How to read your Max Pulse result: field by field

A single resting finger measurement produces two outputs. The vascular report describes pulse-wave behavior and an orientation about vascular elasticity. The stress report describes heart rate variability and autonomic nervous system regulation.

The vascular part is captured even in the short 45-second mode, while the stress part is added in the longer 3 or 5-minute measurement. Both parts make the most sense together and over repetition, not as a one-off verdict.

At the top you get the average pulse and a "wave type" (for example type 2). There are seven types describing the most common pulse-wave shape: type 1 is the most favorable and suggests good vascular elasticity, while from type 3 upward there is a suspicion of a worse state, higher stiffness or reduced circulation. It is not a diagnosis, just an orientation about the curve shape.

Below it is the analyzed level and vascular status: a percentage distribution across levels 1 to 7 with labels from Excellent and Good through to Very poor. It shows how individual beats during the measurement spread across these levels, so you see not only the dominant type but also how clean or scattered the picture is.

In the table on the right are two values with a number and a Sub-optimal / Normal / Optimal scale. AE is the elasticity of arterial (larger) vessels and PE the elasticity of peripheral (smaller, outer) vessels. For both the rule is simple: the higher the value, the better the state.

If, say, AE comes out Sub-optimal and PE Normal, that is orientation that the elasticity of the larger arteries looked weaker in this measurement. On its own it is not a sign of disease – vascular elasticity is shaped by age, lifestyle and your state on the measurement day. The trend across several similar measurements means more than a single number.

The most prominent number on the stress report is the stress score. The reference line is 50: values below 50 reflect lower stress load, values above 50 higher load. A lower score is generally more favorable. A score of 32 suggests a calmer regulatory picture, while a score around or above 60 suggests increased load.

It is important not to read the score as a "nervousness level". Fatigue, sleep, alcohol, illness, caffeine, hard training or a hectic day all feed into it. So it is more honest to talk about regulatory strain on the day than to claim the device measured an exact level of psychological stress.

ANS activity shows the overall activity of the autonomic nervous system on a scale from Very poor to Best. ANS balance describes the ratio between the sympathetic ("gas") and parasympathetic ("brake") branches on a Very unbalanced / Unbalanced / Balanced scale. The goal is not to maximize one branch but to keep a reasonable balance between them.

Below them you usually see TP, VLF, LF and HF bars. These are frequency components of heart rate variability: simplified, TP is total variability, LF leans toward load-related activation and HF toward the calm, parasympathetic component. For everyday reading it is enough to watch whether total variability is reasonable and the balance is sound – the details are covered in the dedicated HRV article.

The fatigue index and electro-cardiac stability round out the picture of how the body handles load and how stable the rhythm is. Physical and mental stress are on a Low / Normal / High / Very high scale and separate the more physical and the more psychological components of load.

Stress resistance is a separate value and here the rule is the opposite of the stress score: higher resistance is better. A "High" reading means a good ability to cope with load. The written comment at the bottom then summarizes the result and usually adds general lifestyle recommendations.

You get the most from the result by reading it as a whole and over time. One measurement is a snapshot shaped by the day; a series under similar conditions shows whether the picture is returning to baseline or staying under strain. It fits well next to InBody, blood pressure and subjective feeling.

What a Max Pulse result is not: it is not a diagnosis of vascular disease, nor confirmation of burnout or arrhythmia. If chest pain, shortness of breath, repeated palpitations, fainting or a known arrhythmia appear, the main question is not what Max Pulse shows but how quickly to arrange medical care.