Heart Rate
Original Editor - Lucinda hampton
Top Contributors - Lucinda hampton and Jonathan Wong
Introduction
Heart rate is the number of heartbeats per minute. The heart rate is based on the number of contractions of the ventricles (the lower chambers of the heart).
- The heart rate may be too fast (tachycardia) or too slow (bradycardia), types of Heart Arrhythmias
- The pulse rate is a bulge of an artery from waves of blood that course through the blood vessels each time the heart beats. The pulse is often taken at the wrist to estimate the heart rate[1]
Normal resting heart rate (RHR) is an indicator of both general health and physical health. Normal values range from anywhere between 60-100 beats per minute (bpm).[2] RHR value decreases as cardiovascular fitness increases.[3]
Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
A healthy heart does not beat like a metronome - there are fluctuations in the time intervals between adjacent heartbeats. This variability provides the flexibility to rapidly cope with an uncertain and changing environment, whilst maintaining homeostasis.[4] An optimal level of HRV is associated with health and adaptability or resilience.[4] Higher levels of resting HRV are associated with improved attention and emotional processing,[5] as well as higher cardiac fitness.[6] It may also indicate warning signs of cardiovascular diseases,[7] with low HRV being linked with cardiovascular diseases like hypertension.[6] As such, HRV is used as a health indicator worldwide,[8] and is measured by electrocardiogram tests.[6]
Resting Heart Rate
Normal resting heart rate (RHR) is an indicator of both general health and general health. Normal values can range from anywhere between 60-100 beats per minute (bpm).[2] RHR value decreases as cardiovascular fitness increases as shown in tables below[3].
Resting Heart Rate for MEN
| Age | 18-25 | 26-35 | 36-45 | 46-55 | 56-65 | 65+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athlete | 49-55 | 49-54 | 50-56 | 50-57 | 51-56 | 50-55 |
| Excellent | 56-61 | 55-61 | 57-62 | 58-63 | 57-61 | 56-61 |
| Good | 62-65 | 62-65 | 63-66 | 64-67 | 62-67 | 62-65 |
| Above Average | 66-69 | 66-70 | 67-70 | 68-71 | 68-71 | 66-69 |
| Average | 70-73 | 71-74 | 71-75 | 72-76 | 72-75 | 70-73 |
| Below Average | 74-81 | 75-81 | 76-82 | 77-83 | 76-81 | 74-79 |
| Poor | 82+ | 82+ | 83+ | 84+ | 82+ | 80+ |
Resting Heart Rate for WOMEN
| Age | 18-25 | 26-35 | 36-45 | 46-55 | 56-65 | 65+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athlete | 54-60 | 54-59 | 54-59 | 54-60 | 54-59 | 54-59 |
| Excellent | 61-65 | 60-64 | 60-64 | 61-65 | 60-64 | 60-64 |
| Good | 66-69 | 65-68 | 65-69 | 66-69 | 65-68 | 65-68 |
| Above Average | 70-73 | 69-72 | 70-73 | 70-73 | 69-73 | 69-72 |
| Average | 74-78 | 73-76 | 74-78 | 74-77 | 74-77 | 73-76 |
| Below Average | 79-84 | 77-82 | 79-84 | 78-83 | 78-83 | 77-84 |
| Poor | 85+ | 83+ | 85+ | 84+ | 84+ | 84+ |
Maximum Heart Rate
Age-predicted maximal heart rate (HRmax) is an essential measure for healthcare professionals in determining cardiovascular response to exercise testing, exertion, and prescription.[10] It is possible for a maximum heart rate to reach a dangerously high number if a person is in poor condition or the exercise is too strenuous.
The traditional formula for determining HRmax is "220 minus age", can underestimate HRmax by up to 40 beats per minute in seniors. In fact, the method is inaccurate already at an age of 30–40 years, and gets more inaccurate the older you are.[11]
Maximum heart rate calculation has changed some in recent years as the need to adjust the calculation for older individuals surfaced. Although multiple age predicted HRmax prediction equations have been validated for specific populations, the accuracy of each within a general population is still in debate. A common formula for calculating maximum heart rate is: MHR = 208 – 0.7(age).[12][10]eg 57 year old female: 208 - (57 x .7) equals 168.1.
Target heart rate is a range of numbers that reflect how fast the heart should be beating during exercise. Target heart rate during moderate intensity activities is about 50-70% of maximum heart rate, while during vigorous physical activity it’s about 70-85% of maximum.[13]
A general guide is shown below.
| Age | Target HR Zone 50-85% | Average Maximum Heart Rate, 100% |
|---|---|---|
| 20 years | 100-170 beats per minute (bpm) | 200 bpm |
| 30 years | 95-162 bpm | 190 bpm |
| 35 years | 93-157 bpm | 185 bpm |
| 40 years | 90-153 bpm | 180 bpm |
| 45 years | 88-149 bpm | 175 bpm |
| 50 years | 85-145 bpm | 170 bpm |
| 55 years | 83-140 bpm | 165 bpm |
| 60 years | 80-136 bpm | 160 bpm |
| 65 years | 78-132 bpm | 155 bpm |
| 70 years | 75-128 bpm | 150 bpm |
References
- ↑ Medicinenet Definition of heart rate Available:https://www.medicinenet.com/heart_rate/definition.htm (accessed 20.2.2022)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sobieraj P, Siński M, Lewandowski J. Resting Heart Rate and Cardiovascular Outcomes during Intensive and Standard Blood Pressure Reduction: An Analysis from SPRINT Trial. J Clin Med. 2021 Jul 24;10(15):3264. doi: 10.3390/jcm10153264. PMID: 34362048; PMCID: PMC8347499.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Medicine net What is a good resting heart rate Available:https://www.medicinenet.com/what_is_a_good_resting_heart_rate_by_age/article.htm (accessed 20.2.2022)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Shaffer F, Ginsberg JP. An overview of heart rate variability metrics and norms. Frontiers in public health. 2017:258. Available:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5624990/ (accessed 20.2.2022)
- ↑ McCraty R, Shaffer F. Heart rate variability: new perspectives on physiological mechanisms, assessment of self-regulatory capacity, and health risk. Global advances in health and medicine. 2015 Jan;4(1):46-61.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Tiwari R, Kumar R, Malik S, Raj T, Kumar P. Analysis of Heart Rate Variability and Implication of Different Factors on Heart Rate Variability. Curr Cardiol Rev. 2021;17(5):e160721189770. doi: 10.2174/1573403X16999201231203854. PMID: 33390146; PMCID: PMC8950456.
- ↑ ChuDuc H, NguyenPhan K, NguyenViet D. A review of heart rate variability and its applications. APCBEE procedia. 2013 Jan 1;7:80-5.
- ↑ Litscher G, He W, Yi SH, Wang L. Heart rate variability and complementary medicine. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine: eCAM. 2014 Feb 13;2014:395485.
- ↑ Top end sports resting heart rate table Available: https://www.topendsports.com/testing/heart-rate-resting-chart.htm(accessed 20.2.2022)
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Shookster D, Lindsey B, Cortes N, Martin JR. Accuracy of commonly used age-predicted maximal heart rate equations. International journal of exercise science. 2020;13(7):1242.Available:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7523886/ (accessed 21.2.2022)
- ↑ NTNU Max heart rate calculator Available: https://www.ntnu.edu/cerg/hrmax#Test%20yourself(accessed 21.2.2022)
- ↑ Work place MHR Available: https://www.workplacetesting.com/definition/799/maximum-heart-rate-mhr(accessed 21.2.2022)
- ↑ Heart org Target Heart Rates Chart Available: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/target-heart-rates(accessed 21.2.2022)