Resting Heart Rate of Elite Athletes by Sport and Why It Varies So Much

Complete Resting Heart Rate Rankings by Sport

Below, the elite athlete resting heart rate ranges are sorted by sport, with male and female ranges, and a famous athlete example where available. The athletes' resting heart rate differences reflect different sport demands and training history.

Ultra-Endurance Athletes Lead the Rankings

Tour de France cyclists are often reported to have the lowest resting heart rates among elite athletes, with some rare cases dropping as low as 28-30 bpm. Ironman triathletes typically average between 35-42 bpm, while ultra-marathon runners generally fall in the 36-44 bpm range. These remarkably low values highlight how endurance athlete resting heart rate reflects extreme cardiovascular efficiency.

Compare your resting heart rate to general population norms.

Surprising Mid-Range Sports

Tennis players often show moderate resting rates, typically around 48-56 bpm, despite the high aerobic capacity required for long rallies and match play. Ice hockey players generally measure between 50-60 bpm, reflecting their mixed profiles of strength, sprinting, and recovery demands. This means the resting heart rate for athletes in these sports generally sits in a mid-range, balancing endurance and anaerobic conditioning.

Power Sports Still Below Average

Even in strength and power disciplines, athletes maintain resting heart rates that are significantly lower than those of the general population. Olympic weightlifters typically record resting heart rates in the range of 50-60 bpm, while sprinters often fall between 48-58 bpm. Although these values are above those seen in endurance athletes, they are still well below sedentary norms.

Famous Athletes and Their Remarkable Resting Heart Rates

Record-breaking examples illustrate the range that elite athletes can reach.

Sport-Specific Champions

Distance running produces some of the lowest resting heart rates in endurance sport. An elite marathon runner's resting heart rate often falls in the mid-30s bpm, showing how sustained aerobic load remodels the heart for efficiency. Eliud Kipchoge, the marathon world-record holder, has reported values around 33 bpm.

Swimming also yields very low values due to heavy training and efficient stroke mechanics. Michael Phelps, at his peak, measured in the low-to-mid 30s during intense training. These adaptations illustrate how swimming's demands reshape the cardiovascular system.

Cycling champions are known for exceptional cardiac efficiency. Tour de France winners like Miguel Indurain recorded resting heart rates as low as 28 bpm, among the lowest ever documented.

Female Athletic Records

Paula Radcliffe recorded resting values near 40 bpm during her peak competitive years as the women's marathon world-record holder. Chrissie Wellington showed values in the low forties (42 bpm) while competing as a four-time Ironman World Champion.

Female athletes' resting heart rate tends to be 5 to 10 bpm higher than their male peers. An elite athlete's resting heart rate should always be interpreted with context, considering both sex and sport specialization.

Why Different Sports Create Different Heart Rate Adaptations

Endurance Sports and Cardiac Remodeling

Endurance training produces the most dramatic cardiovascular adaptations. Long-distance running, swimming, and cycling enlarge the left ventricular cavity and improve wall compliance, allowing the heart to store and eject more blood per contraction. This remodeling increases stroke volume, meaning fewer beats are needed to circulate blood effectively.

Endurance athletes also develop higher vagal tone, which slows the firing rate of the sinoatrial node and further reduces resting beats per minute. Together, these changes allow an endurance athlete's resting heart rate to drop well below general population averages.

Power Sports and Limited Aerobic Adaptation

Power athletes, including Olympic weightlifters, sprinters, and shot putters, train for short maximal efforts, explosive strength, and refined neuromuscular coordination. Their programs emphasize anaerobic dominance rather than prolonged output, which results in far less cardiac remodeling than endurance sports.

Because of this, resting heart rate in power athletes is generally higher than that of marathoners or cyclists but still healthier than sedentary norms. Olympic weightlifters commonly record 50-60 bpm, sprinters fall in the 48-58 bpm range.

Mixed Sports Creating Moderate Adaptations

Mixed sports such as soccer, basketball, rugby, and combat disciplines combine high-intensity intervals with sustained aerobic output. This blend produces moderate cardiac remodeling, sitting between the extremes of endurance and power athletes.

Professional soccer players often measure 45-55 bpm, while combat athletes such as boxers and MMA fighters average 46-54 bpm. These values show how a professional athlete's resting heart rate reflects the balance between aerobic and anaerobic training.

