Abstract
Resting heart rate (RHR) is positively related with mortality. Regular exercise causes a reduction in RHR. The aim of the systematic review was to assess whether regular exercise or sports have an impact on the RHR in healthy subjects by taking different types of sports into account. A systematic literature research was conducted in six databases for the identification of controlled trials dealing with the effects of exercise or sports on the RHR in healthy subjects was performed. The studies were summarized by meta-analyses. The literature search analyzed 191 studies presenting 215 samples fitting the eligibility criteria. 121 trials examined the effects of endurance training, 43 strength training, 15 combined endurance and strength training, 5 additional school sport programs. 21 yoga, 5 tai chi, 3 qigong, and 2 unspecified types of sports. All types of sports decreased the RHR. However, only endurance training and yoga significantly decreased the RHR in both sexes. The exercise-induced decreases of RHR were positively related with the pre-interventional RHR and negatively with the average age of the participants. From this, we can conclude that exercise—especially endurance training and yoga—decreases RHR. This effect may contribute to a reduction in all-cause mortality due to regular exercise or sports.
Highlights
A major goal in healthcare is to increase life expectancy and eminently improve healthy and happy aging by compressing morbidity into a shorter period in a later stage of the lifespan [1]
One possible mechanism explaining increases in life expectancy through exercise and physical activity might be the mediating effect of resting heart rate (RHR): possibly, regular exercise and/or physical activity cause a reduction in RHR [6,7,8], and RHR seems to be inversely related with life expectancy [9] and positively related with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality [10]
The relationship between RHR and life expectancy has been studied in mammals by Levine [11], who found a semi-logarithmic relationship in mammals and concluded that the total number of heartbeats per lifetime is remarkably constant
Summary
A major goal in healthcare is to increase life expectancy and eminently improve healthy and happy aging by compressing morbidity into a shorter period in a later stage of the lifespan [1]. The relationship between RHR and life expectancy has been studied in mammals by Levine [11], who found a semi-logarithmic relationship in mammals and concluded that the total number of heartbeats per lifetime is remarkably constant. He calculated that the inverse relationship of RHR and life expectancy in mammalians could be expressed mathematically with on average 7.3 ± 5.6 × 108 heart beats per lifetime. Humans fall out of the alignment and have reached a life expectancy of about years [11]. In humans, RHR seems to be an indicator of mortality, which has been analyzed in some studies [9,12,13]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
