Short answer: Endurance runners have a slow resting heart rate, and the reason is a nerve. The same nerve is the calm-down brake that is weak in people who get panic attacks. Building endurance makes it stronger, so the heart sits slower and steadier, and a racing heart feels less like danger.
The short version
- A panic attack feels like a heart attack, and about 1 in 8 people have one in their life.
- The vagus nerve is the heart’s calm-down brake.
- Runners have a slow resting heart rate mainly because training makes this brake stronger.
- Active people were 26% less likely to develop anxiety.
When the heart races out of nowhere
Out of nowhere, the heart starts to race. The chest feels tight and the breath goes short. The hands shake and the skin goes cold. Then comes a wave of doom, a strong feeling that something terrible is happening and this is the end.
Many people are sure it is a heart attack. That is not foolish, because a panic attack copies the feelings of a heart attack very closely. When the attack passes, a new fear stays behind: the fear of the next one. People start to watch every heartbeat, and that watching makes the next attack more likely.
About 1 in 8 people have a panic attack in their life, and most have it again. That figure comes from a survey of 142,949 people in 25 countries. The family rushes to hospital, the tests come back normal, and a week later it happens again.
Chest pain and a racing heart must always be checked by a doctor first. A heart attack and a rhythm problem must be ruled out. Once the heart is checked and clear, the fear itself can be treated. That is where the rest of this article starts.
Meet your vagus nerve
The vagus nerve is the main nerve of the body’s rest and digest side. It runs from the brain down to the heart, the lungs and the gut. It helps control mood, the immune system, digestion and the heart rate. A review in Frontiers in Psychiatry (2018) found that the stronger its tone, the better a person handles stress.
Think of the vagus nerve as the heart’s calm-down brake. Every few seconds it slows the heart a little, which is why a healthy heart beat is never perfectly even. A review of many studies found that people with anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, have a weaker brake. It shows up as less beat-to-beat change in the heart rate.
Why do runners have a slow resting heart rate?
Ever wondered why endurance runners have such a slow resting heart rate? It is mainly the vagus brake, made stronger by training. A study in the International Journal of Sports Medicine (2014) found that the slow resting heart of runners comes mainly from the nerves, with a stronger vagus effect. Across 191 studies, endurance training and yoga lowered the resting heart rate in both men and women.
Training is a slow change. Over weeks, the vagus sends a stronger signal to the heart. The heart then sits lower and steadier at rest, with less of the racing beat people fear. The studies measured a lower resting heart rate, not fewer panic attacks. So slower and steadier is the honest claim.
Every run teaches your mind
Every run makes your heart race and your breath fast, and you come back fine. Your mind learns that a fast heart is not danger. In a trial of 60 people, exercise sharply cut the fear of these body feelings.
In people with panic disorder, 10 weeks of running reduced symptoms more than a dummy pill. A medicine worked faster, so running sits beside treatment, not in place of it. Active people were 26% less likely to develop anxiety, in 75,831 people followed over years.
A stronger vagus does more than calm the heart. It is linked to how well we handle stress, and breathing, yoga and meditation raise it. Treatments that boost the vagus also lower the body’s inflammation signals.
It also connects the brain and the gut. A review of 11 studies looked at 392 people with bowel trouble. Those whose trouble caused constipation had the weakest vagal tone. In 9 trials of 680 people, exercise improved constipation, though the trials were not strong.
Build your endurance, lower your heart rate
You do not need to be fast. Start with walking, then mix in short runs, and come back every week. Each week the brake gets a little stronger and the resting heart a little slower. For how running helps a stressed mind sleep, read Why exercise is the only stress that cures stress induced insomnia.
Your questions, answered
Why do runners have a slow resting heart rate?
Mainly because training makes the vagus nerve, the heart’s calm-down brake, stronger. Across 191 studies, endurance training and yoga lowered the resting heart rate in both men and women. In runners, the slow heart comes mainly from the nerves, with a stronger vagus effect.
Is a slow resting heart rate good?
In trained runners, a slow resting heart is usually a sign of a strong vagus brake. A slow heart with dizziness, fainting or tiredness is different and needs a doctor. If you are not training and your heart is slow, get it checked before you assume it is fitness.
Can running help panic attacks?
Running lowers anxiety and the fear of a racing heart. In one trial it reduced panic symptoms more than a dummy pill, though a medicine worked faster. Get your heart checked first, and keep any treatment your doctor gave you.
What is the vagus nerve?
It is the main nerve of the body’s rest and digest side. It runs from the brain to the heart, lungs and gut. It slows the heart and helps control mood, digestion and inflammation. The stronger its tone, the better a person handles stress, and regular exercise helps build it.
How long before my resting heart rate drops?
It is a slow change that builds over weeks of regular training. The studies did not give one fixed number of weeks. Check your pulse in bed each morning before you get up, and write it down. Keep coming back every week, and the brake keeps getting stronger.
Build your endurance and lower your heart rate
Get your heart checked, then run with us. You do not need to be fast, and you do not need to be young. Find the next Telangana Runners run in Hyderabad at www.TelanganaRunners.com. Living with panic and palpitations? Read how cardiac rehab calms the heart.
References
- de Jonge P, et al. Cross-national epidemiology of panic disorder and panic attacks in the world mental health surveys. Depress Anxiety. 2016;33:1155-1177. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27775828
- Breit S, et al. Vagus nerve as modulator of the brain-gut axis in psychiatric and inflammatory disorders. Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:44. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29593576
- Chalmers JA, et al. Anxiety disorders are associated with reduced heart rate variability: a meta-analysis. Front Psychiatry. 2014;5:80. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25071612
- Reimers AK, et al. Effects of exercise on the resting heart rate: a systematic review and meta-analysis of interventional studies. J Clin Med. 2018;7:503. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30513777
- Azevedo LF, et al. Sport modality affects bradycardia level and its mechanisms of control in professional athletes. Int J Sports Med. 2014;35:954-9. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24886917
- Smits JA, et al. Reducing anxiety sensitivity with exercise. Depress Anxiety. 2008;25:689-699. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18729145
- Broocks A, et al. Comparison of aerobic exercise, clomipramine, and placebo in the treatment of panic disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 1998;155:603-609. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9585709
- Schuch FB, et al. Physical activity protects from incident anxiety: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Depress Anxiety. 2019;36:846-858. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31209958
- Singh B, et al. Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: an overview of systematic reviews. Br J Sports Med. 2023;57:1203-1209. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36796860
- Liu Q, et al. Autonomic functioning in irritable bowel syndrome measured by heart rate variability: a meta-analysis. J Dig Dis. 2013;14:638-46. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23927739
- Gao R, et al. Exercise therapy in patients with constipation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2019;54:169-177. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30843436