Resting heart rate climbed to 80 since the blast started, who is actually managing it and how?

8 weeks into 750mg test and 400mg EQ and my resting HR has crept from 60 up to around 80. I'm checking it every morning before I get up, same conditions, so it's not a fluke reading. Feeling fine in the gym but it's clearly trending the wrong way.

I know EQ hammers the RBC count and hematocrit is probably part of this. Already booked a blood donation for next week. What else are you guys actually doing to bring the resting rate back down without pulling the dose back? Running cardio 3x a week already but it's zone 3 style intervals, not long steady stuff. Is that making a difference or should I be doing something different?

Anyone seeing resting HR above 75 consistently needs to get a lipid and hematocrit panel before anything else. That number tells you where the problem actually is.

First thing id check is your hematocrit. EQ and test together push it hard and thick blood is exactly what drags the resting rate up. I donated, dropped about 4 points and my resting came down near 8 bpm on its own, cheapest fix going. After that its steady zone 2 cardio 4 or 5 times a week at 130 to 140, not intervals, that pulled mine back to the low 60s over about a month. If its still sitting at 80 after youve sorted bloods and added the cardio then 750 plus 400 EQ is more than your heart wants right now, and knocking the test back 200 is the sensible move.

Same approach as the blood pressure threads applies here. Check hematocrit first, a donation often pulls the resting rate down 5 to 10 bpm on its own before you touch anything else. If it stays above 75 after sorting hematocrit, hydration and steady zone 2 cardio, then the load is too high and the dose needs to come down.

First thing I would check is hematocrit, the EQ plus test combo is what drives that resting rate up more than anything. I donated, dropped it 3 or 4 points and took close to 10 bpm off my resting just from that one move. Get some zone 2 cardio in 4 or 5 times a week at 130 to 140 bpm too, it takes a few weeks but it genuinely lowers the resting number where HIIT does not. If it is still sat above 75 after sorting hematocrit, hydration and cardio then the dose is just too high for your heart right now, and pulling the test back 200mg a week is not a failure.

EQ is the main culprit here mate, it ramps your red cell count and the thick blood is what your heart ends up fighting against. I had the same crawl up to high 70s on a test and eq run, went and donated, dropped my hematocrit a few points and it pulled a good 8 to 10 bpm off the resting rate inside a couple of weeks. Sort your hydration out too, plenty of guys lose a couple of points on water alone. After that it is steady zone 2 cardio four times a week, not intervals, that is what actually brings the resting number down over a month or so.

My resting rate did the exact same thing on a similar blast, crept from the low 60s up to high 70s and I noticed it on my watch first. Donating was what helped initially, dropped my hematocrit a few points and took maybe 5 bpm off within a couple of weeks. The bigger fix was zone 2 cardio though, 40 minutes at 135 bpm four times a week, gave it about a month and the resting rate came right back down. If yours stays above 75 after donating and adding cardio then the dose is too high for you right now, pulling the test back 200 is the smart move because a sustained high rate is what thickens the heart wall over the years.

Mine did exactly this on a test and EQ blast, resting went from the low 60s to high 70s by about week 8. First thing I checked was hematocrit and it was sitting at 54, donated and dropped it a few points and that alone pulled around 8bpm off the resting rate. EQ is brutal for this, it drives red cells harder than the test does. The other piece that actually moved it was steady zone 2 cardio, 4 days a week at about 135bpm, took a few weeks but it brought the number down properly where intervals never did. If yours stays above 75 after the blood and the cardio then the dose is just too high for your heart right now and dropping test 200mg is the responsible call.

Good thread. Donating blood to bring hematocrit down is the lever I would try first as well, it is cheap and often takes a noticeable few bpm off the resting rate on its own. Just get a proper panel before and after so you actually know the number is moving rather than guessing.

Solid advice in here. Donating blood to get the hematocrit down is the cheapest fix going and sorts most guys out before they reach for anything else. If youre blasting past 35 get a baseline echo on file, worth every penny for the peace of mind.

Hematocrit was the first thing I fixed and it made a noticeable difference. Donated at 53, retested 3 weeks later and was at 49, resting HR came down from 82 to around 73 just from that. Still not where I want it but it confirmed the high RBC load was driving most of it.

Running 30 minutes zone 2 fasted every morning now as well. 5 weeks in and the trend is still down. Telmisartan is on the list if it plateaus but I wanted to try the non-pharmaceutical route first since the numbers are not in the danger zone.

Donating blood was the single biggest lever for me, dropped my hematocrit about 4 points and took close to 8bpm off the resting rate inside a week. EQ and test together push the count hard so it fills up fast on a blast. After that it was zone 2, I do 40 min at 135bpm four times a week and over a month my resting came back from the high 70s to mid 60s. If yours is still sitting above 75 after youve sorted bloods, hydration and cardio though, thats your body telling you the dose is too high for your heart right now.

Mine did the exact same thing about 7 weeks into a test and eq run, sat at 58 normally and crept up to 78. Donating blood was the biggest single fix for me, dropped my hematocrit a few points and took near 10 bpm off the resting rate inside a couple weeks. Other thing that actually moved it was steady zone 2 work, 4 mornings a week at 135ish, took about a month to show but it held. If yours stays up after the blood and the cardio though, thats your body telling you the dose is too high for you right now, no shame pulling the test back 200.

First thing id check before anything else is your hematocrit, test and EQ together push it hard and thick blood is half the reason the resting rate creeps up. Donating and dropping it 3 or 4 points took a good 5 to 8 bpm off mine on its own, cheapest fix going. After that its steady state zone 2 cardio 4 or 5 times a week, the resting rate comes down over a month or so but you have to actually do it consistently. HIIT never shifted mine the same way the boring easy stuff did.

Good thread this. The blood donation point is the one I would push first, dropping hematocrit a few points takes load off the heart faster than anything else and costs nothing. Anyone still sitting above 75 resting after sorting hematocrit, hydration and cardio should book an echo rather than keep blasting through it.

First thing I would check is your hematocrit, test and EQ together push it hard and a high red count is what drags the resting rate up. I donated when mine hit 53 and it knocked the best part of 8 bpm off my resting rate within a couple of weeks, cheapest fix going. After that its steady state cardio, zone 2 four or five times a week at 130 to 140, give it six weeks and it comes down properly, intervals dont do the same thing. If its still sat above 75 after all that then the dose is too high for your heart right now and pulling the test back 200 a week is the smart move.

First thing I'd check is your hematocrit, test and EQ together push it hard and thick blood on its own will drag your resting rate up. I donated, dropped mine 3 or 4 points and pulled about 8bpm off my resting rate just from that, cheapest fix going. After that it's steady zone 2 cardio 4 or 5 times a week at 130 to 140, give it a month and it settles down. If it's still sat above 75 after all that then your dose is a bit high for your heart right now and pulling the test back 200mg a week is the responsible move.

Good thread this. The blood donation point is the one most guys skip and its the cheapest fix by a mile. If your resting rate is still up after sorting hematocrit and adding some steady cardio, thats your body telling you the dose is too high right now. Worth listening to it.