Testing and Monitoring Athletic Heart Rate

When Elite Athletes Measure Resting Heart Rate

Elite athletes pay close attention to how and when they measure resting heart rate to ensure accuracy and consistency. The most reliable readings are taken in the morning, immediately after waking, but before caffeine intake, and definitely before training begins.

Athletes also establish pre-season baselines so they can compare future values against their normal range. A sudden increase of 5-10 bpm above baseline can signal fatigue, illness, or a lack of recovery.

Sport-Specific Testing Protocols

Different sports require tailored approaches to heart rate monitoring. Many athletes apply the Karvonen Formula, a calculation that uses resting heart rate and maximum heart rate to determine individualized training zones.

Determine your target heart rate training zone using our Karvonen Heart Rate Calculator

Technology Used by Elite Athletes

Modern technology plays a central role in monitoring elite athletes' cardiovascular status. Professional-grade heart rate monitors, such as chest straps and optical sensors, provide precise bpm values during both rest and training. Many athletes also use sleep tracking devices to measure resting heart rate overnight.

Athletic Bradycardia Explained

When Low Becomes Too Low

Athletic bradycardia refers to the unusually low resting heart rates often seen in well-trained athletes. For most, this is a harmless adaptation that reflects larger stroke volume and enhanced vagal tone. However, if an athlete experiences dizziness, unexplained fatigue, fainting spells, or chest discomfort alongside very low heart rates, these may indicate a condition beyond training adaptations.

Each sport develops its own safe zone. Endurance athletes regularly sit well below 40 bpm, while power athletes such as sprinters or weightlifters usually remain closer to 50-60 bpm.

Retirement and Heart Rate Changes

When athletes retire and reduce their training loads, resting heart rate gradually rises toward general population averages. The shift can occur within months, though former endurance athletes often retain slightly lower rates than sedentary peers due to long-term cardiac remodeling.

Maintaining cardiovascular benefits depends on lifestyle after retirement. Athletes who continue recreational exercise, even at lower intensity, preserve lower heart rates longer.

Training Your Heart Rate Like Elite Athletes

Sport-Specific Training Zones

Endurance athletes such as marathon runners and cyclists rely on carefully structured training zones. Roughly 80% of their workload occurs at low intensity, building a strong aerobic base that supports efficiency, recovery, and long-term heart remodeling.

Test your training for aerobic fitness for endurance sports here.

Team sport athletes such as soccer, basketball, and rugby players train across a wider range of intensities. Their schedules blend aerobic conditioning with sprint intervals, agility drills, and tactical work.

Power athletes, including sprinters, weightlifters, and throwers, focus mainly on strength and explosive capacity. While aerobic training is not ignored, it remains minimal to prevent interference with muscle power.

Progressive Adaptation Timeline

The first three months of training typically produce noticeable heart rate improvements. Beginners may see resting heart rate fall by 5-10 bpm as aerobic capacity grows. Between six and twelve months, efficiency increases further. For elite athletes, multi-year development drives the most profound adaptations.

Recovery and Heart Rate

Recovery is as important as training itself. Monitoring heart rate variability (HRV) provides additional insight into recovery status. Higher HRV values generally indicate strong parasympathetic activity and readiness to train.

Learn about the Heart Rate Variability Test using this guide.

Age and Career Stage Effects

Younger athletes typically record higher resting heart rates than seasoned professionals. Their cardiovascular systems are still maturing, and their training history is limited. For example, a teenage runner may rest at a heart rate of around 40s or 50s bpm, while older teammates with years of endurance training can sit comfortably in the high 30s.

Peak career years usually bring the lowest recorded values. Endurance athletes in their 20s and early 30s often exhibit a resting heart rate of 30-40 bpm. Team sport athletes generally have a heart rate of 45-55 bpm, while power athletes record slightly higher values, typically 50-60 bpm.

Masters athletes who maintain structured training preserve lower-than-average resting heart rates well into their 40s, 50s, and beyond. Tennis champion Novak Djokovic, who remains at the top of the sport into his late 30s, has often recorded resting values near 50 bpm during competition years.

Use this table to help you set your training intensity based on your own age and heart rate level, using the Target Heart Rate (THR)

Frequently Asked Questions