I found Barbell Medicine on spotify about 6 months ago and I’ve been addicted to your podcasts since!
So according to my galaxy watch, my minimum heart rate while I sleep is 32bpm. My awake resting rate is usually 50-60. I am a fit 24 year old female. I probably wouldn’t be at all concerned about this if it weren’t for how lightheaded I get after standing up. I have not yet had a syncopal episode, but I’m concerned for the potential of this happening. Is there anything I can do??
Also, I was recently reading some research suggesting that athletes with slow heart rates often need pacemakers later in life due to ion channel remodeling in the sinus node. Have you read any research on this, and what are your thoughts?
A heart rate of 32 bpm in a sleeping healthy young individual is typically of no concern. An awake HR of 50-60 in the same individual would also typically not be particularly concerning. Your history suggests that you mainly get lightheaded with standing (a phenomenon typically called “orthostasis”), which is less concerning for a heart rate/rhythm disturbance than if you were reporting episodes of spontaneous lightheadedness or palpitations while at rest, for example.
If you’re wanting to get this sort of thing definitively evaluated from the cardiac standpoint, it would likely involve getting an EKG and then potentially undergoing holter monitoring to identify whether your episodes of lightheadedness correspond with any sort of heart rate / rhythm disturbance.
I don’t have any specific thoughts on your final question - pacemakers should be placed when there is an appropriate indication to do so, and should not be placed when there isn’t. I don’t think you’re anywhere near needing to worry about pacemakers right now, and am wondering whether all of this is an unfortunate side effect of simply seeing the number on your watch.