Pulse: Norms for Men and Women

Contents:

• What is a pulse
• Optimal pulse rates for adults
• Normal pulse rates: differences between men and women
• Factors that determine pulse rate
• Causes of increased heart rate
• Causes of decreased heart rate
• How to measure pulse

In this article, you will learn about:

• What is heart rate;
• Normal heart rate in adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute at rest. However, it should be noted that this range can change depending on various factors, such as physical activity, emotional state, and overall health. For example, athletes who regularly engage in physical activity may have a resting heart rate below 60 beats per minute. It is important to remember that individual characteristics of the body also play a significant role in determining normal heart rate values.
• The heart rate of men and women under normal conditions has certain differences. On average, women usually have a slightly higher heart rate than men. This is due to differences in physical constitution, hormonal levels, and metabolism. Women typically have a heart rate of 70-80 beats per minute, while men typically have a heart rate of around 60-70 beats per minute.

  It's also worth noting that heart rate variations can be influenced by factors such as age, activity level, and overall health. Therefore, when assessing heart rate, it's important to consider the individual characteristics of each person, rather than gender differences in general.

• Various factors influence heart rate. Physical activity and exercise level play a significant role: during exercise, the heart rate increases, providing the body with oxygen. Emotional state also significantly affects heart rate—stress or anxiety can cause it to increase.

  Ambient temperature is no less important; in hot weather, the heart works harder to maintain a normal body temperature. Additionally, consuming caffeine and other stimulants can lead to an increased heart rate.

  Conditions such as hypertension or thyrotoxicosis can also cause changes in heart rhythm. Medications are also important, as they can either slow or speed up the heart rate depending on their effect. Finally, age and fitness level also play a role, as resting heart rate can decrease with age.

• The heart rate can change, either accelerating or decelerating, for many reasons. One of the main factors influencing this is physical activity. When a person begins to exercise or perform any other physical activity, the heart begins to pump faster to provide the muscles with the necessary amount of oxygen and nutrients.

  On the other hand, the heart rate can slow down at rest or during sleep, when the body's need for oxygen decreases and the heart does not require such intense work.

  Emotional states such as stress or anxiety can also lead to an increased heart rate. In such situations, the body produces adrenaline, which activates the sympathetic nervous system, causing an increase in heart rate.

  Other factors can also influence heart rate, including ambient temperature, hydration level, and overall health. For example, at high temperatures, the heart rate may increase to help the body cool down.

  Thus, changes in heart rate are the body's natural response to various internal and external conditions that help it adapt to the environment and maintain homeostasis.

• How to measure heart rate.

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What is a pulse? ...

In a healthy person, the rhythm of the pulse in the arteries usually matches the heart rate. However, in the presence of certain diseases, the pulse wave may not reach the arteries in time, resulting in a heart rate higher than the pulse rate.

Pulse is a variable indicator, but at first glance it may seem inconsistent. The heart begins to beat faster when certain stimuli arise. For example, if you rush up the stairs or celebrate your favorite team's victory in the Champions League, your heart rate will inevitably increase. This is a natural reaction, as both physical activity and emotional experiences require additional resources from the body, particularly oxygen. The greater the tissue's need for oxygen, the harder the heart works. However, as soon as we calm down and stop physical activity, the pulse returns to normal. This means that heart rate varies under stress and at rest.

Optimal Heart Rate Values ​​for Adults

In a state of physical and emotional rest, a heart rate in the range of 60 to 100 beats per minute is considered normal. However, these values ​​​​are average. Some people can have a heart rate both below 60 and above 100 beats, provided that this does not affect their well-being.

During physical activity, the heart rate can reach a level known as the maximum heart rate. This parameter varies depending on age and is calculated using a specific formula [3].

Maximum heart rate is determined by the formula: 220 minus your age.

Cardiologists warn about the potential danger of trying to reach your maximum heart rate on your own. This is especially risky for older adults. The most accurate way to determine your individual maximum heart rate is to undergo a stress test at a medical facility, where a treadmill can be used under electrocardiogram monitoring. The resulting maximum heart rate will serve as the basis for calculating a target or submaximal heart rate during exercise.

Submax HR equals (220 minus your age) multiplied by a percentage.

