Heart rate 71 on an adult - what does it mean?

Where 71 bpm sits on the adult scale

What a resting pulse of 71 means

That is a healthy resting value. Within the normal range, lower resting rates generally go with better aerobic fitness; very fit adults often sit in the 50s or lower.

Your resting rate varies by several beats from day to day. Measure at the same time — ideally in the morning before getting up — and look at the average over a week rather than a single number.

Ranges apply to adults and children aged 10 and older, measured at rest (American Heart Association). By the numbers: at 71 bpm the heart beats about every 0.85 seconds — roughly 102,240 beats a day.

Seventy-one with a coffee in hand

If you measured 71 shortly after a coffee, the drink may have added a few beats. Caffeine blocks adenosine, a natural messenger that promotes calm and sleepiness, and it nudges the body toward a more alert, adrenaline-driven state. In people who are not used to it, that can lift heart rate noticeably for a few hours.

In regular coffee drinkers the body adapts, and the effect on resting pulse is often small. Many daily drinkers see little difference between a reading before and after their usual cup. The response varies widely between people, partly because the liver breaks caffeine down at very different speeds.

Caffeine also lingers. Its effect usually builds within the first hour after drinking and fades gradually over several hours, so a cup at breakfast can still play a small part in a reading taken at lunchtime.

What typical amounts do, and what they don’t

The US Food and Drug Administration considers up to about 400 mg of caffeine a day, roughly four cups of brewed coffee, an amount not generally linked to harmful effects in healthy adults. Pregnant people, those with certain heart conditions and anyone sensitive to caffeine are usually advised to have less.

At moderate intake, caffeine:

• may raise the pulse slightly in occasional users, less so in regular ones
• can cause a jittery or pounding feeling in sensitive people
• can make sleep shorter or lighter if taken later in the day, which in turn can lift the next morning’s pulse

Tea, cola, chocolate and some over-the-counter pain relievers contain caffeine too, so they count toward the daily total.

Energy drinks and pre-workout powders often pack more caffeine per serving than a cup of coffee, sometimes combined with other stimulants, so their effect can be stronger.

Measuring around your morning cup

To get a resting value that reflects your heart rather than your drink, take the reading before the first coffee of the day. If you want to see how caffeine affects you personally, compare a few pre-coffee readings with ones taken about an hour after your usual cup.

If coffee regularly triggers a racing or irregular heartbeat, cutting back is sensible, and it is worth mentioning to a doctor. More ideas for bringing a resting rate down are on the lowering heart rate page.

For a reliable resting value, sit quietly for five minutes first and average a few mornings: Resting Heart Rate: What It Says About Your Health. You can also measure by tapping along on the start page.

Nearby values

• 66 bpm
• 67 bpm
• 68 bpm
• 69 bpm
• 70 bpm
• 72 bpm
• 73 bpm
• 74 bpm
• 75 bpm
• 76 bpm

Measured on a child instead? See heart rate 71 in a child.

Sources: American Heart Association: All About Heart Rate · MedlinePlus: Pulse · ACSM position stand on exercise intensity (2011)

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.