Preksha Meditation & Human Health: 1.7 Heart Rate

Heart rate (pulse) of a healthy and resting person is reported to be 60 to 80 beats per minute, which is the rate of depolarization of the SA node. (The SA node actually has a slightly faster rate, closer to 100 beats per minute, but is slowed by parasympathetic nerve impulses to what we consider a normal resting rate.) A rate less than 60 (except for athletes) is called bradycardia; a prolonged or consistent rate greater than 100 beats per minute is called tachycardia. A child's normal heart rate may be as high as 100 beats per minute, that of an infant as high as 120, and that of a near-term fetus as high as 140 beats per minute. These higher rates are not related to age, but rather to size: the smaller the individual, the higher the metabolic rate and the faster the heart rate.