How To Raise Pulse?

[m_arch]

I've been charting my pulse and body temp for a few weeks now (still pretty new to peating), my morning armpit temps are on average 97.75, and my morning (and day) resting pulse is around 60.

It seems my temps aren't far off what they need to be, but my pulse in particular is really really low.

I'm 24 and have played a fair bit of tennis the last 4 years.

Is there anything I can do which specifically targets pulse?


Thanks

 

[Peatit]

I'm in the same boat, but on top of having an adequate diet, I'm supplementing with NDT and my resting pulse is around 60.
I was thinking lately that it might have something to do with our "sport" background, I used to run and cycle much a few years ago and just like tennis I think that alongside the bad adaptation cohort, it might have produced an enlargement of the heart, increasing its "displacement" and consequently it doesn't have to beat quickly to provide a proper blood flow (even for metabolically active tissues) (Athletic heart syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).
I am maybe totally wrong though and I would very pleased to have a better explanation.
But your description is not enough to settle your case anyway, given that stress hormones can lead to a high morning temp. You could take your temperature at mid-morning after a good breakfast and it should rise.
in this interview, Ray describes a few typical cases:
Hashimoto’s, Antibodies, Temperature and Pulse KMUD, 2013 | Ray Peat Forum
But unfortunately doesn't answer my questioning.

 

[tyler]

I am of a similar demographic (male, 21 years old) and having very similar issues.
I can steadily keep my temp at 97.9-98.6 but my resting pulse can range anywhere from 52bpm-70bpm. Usually in the 60's.
I come from a very heavy sport background- competing running and downhill skateboarding.
From what I understand, pulse is usually the last marker to come up.
I've been focusing on high carb (sugar and starch) moderate protein and really low fat, to rid PUFA as soon as possible. Also really upped my caloric intake, as I learned I've been underrating for years.
Definitely feeling and seeing small improvements every day, especially with the raise in calories.

 

[Ulla]

I am female, 27 years, also trying to raise pulse and temperature. Moderate active.

Right when I wake up and lying in bed pulse is 40-45 and after eating it goes up somewhere between 50-60... temp are from 36.00 - 36.5 C.
I am Peating for 7 months, raising calories, lowering fats and I see improvements. I feel better, sleep better. But when I measure my good feeling in a form of temps and pulse there is no significant change.

So far my only advice would be to eat more food that is pro-thyroid.

 

[Violence]

Raising temperature or pulse can be desirable consequence of a working metabolism, but it should not be an aim. This is just crazy. If all you want is a higher pulse then have some cocain or amphetamines. Higher pulse guaranteed. For a higher body temperature get sick.

 

[Nighteyes]

Raising temperature or pulse can be desirable consequence of a working metabolism, but it should not be an aim. This is just crazy. If all you want is a higher pulse then have some cocain or amphetamines. Higher pulse guaranteed. For a higher body temperature get sick.

Yes but many use it as a measurement of improved metabolism :) Thus leading to the desire for higher readings.. Is it possible to go from low metabolism to higher metabolism without a rise in temperature and pulse?

 

[Violence]

Yes it's possible as both pulse and temperature are very individual things. On the other hand you can achieve increase in both without having any improvements in your metabolism. For that matter they are both too narrow of an sign to focus on as a goal. Same with having weight loss as a goal. Its stupid. There are many ways to lose weight, including, death, amputation or starvation. Both weight loss and pulse should be a result, not the objective.

I think dwelling on these frindge, peripheral indicators - so common in this forum - is not very Peaty.

 

[Emstar1892]

I agree that pulse alone isn't the way to judge overall health, but I do think it's worth noting, especially when it's very low. I'm struggling with low pulse and it affects everything, from sleep, to exercise, to brain function, I hate it. Why I think it's worth tracking is because I went on a low carb diet, and during it I had a pacer (hooked up to your whole body and measuring you over week). My pulse dropped to 30, and during the night there were 5.5 second lapses in heartbeats. That's literally almost death. So don't overlook pulse if you change your diet, it might be telling you critical information!

 

[thegiantess]

I agree that pulse alone isn't the way to judge overall health, but I do think it's worth noting, especially when it's very low. I'm struggling with low pulse and it affects everything, from sleep, to exercise, to brain function, I hate it. Why I think it's worth tracking is because I went on a low carb diet, and during it I had a pacer (hooked up to your whole body and measuring you over week). My pulse dropped to 30, and during the night there were 5.5 second lapses in heartbeats. That's literally almost death. So don't overlook pulse if you change your diet, it might be telling you critical information!