The percentage by which to multiply will be determined based on the degree of the upcoming exercise. The American Heart Association recommends [3] calculating your target heart rate based on your activity level:

• Average: Submax HR = (220 minus your age) multiplied by 50-70%.
• An intense activity level can be determined using the following formula to calculate your submaximal heart rate: Submax HR = (220 minus your age) multiplied by 70-85%.

For simplicity, you can refer to the average values ​​provided by the American Heart Association.

Normal Heart Rates: Differences Between Men and Women

Women have a slightly higher resting heart rate. This phenomenon can be explained by the size of their heart muscle: women's hearts are generally smaller than men's hearts. As a result, it must contract at a higher rate to effectively supply organs and tissues with sufficient oxygen.

However, this is not the only aspect. Certain researchers believe that the heart rate in women may vary depending on the stage of the menstrual cycle. This is due to the fact that the hormone estrogen activates the nervous system.

During ovulation, when there is a slight decrease in the concentration of female sex hormones, the heart rate can increase by 10 beats per minute. Researchers suggest that this phenomenon is due to a combination of cortisol, which is a hormone responsible for prolonged stress, and testosterone, a male sex hormone.

In 2019, the journal Nature presented the results of an extensive four-year study conducted by doctors from the University of California, San Francisco. Their project was called the Health eHeart Study. First, the researchers needed to confirm that smartphones could accurately record heart rate. A team led by Robert Avram recruited 50 patients from a cardiology clinic to compare heart rate data obtained using mobile devices and traditional electrocardiography (ECG). The results were very encouraging: the measurement accuracy was high, and the data obtained from smartphones was virtually indistinguishable from the readings from medical equipment.

In the next study, scientists suggested using smartphones as a means of measuring heart rate. In total, more than 66 thousand volunteers from all over the world agreed to participate, sharing their data through a specialized application. From 2014 to 2018, participants regularly measured their heart rates, answered questions about their lifestyle and health, and connected to devices to monitor physical activity.

The average heart rate during everyday life was 79 beats per minute, with slight differences depending on gender. Women had a slightly higher heart rate than men, at approximately 4.4 beats per minute. Furthermore, the study found that people aged 18 to 45 had slightly higher heart rates than those over 60.

Factors Determining Heart Rate

In some cases, gender differences are not a determining factor, and differences in heart rate may be due to other reasons. These factors include:

• The heart rate reaches its peak during the day, especially between 12 and 16 hours. At night, when a person is sleeping, it slows down.
• Air temperature [8] affects the heart rate: when it rises, the heart begins to beat faster.
• According to some studies, tall people tend to have a slightly lower heart rate than short people.
• Excess weight causes the adrenal glands to produce increased amounts of hormones, which, in turn, contributes to an increased heart rate.
• Changing body position. When a person rapidly transitions from a lying to a standing position, their heart rate can increase by 10–15 beats per minute.

Furthermore, their heart rate is affected by their lifestyle, including their level of physical activity and the presence of bad habits. The less active a person is, the more difficult it is for their nervous system to adapt to physical exertion. As a result, during exercise, their heart rate reaches submaximal levels too quickly.

Causes of Rapid Heartbeat

Many people experience the sensation of palpitations when their resting heart rate exceeds 100 beats per minute. The medical term for this condition is tachycardia, which translates as "rapid heartbeat."

In both sexes, a pulse rate higher than normal can be caused by the following factors:

• Coffee and energy drinks drinks.
• hot weather;
• smoking;
• drinking alcoholic beverages;
• fever;
• sleep problems (snoring);
• low blood pressure;
• anemia;
• hormonal imbalance;
• pain syndrome;
• magnesium deficiency and high calcium levels.

With age, an increase in heart rate can pose a serious danger to human health. This is explained by the fact that blood flow through the arteries supplying the heart occurs only in the intervals between its contractions. However, with tachycardia, these intervals are shortened, which leads to a decrease in the volume of blood flowing to the heart.

Causes of a Slow Heart Rate

A pulse that is less than 60 beats per minute is considered rare and is called bradycardia, which translates as "slow heart." A decrease in heart rate is normal during sleep, as well as during yoga or meditation. In these conditions, there is a decrease in the activity of the adrenal system and an increase in the action of the vagus nerve, which performs the opposite function. In addition, a lower pulse rate may indicate good physical fitness of the heart.

The Guinness Book of Records recorded a unique case of a rare pulse in an athlete. The case concerns Olympic cycling champion Miguel Indurain, who won the Tour de France for five years, from 1991 to 1995. Doctors noted that Indurain's resting heart rate was only 28 beats per minute. This rate is explained by the fact that the heart muscle in professional athletes becomes more developed, allowing it to pump more blood per contraction. As a result, the heart beats less frequently, but still maintains its high efficiency.

