Factors That Can Influence A Person’s Average Heart Rate

The average heart rate of an adult at rest is 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm). Heart rate is affected by a myriad of factors including age, gender, weight, fitness level, body position, and medication use.

The average heart rate of newborns is 120-180 bpm. It goes down to 95-150 bpm as the child reaches the age of one. The moment a child reaches five, the average heart rate becomes 80-120 bpm. When the child reaches 12, however, it becomes 60-100 bpm. A lower average heart rate, however, is expected in the eldery. This is attributed to the changes in the heart muscle as it gets older. A low heart rate of 50 bpm is considered normal for people who are 75 years old and greater.

It was found out in studies that a person’s average heart rate varies according to gender. Men are apt to have an average heart rate that is a little bit lower than women because of heart size variability. A man’s heart, in general, is usually larger than a woman’s heart by twenty-five ercent. A larger-sized heart can accommodate a more substantial amount of blood and has the potential to pump harder. Hence, a large heart is not required to work faster to be able to provide sufficient amounts of blood to the body. A smaller number of beats will do because of the power and effectiveness of each pumping activity.

Heart rate decreases as the weight increases. The heart finds it difficult to pump efficiently whenever there’s an excessive amount of fat around it. Because of this, the heart pumps harder and faster to combat the effects of fat deposits pushing around the heart walls. But there comes a moment when the heart gets fatigued and begins to pump slower. This is why overweight people usually have a lower average heart rate.

By being physically fit, you make the job of the heart a lot easier. Regular physical exercise makes the heart stronger and hence can provide the body with all the blood that it needs even with fewer beats per minute when it is at rest. This is precisely the reason behind why athletes have an average heart rate of as low as 40 bpm.

When a person is lying down, his average heart rate becomes lower as compared to when he is standing up. When a person is lying down, the effects of gravity are lessened. This enables additional amounts of blood to circulate back via the veins. And since there is far more blood going back to the heart, the body is in a position to pump larger amounts of blood per beat. It means that the heart can supply the body with oxygen-rich blood even with just a few beats.

Medication use also has an effect on a person’s average heart rate. Digoxin, for instance, decreases the heart rate. Therefore, it is not unusual for an individual who takes digitalis regularly to have a lower average heart rate compared to others.

Mentioned here are just some of the many factors that affect a person’s heart rate. When asked about what the average heart rate is, consider the contributing factors first before answering.