Is having a higher pulse rate healthier?

Can someone explain why pulse rate is higher when sitting rather than lying down?

• I know that when someone is sitting down, their heart rate is faster than when they're lying down. I understand it has to do with the pull of gravity on blood flow. But, it does ...show more

• Answer:

  this is a pretty loaded question -- lots of ground to cover. first, let's clarify the situation. consider the heart rate and blood pressure of a person lying down. now have that person sit up -- not sit down in a chair, but just sit upright with their legs and butt still flat on the ground. what's the difference in the configuration? the position of the head relative to the heart. why does that matter? when the body is put in situation extremus (like freezing cold), bloodflow to the limbs is sacrified in favor of keeping the head and core functional. so really the focus is on the relative positions of the head and heart. that said, does the hydrostatic pressure argument make sense as to why the heart must work harder to pump blood UP to the head compared to OUT (laterally) to the head? like you said, in the standing position, gravity can provides the bulk flow to the limbs for free and muscle action pumps it back. but it's always the blood flow to the head that is problematic. now the other question is why the pulse rate should increase. it's clear the blood pressure should increase, but why should the pulse rate increase? what the difference between streaming and pulsing? consider that any car that travels faster than 300mph eventually replaces the pulsing internal combustion engine with a steady flow gas turbine engine to get the power it needs to achieve those speeds. does that give you any ideas?