Totally normal if you come from or currently participate in sports. When I was deep in the throws of long distance running and swimming my pulse was often in the 40s. Every doctor I've ever seen would praise my low pulse! Ha. I should mention, since I stopped endurance exercise since I got pregnant---1.5 years ago my pulse has slowly come up. It's now generally in the 60s and sometimes low 70s; resting.

 

[Emstar1892]

That's great for you, but I haven't been able to exercise in 3 years because of it. I get up, get on the bus to my desk, get the bus home, and go to bed. I can't tell you how many people have said 'wow, with a pulse like that, you must be an athlete!' If your pulse is as low as mine, it never, ever means health.

 

[marikay]

I feel for you Emstar1892. But I think that thegiantess is agreeing with you that low pulse rates are not a sign of health. I ruined my own healthy high pulse rate by running marathons. Ray has mentioned that all long distance runners are hypothyroid, and I have to agree. I don't know where the "low heart rate means good health" got started, but I can attest that this is BS. Nothing hurt my health more than long distance running and thereby lowering my resting pulse rate. Other types of supposedly cardio healthy exercise are nearly as bad. There is a reason why kids have high pulse rates (they haven't ruined their health with excessive exercise, they play when they have the energy to play). Most of the participants on this site would agree that your low pulse rate is a big problem for you (as it would be for anybody). Maybe a high pulse rate isn't a panacea to health issues, but a low pulse rate is always a problem.

If I may be so bold, I would like to suggest that you not worry at all about not exercising. Spend what energy you do have in getting more energy from food and supplements, specifically salt, protein, and sugar. And bag breathing has helped me in the past to get my pulse rate up to where it should be (80 to 85 bpm). Good luck, and keep us posted:)

 

[tara]

Yes it's possible as both pulse and temperature are very individual things.

What is your basis for claiming this? I agree that pulse and temps are individual in that we can have a range of set points for these. But there are some general principles that apply to everybody.
This is how it seems to me.
We are all designed in such a way that there are many biochemical reactions that occur at optimal rates when the body temperature is in the optimal range. Under some kinds of stress conditions, the body may adapt by reducing the temperature set point - estrogen probably has a role to play - but this probably represents a degradation in functioning and health (even though it may have survival value). If temps are generally low, this represents some dysregulation, and probably a reduced amount of useful energy flowing through the system.
As I understand it, the product of heart-rate and pulse-pressure represent blood flow, and blood flow tends to approximately represent oxygen delivery. There may be variations on this for other factors - eg there was recent discussion on another thread about the effect of CO2 levels on heart-rate (low CO2 causes reduced oxygen delivery, even with high blood flow; there is speculation about whether under some circumstances, increasing CO2 may improve oxygen delivery even while heart-rate lowers).
Since oxygen use is one of the central elements of a healthy metabolism (along with CO2 production), and it is not so easy to measure day-to-day, measuring heart-rate seems like a useful proxy, if not hundred percent reliable. With the provisos that there are probably other factors affecting it too, resting heart-rate somewhat represents the energy the body is producing in the service of basic body maintenance and repair. If it is low, the repair and maintenance is likely to suffer.

On the other hand you can achieve increase in both without having any improvements in your metabolism.

I assume that the OP and subsequent posters are interested in increasing temps and pulse as a function of sustainably increased base metabolism, not just increased stress hormones or short-term boosts that leave one in a worse state in withdrawal. It may not always be easy to distinguish stress-based metabolism from thyroid-based metabolism, but there are some methods people use to assess which is which, including observing changes over the day.

For that matter they are both too narrow of an sign to focus on as a goal. Same with having weight loss as a goal. Its stupid. There are many ways to lose weight, including, death, amputation or starvation. Both weight loss and pulse should be a result, not the objective.

I agree that it doesn't make sense to make increase in temps or heart-rate (or decrease in weight or even fat) one's sole ambition. I have no reason to think the posters above are doing this - they are clearly also paying attention to other aspects of health too. However, I think the evidence for heart-rate and temps having more narrow optimal ranges that apply to all or most people is stronger than the evidence for a narrow normative weight (or fat size). They seem to me to be quite direct in their effects on metabolism, compared with fat.

I think dwelling on these frindge, peripheral indicators - so common in this forum - is not very Peaty.

