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Basal Heart Rate Variations by Day of Week
Author(s) -
Malmstrom Edward J.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.1973.tb01107.x
Subject(s) - names of the days of the week , basal (medicine) , rhythm , psychology , heart rate , day to day , weekend effect , zoology , demography , medicine , blood pressure , biology , emergency medicine , philosophy , linguistics , sociology , insulin , operations management , economics
Previous studies have shown large variations in basal heart rate (HR) in individuals over occasions. To examine long‐term variability, one individual's HR was recorded daily for one year. Besides changes due to ambient temperature and periods of illness, obvious regular variations corresponded to day of week. Weekends and Mondays differed from the other four weekdays: HR was high on Saturdays and Mondays, and reached a nadir on Sundays. These fluctuations probably reflect the cultural pattern of activity over the week, rather than representing an intrinsic circaseptan rhythm.