Why is heart rate higher after exercise?

Are you tired of feeling like your heart is about to explode after a quick jog around the block? Do you love working out, but hate dealing with that uncomfortable sensation in your chest afterwards? Fear not dear reader! In this article, we will dive deep into the mystical ways of the post-exercise heart rate and uncover why it may be higher than expected. So put on your running shoes (or just keep them on if you’re already wearing them), sit back, and get ready for some funky medical lingo that even Dr. Grey’s Anatomy won’t see coming.

It’s All About Cardiac Output

The first step in understanding why our hearts feel like they’re sprinting a marathon after exercise is understanding cardiac output – which is just about as fancy as it sounds. Simply put, cardiac output refers to how much blood our heart pumps into circulation each minute. When we exercise vigorously or perform any physical activity that strains our cardiovascular system such as dancing at K-pop concerts (guilty!), the demand for oxygen and nutrients by our muscles increases exponentially.

Our body responds by pumping more blood per minute to fulfill its needs. As we pump more blood per minute (cardiac output) during and after intense physical activities like half-marathons or endless burpees sessions ^(I mean seriously who likes burpees?), it only makes sense for our hearts to beat faster!

We Need More Oxygen

But what drives all this excess pumping action from our cardiovascular system anyway? Well ladies and gentlemen I present to you: Oxygen Debt! No, no don’t worry; it’s nothing like financial debt unless being physically broke counts too (although let us hope not).

Our bodies have an inherent ability – developed through evolution -to store up additional oxygen equivalent in case of immediate need such as say when a saber-toothed tiger suddenly jumps out of nowhere ^(you never really know – better safe than sorry). However, if we push ourselves a little too hard during our daily marathons or gym sessions, this stored oxygen depletes faster than our bodies can replenish it. This creates that pesky thing called Oxygen Debt (cue John Williams’ famous Star Wars soundtrack) which leads to heightened nervous system activity and in turn an increased heart rate.

Those Pesky Hormones

So now that we’ve got the why down pat let’s discuss what is responsible for bringing those 2 things together – hormones! It’s amazing how influential these little chemical messages from within our body are; they can make us happy, sad, horny (oooh hihi) as well as controlling critical physiological functions like contracting muscles or regulating blood pressure.

Hormones such as adrenaline and norepinephrine get shot into overdrive when we exercise vigorously ^(cue Gasolina by Daddy Yankee) – yielding elevated heart rates via their impact on peripheral resistance vessels around the circulatory system.

These two guys affect both cardiac output by increasing the amount of blood your heart has to pump per minute^(#superpumpmodeactivated) and also increase peripheral resistance vessels triggering rapid vasoconstriction leading to another nifty medical term: afterload (which is essentially making your ventricles work harder).

The Beauty of Recovery

Now you might think this would be where it all ends right? Wrong my friend because what goes up must come down! Cue erythropoietin (sounds remarkably similar to a pokemon) being released from kidneys ^(the organ duo you don’t give much credit often enough) stimulating additional RBC production thus facilitating more efficient oxygen transport. With enhanced O2 delivery efficiency comes ease of recovering due to certain reactions triggered through stimulation action taken place inside our hearts post-exercise like relaxation response known scientifically referred \/to simply as Reduced Afterload.

Don’t Forget Hydration

But wait, there’s more! Let us take a moment to show some love and respect for the magical substance that is water – H2O (random but probably necessary right?) You see dehydration compromises fluid volume in our blood leading heart rate to increase above average levels ^(SxxTck I forgot my water bottle with Pikachu on it AGAIN!). If we drink enough water pre-workout, this helps maintain an ample supply of fluids that can be used up during high-intensity training sessions without compromising our cardiovascular performance!

And if you’re like me concluding all this makes you want to go grab your sushi roll from Wagas or Pavilions salad and munch away then good news: fiber intake increases both blood viscosity thus making it easier for our hearts through producing less required energy while pumping after exercise.

To wrap things off, hope all of this weird jargon regarding post-exercise heart rate helped in better understanding how and why your body behaves the way it does. While getting out the door might not always be easy cough 8 AM morning runs cough, appreciation towards what activity is doing to make us feel great(!) (add smiling emoji here) as well as conducive with keeping ourselves hydrated should at least assist any fitness buff of taking advantage throughout their full workout session range!

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