Heart Rate

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Definition - What does Heart Rate mean?

Heart rate defines the cyclical process of blood filling the ventricular chambers and pumping it through the circulatory system to generate motor activity. A heartbeat constitutes a single phase of diastolic and systolic interaction or the complete passage of blood to and from the heart. It’s a self-repeating process calculated by the number of heartbeats occurring within a fixed time interval, known interchangeably, as beats per minute. Although sometimes abbreviated as HR, it is much more common to see an abbreviation with a qualifying term to classify the type of heart rate such as basal (BHR) or resting (RHR).

SureHire explains Heart Rate

Heart rate describes the number of contractions in which blood fills the ventricular chambers and is subsequently distributed throughout the body to produce motor function. The interplay of the heart and lungs operates as a filtering unit by removal of carbon dioxide during expiration while, alternately, replenishing the blood with fresh oxygen and its composite minerals and nutrients. The regularity and rhythm of heart rate can fluctuate depending on biological and environmental circumstances, such as anxiety, stress, exercise, and dietary nutrition. Heart rate is usually measured for a short span and then multiplied to get a heart rate of beats per minute (BPM).

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