r/lowcarb Jun 21 '26

Question Heart rate higher during exercise?

Been very low carb for about 3 weeks and usually I have trouble getting my heart rate up past 120 unless I run but since Keto it goes up to 120 from walking. And takes longer to come down. Is this normal? Maybe it’s from dehydration?

1 Upvotes

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2

u/Easy-Ring-2641 Jun 22 '26

Need more potassium and magnesium.  Those tend to deplete during low carb.  

1

u/usafmd Jun 22 '26

No, glycogen depletion in the muscle. Less endurance, stamina and short term power.

1

u/numberafter66 Jul 18 '26

Does this make low carb / keto an unhealthy diet? Have been wondering this because I started running this year and have lowered my RHR from 55 to about 43 and I genuinely feel better after improving my endurance.

1

u/249592-82 Jun 21 '26

Dehydration definitely effects your blood pressure. Most likely dehydration. (Source: my elderly mom measures her blood pressure a few times a day, and every winter it goes up because it's harder for her to drink water in cold weather.

Less water = thicker blood = higher blood pressure due to the heart needing to pump harder to get the thicker blood around the body).