PulseVitalYour pulse. Your health.

Heart rate 49 on an adult - what does it mean?

49bpm
Low (bradycardia)

A resting heart rate of 49 bpm is below the standard adult range of 60–100 bpm (bradycardia). In well-trained athletes and during sleep this is common and harmless; in other people it is worth discussing with a doctor.

Where 49 bpm sits on the adult scale

Resting heart rate scale for adults with 49 bpm marked4060100120150normal 60–10049 bpm
  • Very low
  • Low (bradycardia)
  • Slightly low
  • Normal
  • Elevated (tachycardia)
  • High
  • Very high

What a resting pulse of 49 means

Endurance training makes the heart muscle stronger, so it moves more blood per beat and needs fewer beats at rest. Runners, cyclists and swimmers commonly rest between 40 and 60 bpm. During sleep, almost everyone's heart rate drops 10–20 bpm below the daytime resting value.

If you are not particularly fit, possible causes include medications (beta blockers and other heart-rate-lowering drugs), an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), sleep apnea and conduction problems of the heart. These are easy to check with an ECG and a blood test.

What to do: No action is needed if you are well trained and feel fine. Otherwise see a doctor, and seek care quickly if you have dizziness, fainting, unusual fatigue, shortness of breath or chest pain.

Ranges apply to adults and children aged 10 and older, measured at rest (American Heart Association). By the numbers: at 49 bpm the heart beats about every 1.22 seconds — roughly 70,560 beats a day.

49 bpm during exercise

49 bpm is below half of the estimated maximum heart rate at every adult age, so it is a resting-range value, not an exercise intensity. During light activity most adults are already above 90 bpm.

How to get an accurate resting reading

  1. Sit or lie quietly for 5 minutes. No caffeine, nicotine or exercise in the 30 minutes before.
  2. Place two fingertips (not your thumb) on the inside of your wrist below the thumb, or gently beside your windpipe on one side of the neck.
  3. Count the beats for 30 seconds and double it — or count a full 60 seconds if the beat feels irregular.
  4. Repeat on a few mornings before getting up and use the average.

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Nearby values

Measured on a child instead? See heart rate 49 in a child.

This page explains a single reading in general terms. It is not a diagnosis. Heart rate alone cannot tell whether the rhythm is regular or whether the heart is healthy — if you are worried, talk to a doctor.