The heart rate, which is also known as the pulse, is measured by the number of times your heart beats per minute. Each heart beat pumps the 2,000 gallons of blood that circulate throughout your body. Your heart rate signals the efficiency of the heart beats that power your circulatory system. The ways in which your heart rate affects your body depends on where you heart rate falls on the scale or low to high.
Normal Heart Rate
The influences on heart rate include age, lifestyle, health and fitness. Heart rate decreases with age. A resting heart rate for a newborn infant is 100 to 160 beats per minute. Children 1 to 10 years old have a resting heart rate of 70 to 120. For children older than the age of 10 and adults, the resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. Trained athletes and people who participate in sports regularly usually have lower resting heart rates -- often as low as 40 beats per minute. Adults with lower resting heart rates usually have better cardiovascular fitness and increased efficiency in heart function.
Function
The heart rate measures the heart's ability to perform its main function, which is to move blood through your circulatory system, including your heart, lungs, arteries, capillaries and veins, by acting as a muscular pump. Your blood carries nutrients and oxygen to each cell in your body and removes waste. Your body signals your heart to decrease or increase the heart rate to meet its needs. For instance, you need less oxygen when you are sleeping and more when you are afraid or exercising.
Arrythmias
Electrical impulses help your heart to contract and relax rhythmically at just the right speed to pump blood without working too hard. Electrical malfunctions result in arrhythmias, which are abnormal heart rates. Tachycardia means your heart beats too fast and bradycardia means your heart beats too slowly. Irregular heartbeats are another form of arrhythmia. The causes of arrhythmias range from too much caffeine to heart disease or other medical conditions. Arrhythmias can occur consistently or randomly and may not cause any symptoms.
Effects
Arrythmias cause the heart to function less effectively, which can result in interruptions to blood flow, and the nutrients the blood carries, to the brain and other parts of your body. Arrythmias also can affect the opening and closing of your heart valves. Decreased blood flow can cause fatigue, dizziness, weakness, sweating, paleness, heart palpitations or pounding, chest pains, shortness of breath and fainting. Arrythmias often do not require treatment; however, severe cases can indicate a serious condition and can result in heart attack or stroke.
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