Resting Heart Rate

Why Resting Heart Rate matters

Lower resting heart rate generally indicates better cardiovascular fitness. Elevated RHR associated with increased mortality and cardiovascular disease risk.

We have not yet verified a published source for a Resting Heart Rate target. The value above comes from device vendor material and is shown as a reference only. How we verify ranges.

How to Optimize Resting Heart Rate

Resting heart rate (RHR) is the number of times your heart beats per minute when you are completely at rest, typically measured first thing in the morning before getting out of bed. This simple metric reflects your cardiovascular fitness, autonomic nervous system function, and overall metabolic efficiency. A lower resting heart rate generally indicates a stronger, more efficient heart that can pump more blood with each contraction, requiring fewer beats to maintain circulation.

Your resting heart rate is controlled primarily by the autonomic nervous system, specifically the balance between sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) activity. Well-trained athletes often have resting heart rates in the 40-60 bpm range due to increased vagal (parasympathetic) tone and cardiac efficiency. Conversely, elevated RHR can indicate poor cardiovascular fitness, chronic stress, inadequate recovery, overtraining, illness, or underlying medical conditions.

Experts discussing Resting Heart Rate

• Heart Rate Variability and Recovery OptimizationHuberman Lab · Andrew Huberman · 45minDisclosure: Huberman Lab has been sponsored by Function Health, which appears in our blood-test comparisons.
• Dr. Andy Galpin: Maximize Recovery To Achieve Fitness & Performance GoalsHuberman Lab · Andrew Huberman · 120minDisclosure: Huberman Lab has been sponsored by Function Health, which appears in our blood-test comparisons.

Devices that measure this

Devices in our comparisons whose published specs list this metric:

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