Heart rate is controlled from within a person's body and by external factors. There may be a defect in a person's heart valves, in the heart's electrical system and even a problem with the brain's signal to the heart. Such factors are beyond a person's immediate control. She may, however, engage in regular physical and stress-relieving activities to control external factors that influence her heart-rate.
Types
Aerobic exercise has both a heart-rate raising and heart-rate lowering effect. Emotional states such as the anticipation of a stressful event like a sprint competition may increase a person's heart rate, according to William McArdle and colleagues in their book, "Exercise Physiology, Energy, Nutrition & Human Performance." Cardiovascular disease including a diseased heart muscle and plaque buildup on blood vessel walls increase heart rate. Medications used to treat thyroid, respiratory and psychological conditions may also increase heart rate.
Time Frame
A person's heart rate immediately increases at the onset of exercise, then decreases and levels off when exercise intensity is maintained. If he continues to participate in aerobic exercise, his resting heart rate and heart-rate response to the same exercise intensity will decrease. The factors contributing to cardiovascular disease such as obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes may begin to develop during childhood, according to a 2008 article by L. Jerome Brandon, Ph.D, and Larry Proctor, Ph.D. Some respiratory medications increasing heart rate must be taken 15 to 60 minutes prior to exercise, with their effects lasting from four to 12 hours after intake.
Identification
The increase in a person's heart rate may be indicated through a manual pulse check on his radial artery located on the thumb side of his wrist. He may also wear a heart rate monitor or can be hooked up to an electrocardiogram machine.
Significance
Factors that increase heart rate may put more stress on a person's cardiovascular system, especially if she has heart disease, is recovering from a heart attack or after she has had a heart operation, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.
Warning
If a person has any of the coronary artery disease risk factors--family history of heart problems, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and is sedentary--he should get a doctor's clearance and approval before beginning an exercise program. He should also disclose any medications he is taking during his visit.
References
- "Exercise Physiology, Energy, Nutrition & Human Performance"; William McArdle, Frank Katch and Victor Katch; 2007
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; Lifestyle Choices Influence Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome in Children; L. Jerome Brandon, PhD, and Larry Proctor, PhD; Aug. 2008
- "Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2006
- "Anatomy & Physiology"; Gary Thibodeau, Ph.D. and Kevin Patton, Ph.D.; 2007
Member Comments