Slowing of the heart rate as a factor of prolongation of life

A fast pulse means a short life. The relevance of this law can be seen by comparing the heart rate and life expectancy in different animals.

• The heart of a vole mouse, which lives for an average of two years, beats at a rate of 500 to 780 beats per minute.;
• The heart rate of a chicken is 260-280 beats per minute, and the life expectancy is about 15 years.;
• The resting pulse of a blue whale is from 5 to 10 beats per minute, and the life expectancy is 80-90 years.

The fact that a rapid pulse shortens the lives of not only animals, but also people, was confirmed by a study conducted by specialists from the University of Copenhagen. For 16 years (from 1985 to 2001), scientists observed a group of 3,354 practically healthy men, whose average age was 63 years. Among the indicators that were included in the examination at the initial stage was the measurement of pulse rate. In 2001, it turned out that 2,798 men (61%) survived to the final stage of the examination. The main cause of death of the remaining 39% of men is cardiovascular diseases. It turned out that most of the deceased volunteers are people with a rapid pulse.

For example, among those whose resting heart rate was over 90 beats per minute, mortality was three times higher than in volunteers whose heart rate was 70 beats per minute or less. After analyzing the results of the experiment, the scientists deduced a dependence: with an increase in heart rate for every 10 beats, the probability of premature death increases by 16%.

Scientists say that the human heart is designed for two billion heartbeats. Having used up its resource, it stops. This explains why people with a slow heart rate are more likely to live longer.

So can we say that a slow heartbeat is the basis for a long life? It all depends on what exactly makes the heart beat slower.

Normally, the heart of a person who does not experience emotional or physical stress beats at a frequency of 60 to 90 beats per minute. This is the optimal mode of operation of the heart muscle for an ordinary person who does not engage in serious training. It allows for the delivery of blood and oxygen to all cells of the body.

Anything below this threshold is considered a slow heartbeat or bradycardia (from the Greek βραδυ — slow and καρδιά — heart).

In what situations is a slow heartbeat a bad thing? — When the cause of bradycardia is various disorders in the body. Among such reasons are:

• Disruption of the propagation of nerve impulses through the conduction system of the heart — the so-called blockages. They most often occur due to a violation of the blood supply to the heart caused by atherosclerosis.;
• Poisoning (by nicotine, heavy metals);
• Hypothermia;
• Prolonged fasting;
• Overdose of certain drugs (for example, cardiac glycosides, beta-blockers, etc.);
• Increased intracranial pressure (with tumors, injuries);
• Insufficient production of thyroid hormones;
• Some infectious diseases (for example, typhoid fever).

In the range of 60 to 40 heartbeats per minute, most people do not experience unpleasant sensations. If the pulse continues to slow down, symptoms appear due to insufficient blood supply to the brain. This is dizziness, impaired concentration, and the ability to navigate in space. Shortness of breath also occurs, triggered by oxygen starvation of body cells. With further aggravation of the situation, loss of consciousness occurs, seizures may develop.

In such situations, it is necessary to identify and eliminate the cause of the bradycardia and restore the normal rhythm of the heart.

28 beats per minute is the resting pulse rate of Spaniard Miguel Indurain. And you feel great at the same time! What’s the secret? The fact that Miguel is a famous cyclist. His slow heart rate is a prime example of the so—called physiological bradycardia (or athletes’ bradycardia).

When a person is just starting to exercise, his pulse rate increases during training. This is a consequence of the increased oxygen demand of the muscles. If classes become regular, then the cardiovascular system is rebuilt:

• The volume of the heart chambers increases, which allows the heart to hold more blood at a time.;
• Along with skeletal muscles, the heart muscle (myocardium) also trains. It becomes thicker and acquires the ability to expel more blood in one contraction.

The heart volume of a professional athlete is 1000-1200 cm3 (in an untrained person — 600-700 cm3).

Thus, the heart adapts to increased stress, pushing out a larger volume of blood in fewer contractions, which leads to a slowing of the heart rate both during exercise and at rest. Many professional athletes have an unstressed pulse of no more than 40-50 beats per minute, and sometimes less.

The types of physical activity that most often cause physiological bradycardia are running, skiing and speed skating, cycling, athletics and gymnastics, professional swimming and volleyball.

The most optimal way is to exercise regularly. Unlike bradycardia, caused by various disorders and manifested by a lack of oxygen in the tissues, with regular exercise, a harmonious restructuring of the entire body occurs. And the desired goal — slowing down the heart rate — is achieved against the background of an overall improvement in health.

However, there are situations where other measures are needed to reduce the heart rate. This is especially important for people with low stress tolerance and increased nervous system excitability. Due to the regular release of the stress hormone adrenaline into the blood, the heart rate constantly exceeds the upper limit of the norm (90 beats/min).

This quickly depletes the resources of the heart muscle and contributes to the development of diseases, premature aging and death.

Therefore, in such situations, measures aimed primarily at reducing the excitability of the nervous system are relevant. These include:

• Different types of breathing exercises;
• Yoga classes;
• Meditative practices;
• Visualization Techniques – focusing on soothing and positive images;
• Swimming;
• The inclusion of foods rich in magnesium, potassium and calcium in the diet.

You should also get rid of factors that provoke stress and pulse rate. These include smoking, excess caffeine, and studying information that contains negative messages (from TV or the Internet).

Slowing down the heart rate is one of the most important factors in increasing life expectancy. However, this applies only to cases where a decrease in heart rate is not associated with diseases or disorders in the body, but is the result of regular physical activity, inner balance, and a positive attitude to life.