What is the average pulse rate for a healthy adult what can it be if you are very fit?

Question

I am a very active 68 year old and my pulse rate is55 is this good? Also what should the bodys fat content be?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

Average pulse rate in adults of all ages, unless affected by drugs or disease, is 68-72. In very fit healthy individuals it will be lower. If it is due to regular exercise 55 is very good.

Body fat in someone of your age should be between 15 and 25%.

Source(s):

GP for more years than I care to remember

Answer 2

avg heart rate is 60-100. athletically fit people can have slower pulses.

Answer 3

yes 55 is very good, body fat is 18-25 for a female not sure about male possibly higher but depends on height also

Answer 4

72 is the heart rate norm. It gets lower the more active you are. Your heart is stronger and able to pump more blood with each beat, that is why it's slower. I have heard of extremely athletic people having a resting heart rate of 32.
I do believe your BMI sould be under 25 no matter if male or female.

Answer 5

Yes that's great the average pulse is 65-80. Athletes who are fit, like you I guess, have a slower pulse rate because they get to use less energy and run longer on a single heartbeat. So for you to have your heartbeat at 55 is good. If you are lean the bodys fat content is 17-22. Athletic is less than 17. I think you're doing well.

Source(s):

http://www.nutribase.com/fwchartf.shtml

Answer 6

Your pulse rate doesn't always reflect fitness, so on its own it's not a reliable indicator.

Doctors take a statistical view, so the 'standard' position would be that anything under 70 is good; under 60 very good.

Unfortunately, a low pulse rate can indicate problems, too. If you don't have other indications of fitness (such as a long-term running history, good lung capacity, high strength and appetite, small waist for height), you might benefit from being examined.

(The only significant early symptom of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, which causes sudden heart failure, is a low pulse rate. There are plenty of people walking around thinking they're pretty damn fit because they have a low resting heart rate, who are at risk of dying without warning. The cardiac overgrowth involved CAN actually give better aerobic performance, so a lot of the victims have been 'naturally gifted' sports participants. However, unless they are ACTUALLY an olympic athlete (kidding themselves that they're training at the same level is no protection), a heart rate under 40 is a danger sign, not a cause for congratulations. If anybody out there knows somebody like this, please get them to get checked out ! )

Higher resting rates than this can still be a symptom, but statistically, having survived to 68, HCM is not very likely to be a problem for you.

Age-related changes to bodyfat are also unreliable; overall bodyfat tends to increase, although the amount stored in the skin will often decrease. (again, it's the 'intra-abdominal' fat, or spreading waistline, that's most harmful).

Try

www.acsm.org

or

www.fitness.com