The research compared the heart rates of athletes and non-athletes and found a significant difference. Athletes had an average resting heart rate of 68 beats per minute (bpm), while non-athletes averaged 76 bpm. Even after accounting for exercise-induced heart rate spikes, the total daily beats were still lower in fitter individuals. Some athletes had resting heart rates as low as 40 bpm, compared to the typical 70–80 bpm seen in less active individuals. “Even if you’re training hard for an hour a day, your heart beats more slowly for the other 23 hours.