Why a Lower Resting Heart Rate Isn’t Always Better

You Should Know: If you wear a fitness tracker, you’ve probably felt at least a bit self-satisfied watching your resting heart rate decrease after consistently exercising for several months. A slower pulse has long been held up as proof of cardiovascular fitness, as athletes and highly active people genuinely do tend to have lower resting heart rates. But new research presented at the European Stroke Organisation Conference is questioning the long-held wisdom that lower is better.

Going Deeper: A large study following 460,000 participants for an average of 14 years found that both very low and very high resting heart rates were linked to increased stroke risk. The sweet spot was actually in the 60 to 69 beat per minute (bpm) range. When your heart rate is too low, there are longer pauses between beats that may reduce blood flow to the brain, while an elevated rate places extra stress on blood vessel walls. Both extremes showed higher stroke risk compared to the middle zone.

Bottom Line: The official normal resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 bpm, though most healthy adults fall between 55 and 85. Rather than pursuing the lowest number possible, aim for the middle range.