What is your resting heart rate?

[JackC1 0]

I have a hypothesis that releasing lots of adrenalin into your system on a regular basis might reduce your resting heart rate. This may or may not be of medical significance for skydivers but it would be an interesting study. But first I need to know if it is at all likely that skydivers have lower resting heart rates than "normal" people

I would request that only regular skydivers with at least 1 year in the sport and a average of more than 50 jumps per year respond to the poll.

So if you fit the above criteria and wish to find out if skydiving gives you the ticker of a marathon runner or not, then check your resting heart rate according to http://www.topendsports.com/testing/heart-rate-resting-chart.htm and then answer the poll above

[inline HeartRate.png]

[chuckakers 425]

Would that be my resting heart rate on my belly or in a sit?

Chuck Akers
D-10855
Houston, TX

[Andy9o8 2]

I'm no doc here, but I'd speculate that the whole sub-cohort of skydivers probably has more people who engage in other physical/athletic activities (the type that generally result in overall lower resting heart rates) than the general population at large. Just tossing that out there.

My buddy the cardiologist tells me that one of the reasons regular emotional stress can cause or exacerbate heart disease is that repeated exposure to bursts of adrenaline while otherwise at physical rest (like during an argument at home or dealing with job stress) can cause the cardiac arteries to constrict, thereby accelerating the rate at which they tend to accumulate plaques along their walls. (Or, an artery already partially blocked can constrict, temporarily causing full blockage and a resulting cardiac event.) Can this be translated to include people who are basically couch potatoes, but also skydive? I don't know, but would be interested in hearing feedback from some physicians on the matter.

[CSpenceFLY 1]

Your choices have no value. Since everyone is different, "average" is useless.

[BillyVance 34]

45 years old, resting rate 64 bpm. I used to be a long distance runner and had ridiculously low pulse rates. I also completed 2 marathons. I last ran on a regular basis over 22 years ago.

Caveat here is I hadn't jumped in 2.5 years until last weekend.

ETA I have kept myself busy in other ways - raising two little girls, home improvements, etc. So you really can't establish a purely scientific poll based on your parameters here.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[airtwardo 7]

56 years old - 38 years in the sport - 200 jumps a year - resting rate 60.

However I too doubt any real correlation to the sport, I work out 6 days a week, eat clean & rarely drink.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[Bignugget 0]

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I'm no doc here, but I'd speculate that the whole sub-cohort of skydivers probably has more people who engage in other physical/athletic activities (the type that generally result in overall lower resting heart rates) than the general population at large. Just tossing that out there.

This.

I think the results may skew towards a lower rate. I haven't been in skydiving for more than a year but my resting rate is about 60bpm, but I stay pretty active, swim and do other cardio a few times a week. Not sure I can give skydiving the credit.

If you can find some sedentary skydivers with low resting rates, then you might be onto something.

[JackC1 0]

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If you can find some sedentary skydivers with low resting rates, then you might be onto something.

This was actually my reason for asking. I'm a total couch potato who drinks, smokes and eats junk and yet my RHR is around 45-50. My doc reckons I'm as fit as a flea which given my lifestyle came as a bit of a surprise.

[Andy9o8 2]

Jeez, you might as well do hookers and blow. Hell, you might as well skydive.

[angle228 0]

Epinephrin (aka adrenalin) release from skydiving probably has little effect on your heart rate over time. It is true that excessive beta receptor stimulation on the heart will result in down-regulation, however, in skydiving we also have a large increase in cortisol. IE epi may try to down-regulate the receptors but cortisol is going to bring them back.

Additionally it is not likely that the short bursts of epi you get from skydiving would be long term enough to even cause this down-regulation even without taking cortisol into account. I would take a much more long-term type disorder to really get a significant down regulation here.

In this persons dissertation ( http://scholarworks.uno.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2258&context=td )a distinction was made between cortisol levels in up-jumpers and 1st timers. The 1st timers had increased cortisol levles a lot longer throughout the days. What this means to us is after skydiving a lot our brains stop thinking of it as super duper stressful and dangerous, and thus we don't release as much cortisol. Since the stimulation of EPI is similar to this I would also expect that we don't release as much EPI either.

