Heart Rate Recovery Test

Noel Peterson, N.D.

Heart rate recovery is a well researched and clinically effective way to measure your cardiovascular risk. Based on multiple scientific studies, your heart rate recovery can predict coronary artery disease as well as a cardiac treadmill test .

Here is the basic procedure: calculate your max heart rate (220 minus your age).

Example: 220 minus age 57 = maximum heart rate of 163 beats per minute.

Exercise to your max heart rate. Exercise to that heart rate, then stop, sit down, and record your rate after 60 seconds and 120 seconds. Your rate should drop by more than 25 points every minute. Count your heart rate with a heart rate monitor. If you do not have access to a monitor, count your beats for 10 seconds and multiply by 6 to calculate your rate.

The more and faster your heart rate drops, the better your cardiovascular condition and vascular health.

Note that:
Heart rate recovery of less that 15 beats per is associated with an increased risk of death from heart disease. Subjects with a recovery rate of less than 25 beats per minute, compared with a recovery rate of 40 beats/minute, had 2.1 times the risk of sudden cardiac death, 0.9 times the risk of non-sudden death, and 1.3 times the risk of death from any cause.

In other words, the faster your rate drops, the better your cardiac vascular health.