anything last week, and my RHR was down to 44 on Friday and yesterday I had a race and was pretty worn out at the end of the 20 min+2 laps moto but that's not very unusual when I go flat out on an MX course. Also I think most of it was just gripping the bar too tight in my first race of the season.

 

[yzracer49]

The trainer at the gym I go to says, when you are in good shape, your heart rate should drop roughly one beat per/sec when done working out. If it isn't you are pushing you body too hard. It doesn't have the energy to recover properly.

Currently I ride a bike for 30min, aprox 10 miles. Trying to maintain a 150bpm. One min after I'm down to 120-125. I start at aprx 100. Sitting here at work I'm at 75bpm. After 3weeks I have had to increase the "level" on the bike just to get my heart rate up to 150. My goal is to ride for 1hr and be able to walk away with out dying.

 

[nephron]

Anssi

What do you mean when you say "I get sick"? Nausea, vomiting, fatigue, chest pain, cough, shortness of breath? What? When does it start in relation to your exercise? Also, are you alarmed by your "low" heartrate, or by the fact that it stays relatively faster for a few days after exercise. What happens to your heartrate during exercise? Do you have an appropriate tachycardic response? What's your family history? Any cardiac diseases in the family? Hypothyroidism? Diabetes?

I'll bet we can get close over the net.:)

 

[Anssi]

Sorry, the "get sick" statement came out wrong because of how stuff translates from Finnish to American English. I mean I get sick like catch a cold and maybe a slight fever, sore muscles, that kind of stuff the next day or two after riding two days in a row. This doesn't happen when I do cardio in the gym or in the summer. I am very allergic to anything you can breathe and am prone to all kinds of respiratory inflammations and can't even get insurance cover for asthma, although I have not had any attacks.

After the race I mentioned, I did nothing for a week except took some walks that took about 45 minutes. My RHR stayed at about 48-50 bpm. This is what initially worried me. I then had a race again and that went ok fitness-wise (on saturday). This week I did cardio mon, tue, wed,fri. and didn't care about the bloody RHR that stayed near 50.

All this went fine except after those three first days that I did about 40 minutes moderate continuous or very long (10-20 min) interval training then today (fri.) I did 3x6min and only got my HR up to 160 (max is about 175 for me) on the last interval on the rower, but I really was able to keep up very good pace for me (under 1:50/500m) even though I was not pushing like crazy (to be able to do the whole shebang).

I had a tough day at work and my blood sugar was probably down for not eating properly and I was also slightly dehydrated. What also prevented me from pushing was that my muscles felt a bit weak (not like I can't stand weak but like I don't want to do squats weak).

From all I read my heart rate responds pretty normally to exercise. I go faster or harder, my heart rate goes up (I can regulate this on the running machine by changing speeds and can pretty much tell what heart rate I will be at after a few minutes at a certain speed). I get "cardiovascular drift" i.e. my heart rate goes up for the same level of exercise (about 10 bpm after maybe 10-15 minutes of exercise). After exercise or an interval my heart rate drops back.

I sometimes feel my heart rate comes up pretty slowly when I start an interval, i.e. it takes about two minutes at a pretty hard level to bring it up to 160 when I start (from about 110 bpm) after a proper warmup. On subsequent intervals it comes up faster. Is this what's called tachycardic response?

I'm beginning to think the 42 bpm RHR is something I get down to once in a while and should just not worry about it unless it jumps up to something like 55.

My mother's father died of some kind of heart condition when he was about 50 and my father's father had diabetes. I have a very small family(dad one brother, mom no siblings), so not exactly examples abound. Also, both those dudes were slightly overweight and certainly not very fit.

Thanks for taking to time to look into this, sorry if I ramble.

 

[nephron]

Your heart's fine. No worries, OK?
The "getting a cold" thing after EVERY vigorous ride is a little strange, but since it doesn't occur consistently with all types of exercise, and only so in association with outdoors riding (I'm assuming it's kinda cold up there now), I don't make much of that either.
Are you eating right? Are you sleeping well? Have you had recurrent pneumonias, sinusitis, bronchitis (other than the 2 day "cold" you experience after riding), do you get leg swelling at the end of the day? Have you had basic labs drawn recently?

 

[Anssi]

Thanks again for replying.

I don't usually get the cold type thing after every ride, only when I ride two days in a row. And yes, these are in below freezing temperatures. This happened last winter, too, and then I didn't listen my body and got bronchitis for doing this and also working out in the gym (presumably) and this winter some slight inflammation in the throat, but not full-blown bronchitis and certainly not pneumonia. It sucks that I have to ride in the cold and then change into dry clothes in a semi-warm van and I suppose this is part of the problem.

I never really suspected anything directly heart related, just looked at the morning RHR as one easy (and probably not sufficient) indicator of general health and fitness. In the summer I haven't gotten the same cold state.

I eat reasonably right(McDonald's maybe once a week and then normal healthy food (chicken, fish, some meat, fruit, rice, potatoes(proper), rye bread, low-fat cheese)) and take my multivitamin and omega-3 and sleep well.

Basic labs is the stuff I get from the blood and urine samples (cholesterol and all kinds of other counts)? Had those about 18 months ago when I started at my current job (it's compulsory over here). I have been thinking of having them done again, I think our great health coverage (from work) pays for them and even if it doesn't I can pay for it.

My legs don't look swollen after riding, but now that you mention it, they sure are tired and maybe "feel" a bit swollen like there's some pressure inside them. Not sore to touch or really weak when I actually use them, but a bit weird-feeling.

 

[KiwiBird]

Annsi, try warming up in a different manner. I have decreased the soreness and other after effects by warming up with this method.

Do some stretches
Ride a lap at a moderate pace
Stop for a couple of minutes (use your HR to set some point for you)
Ride another lap, bit faster
Stop for a minute or two as above
Race

Perhaps someone else can explain why but this method was given to me by Paul Thede of Race Tech who knows a lot more than just suspension.

 

[Anssi]

To get back on this:

Today I did a maximal fitness test, that is, pedal until you drop. I found out that my maximum heart rate is only 179 (the lactic acid count from my blood and breathing gas analysis tell that I was really at maximum) and have been training much too hard.

I will now only do much lower intensity cardio(albeit for slightly longer) for the days I don't ride. I had already gone towards this since I suspected what the test confirmed. I will get the results for the blood and urine in the mail in a few days, but I suspect they are fine.