I believe Peat, and Barnes before him, has recommended monitoring these parameters as one way to assess metabolism and the effects of thyroid supplementation, for instance.

 

[m_arch]

I'm in the same boat, but on top of having an adequate diet, I'm supplementing with NDT and my resting pulse is around 60.
I was thinking lately that it might have something to do with our "sport" background, I used to run and cycle much a few years ago and just like tennis I think that alongside the bad adaptation cohort, it might have produced an enlargement of the heart, increasing its "displacement" and consequently it doesn't have to beat quickly to provide a proper blood flow (even for metabolically active tissues) (Athletic heart syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).
I am maybe totally wrong though and I would very pleased to have a better explanation.
But your description is not enough to settle your case anyway, given that stress hormones can lead to a high morning temp. You could take your temperature at mid-morning after a good breakfast and it should rise.
in this interview, Ray describes a few typical cases:
Hashimoto’s, Antibodies, Temperature and Pulse KMUD, 2013 | Ray Peat Forum
But unfortunately doesn't answer my questioning.

My girlfriend actually thought the same thing. However I do often get cold hands and feet - although usually only in winter.
Ray said somewhere that temp usually increases before heart beat I think, so maybe we just have to tough it out for awhile. The 4 year haul? How long have you been peating?

 

[m_arch]

Yes it's possible as both pulse and temperature are very individual things. On the other hand you can achieve increase in both without having any improvements in your metabolism. For that matter they are both too narrow of an sign to focus on as a goal. Same with having weight loss as a goal. Its stupid. There are many ways to lose weight, including, death, amputation or starvation. Both weight loss and pulse should be a result, not the objective.

I think dwelling on these frindge, peripheral indicators - so common in this forum - is not very Peaty.

I've heard that low pulse can cause fatigue, new blood isn't getting where it needs to get etc so people can feel tired and slow which is how I feel a lot of the time, the one constant exception is if i'm playing tennis and my pulse is racing (it doesn't really get up outside of this).

 

[Peatit]

My girlfriend actually thought the same thing. However I do often get cold hands and feet - although usually only in winter.
Ray said somewhere that temp usually increases before heart beat I think, so maybe we just have to tough it out for awhile. The 4 year haul? How long have you been peating?

Yes I remember that he said that somewhere. I've been very strictly "peating" for 15 months or so now but only addressing my "sub-clinical" hypothyroidism since last June with very progressive increased dose of NDT (and now a little bit of T3).

 

[Peatit]

Is it possible that the high potassium intake (from fruits) can slow the heart?

 

[m_arch]

Is it possible that the high potassium intake (from fruits) can slow the heart?

I'm not sure about that.

I've poked around the forum a bit and inspired by the results at this thread:
Red light therapy / LLLT cures hypothyroid? | Ray Peat Forum

I've bought a 860nm red light device which i'm planning to use on my thyroid.

 

[bluebrainboost]

Isn't a lower pulse indicative of heart health? I mean in the sense that, the better shape you're in, the lower your pulse tends to be? I thought that as your cardiovascular fitness increases, your heart can get away with doing less work at baseline.

 

[CoolTweetPete]

Isn't a lower pulse indicative of heart health? I mean in the sense that, the better shape you're in, the lower your pulse tends to be? I thought that as your cardiovascular fitness increases, your heart can get away with doing less work at baseline.

Peat has suggested that it may be indicative of an impaired metabolism. As mentioned above many of us, myself included, suspect we may have lowered our heart rates through endurance exercise, which may cause metabolic adaptation through the prolonged release and utilization of free fatty acids for energy.

 

[tara]

Isn't a lower pulse indicative of heart health? I mean in the sense that, the better shape you're in, the lower your pulse tends to be? I thought that as your cardiovascular fitness increases, your heart can get away with doing less work at baseline.

It depends what you want to be in shape for.
Better shape for running marathons in the near future, in which case low resting heart-rate is probably a useful adaptation? Or better shape for maintaining all the other body systems in good health and functioning, which requires more oxygen and food and therefore generally a higher heart-rate? There may be some variation for other factors in resting heart-rate than oxygen demand (eg CO2 levels?), but heart-rate (along with puls pressure) is in general a rough predictor of base metabolic rate.

Extensive endurance exercise seems to give rise to adaptations to reduce metabolism, as a protective measure against more rapid catabolism of organs for energy.