Why Do Athletes Have a Lower Resting Heart Rate?

Regular exercise helps strengthen the heart muscles, which could contribute to a lower resting heart rate for athletes. See a doctor if low heart rate is accompanied by other symptoms, like fatigue or dizzinesEndurance athletes often have a lower resting heart rate than others. Heart rate is measured in beats per minute (bpm). Your resting heart rate is best measured when you’re sitting or lying down, and you’re in a calm state.

The average resting heart rate is usually between 60 and 80Trusted Source bpm. But some athletes have resting heart rates as low as 30 to 40 bpmIf you’re an athlete or someone who exercises often, a lower resting heart rate isn’t usually anything to be worried about, unless you’re dizzy, tired, or ill. In fact, it typically means you’re in good shapAthlete resting heart raAn athlete’s resting heart rate may be considered low when compared to the general population. A young, healthy athlete may have a heart rate of 30 to 40 bpm.

That’s because exercise strengthens the heart muscle. It allows it to pump a greater amount of blood with each heartbeat. More oxygen is also goinmuscleThis means the heart beats fewer times per minute than it would in a nonathlete. However, an athlete’s heart rate may go up to 180 bpm to 200 bpm durexercisResting heart rates vary for everyone, including athletes. Some factors that could influence it includeafitness levamount of physical activiair temperature (on hot or humid days, heart rate may increasemotion (stress, anxiety, and excitement can increase heart ramedication (beta blockers can slow heart rate, while some thyroid

medications can increase iHow low is too lAn athlete’s resting heart rate is usually only considered too low when they have other symptoms. These may include fatigue, dizziness, or weaknesSymptoms such as these may indicate there’s another issue. See a doctor if you experience these symptoms alongside a slow heart ratAthletic heart syndrAthletic heart syndrome is a heart condition that’s usually harmless. It’s typically seen in people who exercise for more than one hour

each day. Athletes wia resting heart rate of 35 to 50 bpm may develop an arrhythmia, or irregular heart rhythmThis may show up as abnormal onelectrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). Usually, there’s no need to diagnose athletic heart syndrome because it doesn’t present any health problems. But always let a doctor kyou:xperience chest pnotice your heart rate seems irregular when measuhave fainted during exercOccasionally athletes do collapse due to a heart problem. But that’s usually

because of an underlying condition such as congenital heart disease, not athletic heart syndromeNew research suggests that athletes with low resting heart rates may experience irregular heart patterns later in life. One studyTrusted Source found that lifelong endurance athletes had a higher incidence of later electronic pacemaker implantatResearch is still ongoing on the long-term effects of endurance exercise. Researchers aren’t recommending any changes to your athletic routine at this time. See a doctor if you’re concerned about your low heart rate.