The heart is the muscular organ necessary for the proper functioning of the body. Act pumping blood to all organs, but with a certain frequency and pressure; In this vital process, the heart consumes a large amount of energy, being greater in a state of activity than at rest, for this reason it is essential to maintain control of the heart rate and not put life at risk.
In this article we tell you what is heart rate and how is it measured so you can clear all your doubts.
What is heart rate?
It is the number of contractions or pulsations made by the heart that are measured under certain conditions (rest or activity), and are expressed per minute. In these cardiac contractions the vital organ exerts a pressure wave on the circulation of the blood that pumps, causing an expansion of the arteries.
There are several main arterial points in the body for a good heart rate measurement:
• In the carotid arteries, located on both sides of the neck. The measurement is made only on one side, because syncope or cerebral ischemia can be caused if both carotids are palpated simultaneously.
• Brachial pulse, at the site of the brachial artery, on the inner medial side of the elbow.
• Temporal pulse, located in front of the top of the ear, above the temple.
• Femoral pulse, on the top and slightly inside of the thigh.
• Other body parts to take heart rate and heart rate They can be the back of the knee (popliteal pulse), behind the ankle (posterior tibial artery), or the facial pulse, in the facial artery, located on the ascending border of the lower jaw.
Why is it important to monitor the heart rate?
It is important to heart rate monitoring, especially for the athlete, and should be monitored regularly throughout life, especially if you practice physical exercise. Heart rate is the leading indicator of information on cardiovascular health in any human being.
It is also important for maintain the appropriate scales for our age and physical condition, since blood pressure varies throughout the day and depending on our genetics and lifestyle.
A) Yes, from the age of 20 the heartbeat rate at rest oscillates between 50-100 beats per minute, but if you are an athlete, the frequencies are lower, between 40-60 beats in a minute. If they go above these levels, tachycardias can occur, and if they are below these levels, bradycardias can occur.
There are devices and applications that allow you to monitor the heart rate during exercise, and even in competitions, which help to improve the confidence and safety in the cardiovascular plane of those who perform the exercise.
These technical advances help coaches and athletes to determine athletic condition and thus establish limit performance; They allow an assessment of the evolution of the exercise, either to improve it, vary it or dose it; it also shows us the body’s recovery and response after activity.
How is heart rate measured?
There are different ways to take your pulse and heart rate, depending on the situation in which we find ourselves. We have already noted that athletes use electronic devices.
It can also be taken manually: to do this, first you have to locate a main artery (of those indicated above) and press lightly with the index and middle fingers, counting continuous beats for one minute.