You’ve probably heard the claim that too much exercise “uses up” your heartbeats, as if the heart were a battery with a limited charge. New research says the opposite is true. A fit heart actually beats less over time, making each beat more efficient and possibly adding years to your life.

A team from Australia’s Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute and the St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research found that physically active people use fewer total heartbeats per day than those who are sedentary. Here, we’ll look at what the researchers discovered, how it challenges a long-standing health myth, and what it means for your heart, longevity, and fitness habits.

Exercise myth debunked: the truth about heartbeats

The study, published in JACC: Advances, compared the daily heart activity of trained athletes and inactive adults. The difference was striking. On average, athletes’ hearts beat about 68 times per minute, while non-athletes clocked in around 76. Over 24 hours, that’s roughly 97,920 beats for the active group and 109,440 for the inactive—a savings of more than 11,000 beats a day for fitter individuals.

Professor Andre La Gerche, head of the HEART Laboratory at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, explained that this efficiency is what sets a fit heart apart. “Even though athletes’ hearts work harder during exercise, their lower resting rates more than make up for it”, he said. In other words, your heart doesn’t wear out from regular workouts—it gets stronger and smarter.

Participants with the highest fitness levels had resting heart rates as low as 40 beats per minute, compared to the typical 70–80 bpm seen in most adults. Despite bursts of intense activity, their total daily heartbeats remained lower overall. This finding directly challenges the old “finite heartbeats” theory that exercise depletes the body’s limited energy supply.

“The fitter you are, the more metabolically efficient your body becomes”, La Gerche said. “Even if you’re training hard for an hour a day, your heart beats more slowly for the other 23 hours”. That lower resting rate is linked with better cardiovascular function, reduced disease risk, and longer lifespan.

The biggest improvement, according to La Gerche, comes from going from unfit to moderately fit. Just a few hours of regular activity a week can make a measurable difference in how efficiently your heart works.

Other exercise myths worth forgetting

Here are a few other common misconceptions that science continues to dismantle:

• You have to work out hard every day to see results. Rest and recovery are part of training. Muscles repair and strengthen when you give them time to recover.
• Cardio is all you need for heart health. Strength training, mobility work, and flexibility exercises also support heart function and metabolic health.
• Morning workouts are always better. The best time to exercise is when you can do it consistently.
• Sweating means you’re burning more calories. Sweat is about cooling your body, not a measure of fat loss or workout effectiveness.

Exercise doesn’t burn through your heartbeats—it helps you use them wisely. A strong heart beats slower, lasts longer, and keeps you healthier. Fitness is about training your body to use it efficiently.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WJZY) — RyzAb0ve Fitness is a Charlotte non-profit, providing inclusive group exercise classes, obstacle challenge events, and social events for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Their programs are designed to build physical strength and friendships at the same time.

They also organize social events and outings like dinners, bowling, and trips to sporting events to help build meaningful connections between our athletes and instructors.

Co-founder and Executive Director, Ryan Bost said they offer classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Hive Fitness, as well as other class times.

Athletes and volunteers who want to get involved can visit their website to learn more.

We all need a little boost of energy to get us amped up to crush our workouts, but can espresso serve as a pre-workout drink? As a regular coffee drinker with a pretty high tolerance, I find myself brewing espresso shots before heading to the gym at least a few times of week (especially for those late-afternoon workouts where the 3 p.m. slump hits hard). At about 64 milligrams of caffeine per shot of espresso, espresso has enough caffeine to provide a bit of a pick-me-up before exercising.

Should you drink espresso before exercise? Below, Dr. Gail Clifford, M.D., a physician for over 30 years, shares her thoughts on drinking espresso before working out.

What happens when you drink espresso before a workout

“Drinking espresso before a workout can give you a quick boost of caffeine that can increase your alertness and energy levels and can help you feel more ready for your workout,” says Dr. Clifford. Overall, the caffeine in espresso can make your workouts feel easier and more energized, especially if you’re exercising early in the day, as caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and raises your adrenaline levels to promote the release of fatty acids for fuel.

“Caffeine also increases heart rate and blood flow to help increase the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to working muscles,” she says. Many use caffeine in espresso to help sharpen focus during workouts, too, making it easier to continue endurance exercises for longer with less perceived strain.

“Drinking espresso before a workout can also increase calorie burn since caffeine can boost fat oxidation and metabolic rate. This means that espresso can help your body burn slightly more fat and calories during activity,” she says. “While the effect is mild when used once or every so often, it can add up when used frequently during training.”

How and when to drink espresso before a workout

If you’d like to use espresso as a pre-workout boost, Dr. Clifford says timing is key. “Caffeine from espresso starts working within about 15 to 30 minutes after drinking and peaks around 45 to 60 minutes. Its effects can last anywhere from 3 to 5 hours, depending on your metabolism, if you’ve eaten, and how hydrated you are.”

For most people, she recommends consuming one to two shots of espresso about 3o to 60 minutes before starting a workout session (around 60 to 120 mg of caffeine).

At the same time, she cautions espresso drinkers to be mindful of the potential downsides of having too much caffeine, such as jitters, anxiety, increased heart rate, or restlessness — which ultimately can impact your workout negatively. Those who are sensitive to stimulants or who work out on an empty stomach should be mindful of having too much caffeine before exercise. Staying hydrated and moderating how much caffeine you have can help reduce unwanted effects.

“In excess, caffeine can negatively affect hydration and recovery following your workout since too much caffeine can have a mild diuretic effect,” she warns.

Should you drink espresso before exercise?

Overall, Dr. Clifford says espresso can be a good pre-workout drink, since it provides fast, natural, and low-calorie energy that can boost performance and motivation without added sugars or synthetic ingredients:

“When compared to traditional pre-workout supplements, espresso offers similar stimulant benefits such as focus, alertness, and endurance, but is natural and does not contain any artificial additives or high doses of stimulants that can cause crashes or side effects. When timed and dosed properly, using espresso as a pre-workout drink can help improve performance and focus.”