Just because you have unhealthy life habits does not mean you will actually be unhealthy. Everyone's body responds differently to crap food. These behaviors just give you a higher risk of being unhealthy.

So in terms of heart rate (which I presume you are then correlating to blood pressure or other health indicators) and the effect of skydiving: Other lifestyle choices likely have a much more to do with your heart rate than skydiving.

Hell if EPI could make my heart work better I would be running to the doc for a standing epipen prescription.

That being said there is no doubt that skydiving is hard work and if you are at the DZ all day and pack for yourself then you may be getting a decent workout that might make you more healthy in general. But this is related to any kind of physical activity not just specifically skydiving.

I am fucking your mom right now

[accur8shot 0]

I turn 44 tomorrow, don't eat well, but run a few miles every other day. Definitely an adrenaline junkie and my resting heart rate is in the low to mid 40s.

Appointments with new doctors are always fun. The tech always says "I think I need to measure your heart rate one more time..."

[wmw999 2,460]

Yeah. I'm healthy, don't run much, but work out and bicycle with some regularity. My pulse has just about always been around 70, generally above, even when I was in the best of shape. But my blood pressure is nearly always low, and gets the second glance.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Danger 0]

I am 47 years old and have a resting heart rate of 52. I haven't worked out since highschool. I am 30lbs overweight and can barely touch my knees bending over.
I believe my low resting heart rate can be attributed to my many years of sitting comatose on a couch watching tv.
Whenever I've been tested the nurses always ask "do you run marathons?" I answer, "Nope, but I jump out of planes.

Danger

[Squeak 17]

50 yo resting PR of 58bpm, 100-150 jumps per year,
Gym 2-3 time per week, indoor climbing aprox 2 time per week.
I doubt skydiving has much to do with my PR.

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[FB1609 0]

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50 yo resting PR of 58bpm, 100-150 jumps per year,
Gym 2-3 time per week,

Me too! feel ok about that since I never go to the gym. I do a lot of sports though, like... fun exercise.

[oldwomanc6 54]

54 yrs old. Current RHR: 55 (sometimes it will still drop into the 40s).

Back in my thirties, it was in the low 40s (I was still jumping then), but it was probably more due to the long distance bicycling than the jumping.

But then, I have a family history of bradycardia.

I don't think that you are going to get much real info posting a poll here.

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[dthames 0]

55 years old. 52 heart rate, resting. The only exersize I get lately is a little work around the house.

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

[Andy9o8 2]

Gosh, this poll is too intimidating.

Chuck Norris's heart only beats when he orders it to.

Top that, assholes.

[JackBNimble 0]

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I work out 6 days a week, eat clean & rarely drink.

But when you do, look out!

[JackC1 0]

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I don't think that you are going to get much real info posting a poll here.

I never expect to get anything useful from dropzone.com, but there does seem to be an anecdotal shift towards the excellent/athlete end of the scale (69%) compared with similar polls elsewhere on the net.

Now part of that may be down to dz.com's contingent of bullshitters and egotists. Part of it might be down to skydiving attracting active type people (but I somehow doubt that 69% of skydivers are also marathon runners or competitive cyclists). Or skydiving may attract the type of people who have a naturally low heart rate for some reason. Or just maybe part of it might be down to the effect I hypothesised, or the fact that a lot of skydiving happens at high altitude (which can increase cardiovascular fitness). Or it might be something else altogether.

Who knows, but at first glance it does at least look like there may be a correlation between skydiving and cardio fitness.

[JohnMitchell 16]

High 60's, 55 y.o. , pretty good shape, bike ride and weight train. Hi stress job, but I love it.

[tomahawkpilot 0]

It may be more interesting to ask, what's your heart rate on the way up? Going out the door? In freefall?

[adagen 0]

Think this is a chart designed to make people feel good about themselves!

After nearly two years of enforced inactivity I still have a resting heart rate of about 55 which would put me on a par with athletes in the youngest age group, and I know that''s not true. When I was fit my heart rate was 42.

The real fitness measure is how quickly the heart rate returns to normal after exercise.

Anne