Manual Pulse Taking

Before using heart monitors, pulse rates are often determined manually and athletes take their own pulses. But I find their accuracy is generally not good when compared to ECG or even finger pulse readings taken at rest using small digital devices. Many athletes who take their pulse manually often find it to be too low. Those who use the thumb to check the pulse have more problems with accuracy as the thumb also contains a pulse—it’s best to use the index and middle finger to check the pulse in various locations. When I took an athlete’s pulse in some situations, such as after a hard time trial, the same problem occurred. Even a finger pulse unit would be inaccurate in these situations. In many cases, the difficulty in getting an accurate number was not one of counting or technology, but associated with the athlete’s recovering heart rate. Usually, the athlete would have to stop for me to check the pulse, and this would cause the heart rate to diminish quickly, resulting in an inaccurate training heart rate.

One of the most common locations to check the pulse is on the palm side of the wrist (above the thumb) on the radial artery (called the radial pulse). But a pulse can be felt in many other locations throughout the body, including:

广告：个人专属 VPN，独立 IP，无限流量，多机房切换，还可以屏蔽广告和恶意软件，每月最低仅 5 美元

 

 

 
  • The ulnar pulse on the little finger side of the wrist
  • The brachial pulse on the inside of the elbow
  • The carotid pulse located in the neck on either side of the midline
  • The temporal pulse located on the temple, in front of the ear
  • The femoral pulse in the inner thigh
  • The popliteal pulse behind the knee
  • The dorsalis pedis pulse on top of the foot
  • The medial malleolar pulse on the inside back part of the ankle

There is another potential problem with manually taking your pulse. If you place your fingers on the carotid artery on the side of your neck, a location often used by athletes, you can easily find your pulse. However, this area is also sensitive. Applying even moderate pressure here can significantly affect the heart rate, quickly dropping the rate; it can also reduce blood flow to the brain, and therefore oxygen delivery. This is because the carotid area contains nerve endings that normally send messages to the brain indicating blood-pressure changes. Stimulating this area with pressure sends an improper message to the brain, which quickly slows the heart, sometimes quite dramatically. This can be dangerous—the oxygen debt created can cause fainting (or death in an extreme case).

The pulse reflects the contraction and relaxation of one’s arteries and in emergency situations is sometimes difficult to feel, even by trained professionals. This is due to the pulse’s relationship with blood pressure—if the blood pressure is too low, the artery will not pulsate. For example, if the blood pressure is below 60 mmHg, the carotid pulse, which brings blood to the brain, will not be felt. In this case, the person is usually not alive, which is the reason this particular pulse is felt in an emergency situation. In a living person, if the blood pressure is below 90 mmHg, the radial pulse on the wrist may not be felt, and if below 80 mmHg, the brachial pulse may not be palpable. Traumatic injury, certain medications, illnesses, or other problems may also cause the pulse to be difficult to detect, even in a conscious person.