What is a normal resting heart rate?

The American Heart Association calls 60 to 100 bpm normal for adults. Population studies put the mean near 70 with an SD of about 11, so two thirds of adults sit between 59 and 81. Endurance athletes are often in the 40s and 50s.

How rare is a resting heart rate of 51?

About 1 in 24 adults have a resting rate this low or lower. That is 1.7 standard deviations below the mean.

Is a resting heart rate of 51 good?

Q: Is a resting heart rate of 51 good?

51 bpm is lower than 96% of adults, going by a mean of 70 and SD of 11. Below the AHA's normal range, which in a fit adult is usually good news.

A resting heart rate of 51 bpm is lower than 96% of adults, on a distribution with mean 70 and SD 11. Lower usually means fitter: endurance athletes sit near 50, and the American Heart Association calls 60 to 100 normal.

Percentile

96%

of adults have a higher resting heart rate than 51 bpm

51 bpm

ExcellentBand from our heart rate test. The American Heart Association's normal range for adults is 60 to 100 bpm; this is below it, which in a fit adult with no symptoms is usually a trained heart.

51 bpm by group

Percentile

Normal curve, mean 70, SD 11
Group	Mean	Higher than you	1 in X
Adults	70 bpm	96%	1 in 24

Reference points

Common reference rates and the share of adults above each
Who	bpm	Adults higher
Endurance athletes, typical	50	97%
This page	51	96%
AHA normal range, low end	60	82%
Adult mean	70	50%
AHA normal range, high end	100	<1%

Bands

Share of adults in each band of our heart rate test, from the normal curve
Band	Resting bpm	Share of adults
Athletic	up to 50	3%
Excellent	51 to 60	15%
Good	61 to 70	32%
Above average	71 to 80	32%
Below average	81 to 90	15%
High	91 to 100	3%
Very high	over 100	<1%

Percentile is the share of adults with a higher resting heart rate, so a lower rate gives a higher percentile. “1 in X” counts the rarer side: people at or beyond this value above the median, at or under it below. Percentiles are estimated from a normal distribution with mean 70 bpm and SD 11.

What this means

51 bpm is about 73,440 beats a day, 26.8 million a year. At the mean of 70 it is 100,800 a day, so this heart does 27,360 fewer.
Endurance athletes often rest near 50 bpm, and the lowest widely reported, for the cyclist Miguel Indurain, was 28. 51 is 1 bpm above the athlete mark.
Under 60 is bradycardia on paper. In a fit adult with no dizziness or fatigue it is usually just a well-trained heart; with symptoms, it is worth a check.
Measure after five quiet minutes, count a full 60 seconds, and do it on a few mornings. Caffeine, heat, a cold, a short night and the act of being measured all push the number up.

Questions

Is a resting heart rate of 51 good?: 51 bpm is lower than 96% of adults, going by a mean of 70 and SD of 11. Below the AHA's normal range, which in a fit adult is usually good news.
What is a normal resting heart rate?: The American Heart Association calls 60 to 100 bpm normal for adults. Population studies put the mean near 70 with an SD of about 11, so two thirds of adults sit between 59 and 81. Endurance athletes are often in the 40s and 50s.
How rare is a resting heart rate of 51?: About 1 in 24 adults have a resting rate this low or lower. That is 1.7 standard deviations below the mean.

Source: Resting heart rate distribution: Janssen et al. 1993 and Cooney et al., JAMA Internal Medicine 2013, adult mean about 70 bpm, SD 11. Normal range 60 to 100: American Heart Association. Percentiles are estimated from a normal distribution with mean 70 bpm and SD 11.

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