When talking about fitness or cardiovascular health, the terms pulse and heart rate are often used interchangeably. Understanding the difference between heart rate and pulse rate can help you understand your body better. While both measurements relate to the heart, there are crucial differences. Knowing what is heart rate, what is pulse rate, and how they relate to each other provides understanding regarding one’s circulation, cardiac efficiency, and other health problems. Whether you are analysing your workouts or tracking symptoms, understanding heart rate vs pulse rate is crucial. This guide explains what they are, the normal heart rate range, the normal pulse rate in adults, and how to measure them to help improve heart health.
What Is Heart Rate?
To start, we will clarify what heart rate is. Heart rate is the number of times your heart beats within a minute (bpm). Each beat is a contraction of the muscle of the heart and involves pumping blood to the entire body.
Your heart rate can fluctuate due to many reasons:
- How active you are
- Your emotional state
- Your body temperature
- Your state of dehydration
- Your cardiovascular system
Your heart’s function is to pump oxygen and nutrients to the tissues. In the case of physical activity, the heart will pump faster to meet the body’s requirement for more oxygen. In the case of the body being at rest, the heart will pump more slowly to save energy
What is pulse rate?
It is equally important to define what a pulse rate. The pulse rate can be defined as how many times the arteries increase in size and decrease in size due to heartbeats. Each time the heart contracts, there is a pressure wave that is created. This wave moves through the arteries and can be felt at specific pulse points
The most common pulse points are:
- The wrist (radial artery)
- The neck (carotid artery)
- The inside of the elbow
- The top of the foot
In normal circumstances, the pulse rate and the heart rate are the same. This is because, as long as there is a heartbeat, there is a pulse wave created.
What is the difference between heart rate and pulse rate?
The what is the difference between heart rate and pulse rate is the source of their measurements:
- Heart rate: measures the electrical activity of the heart
- Pulse rate: measures the pressure wave in the arteries that is caused by the heartbeat
Although they are usually the same, they might be different in some medical situations, for example, in cases of arrhythmias. Here, not every heartbeat can be detected, which is called a pulse deficit.
When talking about heart rate vs pulse rate, this definition is valuable, especially in the clinics.
Heart Rate vs. Pulse Rate: Are They Always the Same?
In most cases of a healthy body, heart rate vs pulse rate will be the same. However, this might not be the case with the following situations:
- Atrial fibrillation
- Irregular heart rhythms
- Significant heart failure
In these situations, the heart might be beating irregularly or even weakly, which could lead to some pulses being missed. To identify such situations, healthcare professionals will compare the heart rate from a stethoscope or an ECG with the pulse from the wrist.
Normal Heart Rate Range
According to guidance aligned with global cardiovascular health standards, including those referenced by the World Health Organisation (WHO), a normal heart rate varies based on age, physical fitness, and overall health status.
For adults (18 years and older):
- Resting heart rate: Typically ranges between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm).
- Well-trained athletes: A resting heart rate of 40 to 60 bpm may be normal due to improved cardiac efficiency.
Average Heart Rate in Adults
Average heart rates in adults are generally between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm) while resting.
Some factors that affect pulse rates include
- Stress
- Fever
- Medication
- Physical activity
- Dehydration
If readings are consistently outside of this range, a medical professional should be consulted, especially if other symptoms like dizziness, fatigue, and/or chest discomfort appear.
Average Resting Heart Rate for Adults
The average resting heart rate for adults is generally between 60 and 100 bpm. Resting heart rate is assessed when an individual is calm, seated, and not involved in any physical activities.
An average resting heart rate that is lower can signify
- A higher cardiovascular fitness level
- An effective heart
- A well-developed heart muscle
Extremely low or high resting heart rates should be addressed with a medical professional.
Importance of Monitoring Heart Rate
Monitoring pulse rates can have several advantages, some of which can be outlined as follows:
- Helps in optimal fitness: Certain pulse rate categories can help in determining how intense a workout should be.
- Warning system: Abnormal Pulse rates can be a sign of dehydration, stress, or heart disease.
- Good recovery sign: A pulse rate that is elevated and then drops to a normal range soon after an exercise is a sign that the individual is healthy.
