You have the new fit bit or watch that calculates your heart rate and tells you your pulse. It certainly looks cool, and you know—at least you think you know–that when you work out, it’s good for the number to increase. But what are you actually looking at, and what does it even mean, in regards to your exercise performance?
So, what exactly is a “heart-rate”? What does it tell us?
Heart rate is the speed of the heartbeat measured by the number of contractions of the heart per minute. The heart rate can vary according to the body’s physical needs, and this includes the need to absorb oxygen or excrete carbon dioxide.
Your heart rate is a function of the cardiovascular system. As you work out, your body demands more oxygenated blood. The heart begins to pump at an increased rate to receive the oxygen-filled cells from the lungs and pump it out to your muscles. Your heart continues to work at receiving the oxygen-depleted cells from the muscles and pushing them up to the lungs to be exhaled as carbon dioxide. Therefore, when you are working out, your heart rate increases to keep up with the oxygen demands of the body.
The importance of understanding your heart rate becomes a direct relation to how your body will burn fat and promote lean muscle, which is what we all want when we are trying to reduce our weight. Maintaining a strong heart rate is important during strenuous activity. It ensures that you are providing your muscles with the adequate amount of oxygenated blood and it determines the efficiency of your workout. As your body and muscles become accustomed to receiving the proper fuel through nutrient enriched blood, your muscles will continue to grow. This promotes lean muscle mass and fat loss.
