Question

Discuss why heart rate equals pulse rate at rest and after exercise.

Answer 1

When a heart beats, blood is pushed through the body, causing a change in blood pressure and a pulse in main arteries. In healthy individuals, this means the heart rate is often synchronized with the pulse. However, heart rate and pulse rate are technically different because a heart rate measures the rate of contractions (heartbeats) of the heart, whereas a pulse rate measures the rate of palpable blood pressure increases throughout the body.

For individuals who have certain heart conditions, the heart may not efficiently push blood through the body with each contraction. These individuals have a pulse that is lower than their heart rate. Other factors affecting heart rate and blood pressure include body mass, athleticism, obesity, medication, alcohol use, and smoking. For most people, each contraction produces a pulse, so the pulse is an effective way to measure heart rate. Baseline heart rates are resting heart rates, measured by taking the pulse.

While in exercise for most people, heart rate and pulse will not go above 220 beats/minute during these times, nor should that high of a heart rate be accepted for more than minutes based on activity level and duration as a variety of studies reported by Cleveland Clinic indicate that repetitive, excessive heart rate experienced, for example, by repeat marathon runners, may cause heart muscle damage leading to arrhythmia (irregular heart palpitations) and an assortment of heart conditions.

 Normal, healthy adults who are reasonably fit and not overweight, and do not smoke or drink heavily, will have resting heart rates between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm); their pulse will reflect this. Average, healthy teenager heart rates are the same as those for adults, while children under 10 years of age experience higher heart rates and pulses:

·         Newborns (1-30 days old) = 70-190

·         Infants (1-11 months = 80-160

·         Toddlers (1-2 years old) = 80-130

·         Preschoolers (3-4 years old) = 80-120

·         Elementary Age (5-10 years) = 70-115

Athletes share the same range with others in their age group, but teen and adults who are excessively active and fit may have resting heart rates and pulses as low as 40 bpm.