2. Emotional Stress
I’m sure when the stress gets heavy; you’ve noticed that your body naturally responds with a quickening pulse. The same goes for fear, another type of anxiety, which prompts the flight response and releases hormones that make the heart pump faster.
3. Exercise
Physical stress, like emotional stress, causes an increased heart rate. And exercise, or any type of physical exertion, is the healthy response as the body and muscles demand increased oxygen levels.
4. Breathing
During normal respiration the heart rate tends to slow faintly during inspiration (as you take breath in).
5. Medications
All types of over the counter, prescription, herbal supplements, and illegal drugs will have an impact on your heart rate. For instance, ephedrine or cocaine will increase it; while beta blockers and Valerian calm and slow it down.
6. Body Temperature
A sudden change in temperature can also affect make the heart rate quicken as blood immediately rushes to your skin’s surface in order to cool or warm you up.
7. Glycogen Levels
If the glycogen stores in your body diminish, you will suffer fatigue. However, to properly fuel muscles, your heart rate will naturally increase to boost your energy levels.
8. Cardiovascular Disease
Heart disease occurs due to plaque building up in the arteries, which leads to arrhythmias followed by heart attack or heart failure. This arrhythmia (or irregular heart beat) will cause muscle damage, which will result in a decreasing or quickening pulse.
