Final answer:
An endurance athlete's resting heart rate is usually lower than a sedentary individual's.
a. True.
Step-by-step explanation:
An endurance athlete's resting heart rate is typically lower than that of a sedentary individual. The heart is a muscle, and regular endurance training strengthens it, making it more efficient. As a result, an athlete's heart can pump more blood with each beat, requiring fewer beats per minute at rest compared to a sedentary individual. The resting heart rate (RHR) is a measure of how many times the heart beats per minute while at rest. For instance, a sedentary person might have an RHR of around 70 beats per minute, whereas an endurance athlete's RHR might range from 40 to 60 beats per minute. This lower resting heart rate in athletes is an indicator of their cardiovascular fitness and the heart's efficiency due to consistent endurance training.
Athletes' bodies adapt to endurance training by increasing stroke volume, the amount of blood pumped by the heart with each beat, and cardiac output, which is the volume of blood the heart pumps per minute. These adaptations lead to a reduced resting heart rate over time. The equation for cardiac output (CO) is CO = stroke volume (SV) × heart rate (HR). As an athlete's stroke volume increases due to training, their heart rate decreases at rest to maintain an adequate cardiac output.
Lower resting heart rates in endurance athletes showcase the positive effects of consistent training on cardiovascular health and efficiency. This difference between athletes and sedentary individuals highlights the benefits of regular physical activity in improving overall heart health and fitness levels.