The heart muscle receives its own blood supply only when it is resting
The heart muscle is the only organ that receives its primary blood supply during the resting phase of its beat cycle rather than the contraction phase.
The heart receives oxygenated blood through the coronary arteries, but unlike other organs, this flow is restricted during systole when the heart muscle contracts. Because the force of contraction compresses the small capillaries within the myocardium, the heart must wait for diastole, the brief moment of relaxation between beats, to receive its 250 mL per minute blood supply.
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