Why Does the Heart Beat Faster When We Like Someone?

Hormones including adrenaline, epinephrine, and norepinephrine are secreted by the adrenal gland in response to impulses from the brain.

By Bertie Atkinson - Science & Biology Editor
Why does the heart beat faster when we like someone?
A 16th century painting by Giulio Romano.

With only a sideways look, we know our hearts will soon be racing. It’s not just anyone’s gaze, but only the look of the one we love. But, what is the biological reasoning behind this phenomenon? Why does the heart start to beat faster if we are in love?

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How sweet it is: The finding of a soul mate, whether it be love at first sight or just love, induces an involuntary increase in our heart rates. To the point when our hearts begin to race. Meeting a soulmate has actually a solid scientific foundation, despite its artistic overtones.

When Honoré de Balzac said, “Love has its own instinct, finding the way to the heart,” he wasn’t sure he was stating it correctly. But drenaline, a chemical widely known to those in search of excitement, is directed only to the heart.

There’s an adrenaline surge at play when seeing a loved one, which causes your heart rate to spike to a hundred beats per minute.

Sequences of Physiological Events

As soon as two people who are meant to be together lay eyes on one another, an irresistible process is set in motion inside their bodies. The adrenal glands, which are placed above the kidneys as their name suggests, receive the first impulses from the brain. Their internal organ, the adrenal gland, is the primary source of the hormone adrenaline, which plays a key role in the body’s ability to deal with stress.

Hormones including adrenaline, epinephrine, and norepinephrine are secreted by the adrenal gland in response to impulses from the brain. As they circulate throughout the body, they make the heart pump harder and quicker.

After being secreted into the circulation, the hormone eventually reaches the heart. Like an arrow from Cupid, it pierces the air and lands at the center of our being. The end result is an increase in heart rate that is similar to that achieved after a session of running, but with less positive health effects.

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That’s why tender-hearted individuals should not be involved in such phenomena. People with cardiac conditions should avoid such a rapid heart rate because of the risks it poses. Those who have had a heart attack in the past should be cautious, since the opposite of ecstatic love might result from their romantic endeavors.

The good news is that the danger of a heart attack can be greatly reduced with only a few days of therapy with beta-blockers. Who would have believed that having sex immediately after a stroke may be beneficial?

The Side Effects

Crushing and love at first sight both have serious cardiovascular repercussions. OCD sufferers tend to have lower than average serotonin levels, and love has been shown to have this effect.

The reciprocal desire that develops between the two lovers can be explained by a decrease in levels of this neurotransmitter, which helps regulate mood. It’s possible that this is the reason why, in the early stages of a romantic relationship, there aren’t many other things that catch our attention outside of our partner. How sweet it is. It renders us blind but also utterly obsessed.

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