Bradycardia usually acts as a sign of a certain disease, for example:

• head and brain injury;
• gastric ulcer;
• sinus node insufficiency.
• poisoning;
• starvation;
• hypothermia.

In some families, there is a hereditary predisposition to a slow heart rate. For example, it is known that Napoleon Bonaparte had bradycardia, which could be either hereditary or habitual. Leonard Guthrie, a pediatrician and senior physician at Paddington Green Children's Hospital in London, presented his point of view regarding the possible causes of this anomaly in Napoleon. In his article, published in 1913 in The Lancet, he suggested that Bonaparte's behavior could be associated with problems in the pituitary gland. Guthrie also noted that Napoleon's pulse did not exceed 40 beats per minute, indicating bradycardia. However, it is worth emphasizing that this conclusion is based on historical sources and remains largely hypothetical.

How to measure your pulse

Before the advent of ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, and computed tomography, doctors were forced to literally "feel" the problem. They carefully analyzed the pulse, paying attention to its characteristics such as rhythm, duration, fullness, tension, and strength. In traditional medicine, there are about 17 pulse types, while in Chinese medicine their number reaches about 27.

There is no need to be able to distinguish between different pulse types. What is important is to master the skill of accurately determining its frequency. To do this:

• Place your index and middle fingers on the inside of your wrist, just below the base of your thumb.
• Gently squeeze the artery, avoiding excessive pressure so as not to cut off the blood supply.
• Set a timer for one minute.
• Count the beats.

You can use your fitness tracker or an app on your mobile device. As mentioned earlier, researchers from California have shown that data obtained using smartphones is highly accurate.

Sources

1. The Mechanism of the Heart. The Process of Cardiac Contraction. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Why is My Heart Beating So Fast? University of Utah Health

3. Heart Rate Target Chart. Heart Rate Target Chart.

Staying Within the Range of Normal Cardiac Function and Disease: The Impact of Biological Sex - An Overview. Prabhavathi K., Tamarai Selvi K., Poornima K. N., Sarvanan A. DOI: 10.7860/JCDR/2014/9635.4771

Prajapati C., Koivumäki J., Pekkanen-Mattila M. et al. Gender differences in heart health: from theory to practice. Eur J Med Res. 2022. 27. 241 (2022). DOI: 10.1186/s40001-022-00880-z

Voronova N. V., Meygal A. Yu., Elaeva L. E., Kuzmina G. I. conducted a study on the influence of the season and stages of the menstrual cycle on the characteristics of the cardiointervalogram in women. The results of the study were published in the journal Human Ecology in 2015, including Volume 22, Issue 2, pages 20–26. DOI: 10.17816/humeco17136.

Avram R., Tison G. H., Aschbacher K., et al. Heart rate norms under real-world conditions in the Health eHeart study. npj Digit. Med. 2019. 2. 58. DOI: 10.1038/s41746-019-0134-9

Expand list

Ravanelli N. M., Hodder S. G., Havenith G., Jay O. Changes in heart rate and body temperature during extreme heat and high humidity with and without the use of electric fans. JAMA. 2015. 313(7). 724–725. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2015.153

Thomas T. Samaras. Short stature is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases — A narrative review. Indian Journal of Cardiology. January–February 2013. Vol. 65. Issue 1. Pages 66–71. DOI: 10.1016/j.ihj.2012.12.016

Pshenichnaya E. V., Tonkikh N. A., Dubovaya A. V. conducted a study to assess the functional state of the cardiovascular system in adolescent boys preparing for military service, using the treadmill test. Their findings were published in RMJ in 2017, issue 5, pages 358–361.

11. Tachycardia: Increased Heart Rate. Target Heart Rate Chart

Guinness World Records Limited.

Leonard Guthrie, MD, Oxford, FRCP, London, physician at the Maida Vale Hospital for Epilepsy and Streptomyces. This raises the question: did Napoleon Bonaparte suffer from hypopituitarism (adiposogenital dystrophy) in the last years of his life? The Lancet, September 13, 1913.

Bogdanova T. M., Sliusarenko Yu. A. Traditions of pulse diagnostics in China // International Student Scientific Bulletin. 2018. No. 5.