From the Guidelines
Your heart rate increases during running to meet the body's increased demand for oxygen and nutrients, with a normal increase in heart rate of approximately 10 bpm per metabolic equivalent (MET) 1. When you run, your muscles require more oxygen to produce energy, so your heart beats faster to pump more blood throughout your body. This increased cardiac output delivers oxygen-rich blood to working muscles and removes waste products like carbon dioxide.
Key Factors Influencing Heart Rate Response
- Age: maximal heart rate achieved during exercise is influenced heavily by age and age-related neural influences 1
- Physical conditioning: also plays a role in the heart rate response, which can change in response to anemia, variable vascular volume or peripheral resistance, or ventricular dysfunction 1
- Type of exercise: dynamic exercise increases heart rate more than either isometric or resistance exercise 1 For runners, this cardiovascular response is beneficial because it ensures adequate oxygen supply to muscles, which helps maintain performance and delays fatigue.
Benefits of Increased Heart Rate for Runners
- Ensures adequate oxygen supply to muscles
- Helps maintain performance
- Delays fatigue As you train regularly, your heart becomes stronger and more efficient, pumping more blood per beat (increased stroke volume), which means it can maintain the same cardiac output with fewer beats at rest and during submaximal exercise.
Long-term Effects of Regular Running on Heart Rate
- Lower resting heart rates
- Ability to exercise at higher intensities before reaching maximum heart rate The heart rate response is regulated by your autonomic nervous system, with sympathetic stimulation increasing heart rate during exercise and parasympathetic influence decreasing it during recovery 1. This automatic regulation ensures your cardiovascular system precisely matches blood flow to the metabolic demands of running.
From the Research
Increased Heart Rate While Running
- The heart rate increases while running to supply the muscles with more oxygen and nutrients 2.
- This increase in heart rate is a result of the body's need to meet the higher energy demands of running.
Benefits of Increased Heart Rate for the Runner
- The increased heart rate helps to improve cardiovascular function and increase endurance 3.
- It also allows for more efficient delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, delaying the onset of fatigue.
Physiological Response to Exercise
- During exercise, the body's sympathetic nervous system is activated, causing an increase in heart rate and blood pressure 4.
- This response is necessary to meet the increased energy demands of the muscles and to maintain adequate blood flow.
Importance of Cardiovascular Health for Runners
- Runners with healthy cardiovascular systems are better able to adapt to the physical demands of running 5.
- Regular exercise, such as running, can help to improve cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of heart disease.
Note: The provided studies do not directly address the question of why the heart rate increases while running and how it helps the runner. However, they do provide some general information about cardiovascular health and the physiological response to exercise.