How To Get An Athletic Pulse

I had a followup appointment with a doctor this week. The nurse did the usual checking of the pulse, blood pressure and oxygen level. She also asked a series of questions. I explained to her that all of these answers will most likely be “no”, as she asked about prescription drugs, aches or pains, you know, the typical questions all patients get asked.

So, when she moved on to checking my pulse, she asked me is my resting heart rate usually this low? The number read 44, and she said numbers are typiically above 60, to which I responded that I have an athletic pulse. She understood what that meant. I imagine there’s a lot of nurses who wouldn’t get it as they go by the Standard American guidelines. My pulse and blood pressure are ideal. But someone who does not work out or has a poor diet, their pulse might be in the 70s and considered normal.

There’s been evidence linking higher resting heart rate to shortened lifespan. According to Dr. Michael Greger, every ten beats per minute increase is associated with a 10 to 20% increase in the risk of premature death. I was not surprised when Dr. Greger mentioned that men with no apparent evidence of heart disease with a pulse of 90 may have five times higher risk of sudden cardiac death— as a resting pulse of 90 increases heart disease risk at a level similar to smoking.

The problem is conventional doctors consider 90 as normal. I was fortunate the nurse knew about the athletic pulse and she agreed my pulse was optimal. She very rarely sees patients with pulses in their 50's, let alone 40's. I also explained how I am plant based, and by eating beans, it keeps my pulse in this athletic range.

I eat about a cup of beans a day, sometimes more. Dr. Greger discussed a study regarding diabetes and beans. Participants not only improved their blood sugar (average A1C level from 7.4 to 6.9), but this was also the first study to ever assess the effect of bean consumption on heart rate, There was a 3.4 beat drop in heart rate—just as much as the 50 hours on a treadmill. So, that’s just one more reason to make sure you consume beans daily!

The exercise helps too. I stay active every day. I can’t think of a time that I didn’t get the minimum of 10,000 steps a day since 2012. I mean, there were a few days, like when I went to the ER 4 years ago with the knee injury, but it’s been a rare instance. I generally make sure I stay active. I do strength training 3-4 times a week. I was doing 5 days, but my job keeps me busy.

Itå’s good to know though that my pulse stays in the same healthy range as I do not want to have the typical pulse of most Americans, which causes the same typical diseases of most Amricas. One of the many reasons to embrace a whole food plant based lifestyle.