Finally, monitoring of pulse rates enables the individual to understand how the body behaves during various activities, especially day-to-day activities.
How to Calculate Heart Rate Manually
Calculating heart rate by hand takes less than 60 seconds to conduct and should be on every individual’s list of tools they should be able to use in their lifetime.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Be at rest for five minutes.
- Position your index and middle fingers at your wrist (below the thumb). You can also check the pulse at your neck.
- Push down gently until you feel a pulse.
- Count the number of beats for 30 seconds.
- Multiply by 2.
Note: Using your thumb to check your pulse may give you a false reading since your thumb has its own pulse, and this can lead to a wrong interpretation. When done correctly, this can be very useful and should always be done without the use of a digital tool.
Considerations to take when measuring heart rate and pulse rate
Several factors can lead to pulse and heart rate fluctuations:
- Physical Activity: When a person does exercise and or physical activity, the heart beats faster to supply the muscles with the required amount of oxygen.
- Stress and emotions: When a person gets anxious or excited, the body releases a chemical known as adrenaline that increases heart rate.
- Heat: When a person has a fever or is in a hot environment, the pulse can increase.
- Medications: Some medications can cause the heart rate to increase or decrease.
- Health conditions: There are some diseases, such as thyroid disorders, anaemia, and heart diseases, that can cause the pulse and heart rate to be higher or lower than normal.
It is important to understand the factors that can affect these heart rates so that the person can correctly interpret the data they are measuring.
Heart Rate while exercising
According to physical activity guidance from the World Health Organisation, heart rate naturally increases during exercise as intensity rises. Monitoring your heart rate can help ensure you are exercising at a safe and effective level.
Heart Rate During Exercise
For most adults:
- Moderate-intensity activity: Aim for approximately 50% to 70% of your maximum heart rate.
- Vigorous-intensity activity: Aim for approximately 70% to 85% of your maximum heart rate.
A commonly used method to estimate your maximum heart rate is:
220 − your age = estimated maximum heart rate (bpm)
For example, if you are 40 years old:
220 − 40 = 180 bpm (estimated maximum heart rate).
Moderate intensity would be about 90–126 bpm (50–70%), and vigorous intensity would be about 126–153 bpm (70–85%).
Staying within these recommended intensity zones helps improve cardiovascular fitness, endurance, and overall health while reducing the risk of overexertion or injury. Individuals with medical conditions or those new to exercise should consult a healthcare professional before engaging in high-intensity training.
Technology vs Manual Measurement
Wearable technology is now able to track your heart rate at all times. While measuring heart rate manually may be less convenient than technology, some of the advantages of manual heart rate measurement is to remain aware of your heart rate, and in emergency situations, and to verify the accuracy of your device.
Practical Tips for Preventing an Unhealthy Heart Rate
Regular aerobic exercise, sleeping sufficiently, staying hydrated, managing stress, balanced nutrition, and smoking cessation will help prevent an unhealthy heart rate. These lifestyle choices will also help support your heart’s overall health.
The Importance of Understanding Heart Rate vs Pulse Rate
Your ability to read your body’s signals is enhanced when you understand the important and subtle difference between heart rate and pulse rate.
Heart rate and pulse rate both measure aspects of cardiac function, although they measure different things. Heart rate measures the electrical aspects of cardiac function, whereas pulse rate measures the flow of blood mechanically. With healthy individuals, these measurements will be aligned. If they are not, then something else may be occurring.
Being educated on the subject will provide the ability to keep track of the measurements and recognise if something is off.
Read Also: How Health and Wellness Coaching Can Help You Maintain a Healthy Heart
Conclusion
Both heart rate and pulse rate are essential to being aware of if you want to track cardiovascular health. Knowing the heart rate and pulse rate is crucial for being able to diagnose irregularities early on. For adults, both the resting heart rate range and the pulse rate range are between sixty to one hundred beats per minute. Knowing how to measure heart rate is a necessary skill if you desire to track your heart rate and pulse rate regularly. Being aware of the pulse rate and heart rate is essential for tracking fitness levels, cardiac health, and stress. Good habits alongside awareness will improve heart health over time.
