ABSTRACT
This work outlines the theoretical aspects of the role of heart rate (HR) as an indicator of psychophysiological strain the body experiences in different situations. Attention is paid to the strengths and weaknesses of its usage for the assessment of blood flow and blood pressure. In practical terms, the study presented in this paper shows the quantitative impact of various factors on the heart rate in work and sports activities. We introduce here the technique of identifying and assessing the data on heart rate, and demonstrate the informative value of this parameter when used in physiology, hygiene, physiology of activities in daily living, in ergonomics, and in ecology. The influence on heart rate of such factors as physical loads, neuro-emotional tension, gender and age, body position, air temperature, time of day, season of the year, geographical latitude of the terrain, and ergonomic improvements are shown. It was found that the heart rate in the process of labor correlates with the incidence of the circulatory system and the musculoskeletal system. For the first time, statistical data about the heart rate of people in 63 professional groups working in ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, in machine building, and in other industries are presented.
