Is Garmin actually calculating Sleeping Heart Rate instead of Resting Heart Rate? How to get the real RHR?

8234210 1 month ago

Hi all,

Garmin Connect is telling me my Resting Heart Rate was 36. That would be way too low for a resting heart rate, which should be around 60-80. After further investigation I realised that this is actually my sleeping heart rate. Garmin doesn't seem to tell me my actual RHR while awake at all. That, however, is an important health metric.

Is this a bug or intended behaviour? If that is intended, why? Is there any way to get my actual RHR and not my SHR?

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0 global_local 1 month ago

RHR in Garmins notation is a lowest 5min middle value during 24 H. Sleeping or awake doesn't matter.

0 Bitti 1 month ago in reply to global_local

Not 5 minutes, but half an hour: "Daily RHR is calculated using the lowest 30 minute average in a 24 hour period." support.garmin.com/.../

0 8234210 1 month ago in reply to global_local

8 See, and that's what I figured. But that's just not the definition of the RHR, that's the SHR. Is there no way to get the actual RHR, meaning while awake? Because that's an important health metric we're missing out on!

0 charper3 1 month ago in reply to 8234210

The American Heart Association defines RHR as "Your resting heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute when you’re at rest. A good time to check it is in the morning after you’ve had a good night’s sleep, before you get out of bed or grab that first cup of coffee." - is that how you're defining it? If so, it seems like you just need to look at your watch when you wake up and check your HR.