What is defined as the number of beats per minute of the heart?

The number of beats per minute of the heart is defined as heart rate. Heart rate is a key indicator of cardiovascular fitness and health, reflecting how the body responds to exercise and other physical demands. It is measured by counting the number of times the heart beats in one minute, providing insight into the overall efficiency of the heart as a pump.

Understanding heart rate is essential for evaluating cardiovascular function and can help guide exercise intensity in training programs. For instance, monitoring heart rate allows individuals to work within specific training zones that correspond to their fitness goals, such as weight loss, endurance improvement, or performance enhancement.

In contrast, stroke volume refers to the amount of blood pumped by the heart with each beat, cardiac output is the total volume of blood pumped by the heart per minute (calculated as heart rate multiplied by stroke volume), and blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of the arteries, which is different from both heart rate and the volume of blood being pumped.