Resting heart rate elevated

newbies

(Mélanie Périard) #1

I’ve been doing Ketogenic for the past 2 weeks. I have noticed that my resting HR is higher than before in the low 70’s… as anyone had this happen and does it come back down a little?


#2

Not uncommon during the fat adaption stage - if you try the search function you should find similar stories.

It happens to me if I get a bit dehydrated in which case I make sure to keep an eye on my fluid & my salt intake.


(Stacy Blanchard) #3

Try supplementing magnesium.
https://www.perfectketo.com/using-supplements-on-keto/


(David Brown) #4

it happens to many people when they drop carbs. I’m told its the body working harder to get what little sugar there is left in to where it needs to go. best to monitor your heart rate immediately upon waking


(Omar) #5

It happened to me and to many people.

Hopefully it will get back to normal.


#6

Very observant people who are tuning in to their bodies will notice physical changes such as heart beat changes.

In the first few weeks of very low carbohydrate eating the explorer focuses on the food.

It is also important to focus on the fluids and salts (electrolytes).

Lower carbohydrate eating lowers the hormone insulin. That has a number of important effects. In relation to increased resting heart rate consider these lowered insulin effects:

  • glucose is no longer stored as glycogen in the liver. A large proportion of the available glycogen is released from storage in regulating blood glucose in a lower insulin and not yet fat (as fuel) adapted body state. Water, body water, that was associated with that glycogen is released and excreted as urine. Loss of body fluid like this is called diuresis. A direct effect on heart rate of diuresis and possible reduced blood volume is an increased heart rate. Paying attention to hydration is important.

  • there is glycogen also stored in muscle tissue. It is not as easily given up to the body as fuel as the liver glycogen. But many keen ketogenic eaters also become more active. Increased activity, not even planned exercise, will use up that skeletal muscle glycogen. The associated body water is lost (see above)

  • insulin (and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system; a bunch of hormones) are involved in sodium reuptake in the kidneys. Sodium being retained in the body retains body water. So, when sodium is not reabsorbed by the kidneys because the constant high level of blood insulin drops, then sodium and a number of other electrolytes are lost into the urine. Salts being lost from the body form another part of that active diuresis. The lost salts take water with them. If a person gets dehydrated, like a ketoeater exercising in summer heat, they risk dehydration, muscle cramps and increased heart rate. The heart beats faster to maintain blood pressure when blood volume drops

  • one of the important minerals lost in the early ketogenic diuresis is magnesium. Magnesium can be actively secreted by the kidneys as the body tries to reduce sodium loss. Magnesium is an important electrolyte in the electrical function of the heart beat. It is calming. If magnesium drops too low, then heart rate goes up (usually under the influence of calcium). The character type of heart beat may feel different as well. Not only may the heart rate go up, but the beat may strengthen, so people feel a pounding type of heart rate. In some cases there may be episodes of changing rate and rhythm that can be experienced as palpitations.

It’s all pretty amazing. It all settles down as long as the ketogenic diet is well formulated for an individual’s needs. Having now started by lowering carbohydrate foods, it’s time to adjust electrolytes (salts) and maintain hydration as part of all this positive change and self discovery.

Oh, and coffee. Coffee drinking will make heart rate changes much more noticeable. Caffeine is also a diuretic that will lead more quickly to dehydration. So be double espresso really aware if all this is happening in full view of a coffee addiction and hot sweaty days.

You should double check all this information with your own research. It’s a known side effect of the ketogenic diet that the followers also become more knowledgeable about human health and their self.


Much Better After Quitting Keto
(mole person) #7

It’s very normal. During the period until you are fat adapted your metabolism is under some stresses until it learns how to use fat as fuel efficiently. Mine was actually in the 90’s for a couple of months and freaked me out a bit. But it came down to lower than in had been pre keto once I was fully adapted.


#8

My resting HR is 47-53 so my cardiologist would love for me to get it up to 55-60.

So yet another reason for me to go harder on Keto.


(Zheng Jonsy) #9

How long?


(Omar) #10

I started keto in mid January. I have it for maybe at least 6 weeks. It has been a while I do not remember exactly for how long but I remember for a while that I felt it will not go away.


(Stuart ) #11

I was the same, although I had bradycardia, resting heart rate in the low 40s. And during intense exercise my HR would only go up to about 165 bpm. After keto, my bradycardia was gone, resting HR normal around 55-60, and during intense exercise was getting to 185 bpm. Unlike what many other people have experienced, my HR change was permanent. I found this to be an additional bonus of keto. Did you eventually normalise?