A high resting heart rate may indicate which of the following?

A high resting heart rate is often associated with overtraining and poor cardio-respiratory function. When an individual engages in excessive training without adequate recovery, the body can become stressed. This stress can manifest in various physiological changes, including an elevated resting heart rate.

Typically, a well-conditioned athlete will have a lower resting heart rate due to efficient heart function and improved cardio-respiratory health. Conversely, when the body is not recovering well from intense exercise or when it is facing high levels of physical (and sometimes psychological) stress, the heart is forced to work harder even at rest, resulting in a higher resting heart rate. Therefore, monitoring resting heart rate can serve as an important indicator of an athlete's recovery status and overall training load.

This understanding highlights the significance of managing training intensity, recovery periods, and overall cardiovascular health in athletes and active individuals.