Most people are familiar with having cold, clammy hands under stressful circumstances, such as meeting new people or having to perform before an audience. The eccrine glands secrete a salty solution in response to emotional and stress stimuli, and this salty solution conducts electricity. BSR sensors are attached with elastic bands to the first and second fingers of the right hand. It is not unusual for people to measure between 150 and 500 kilohms without training. The goal of training at BRI is to reduce eccrine gland activity to the range between 800 and 1200 kilohms.
Heart rate is measured in beats per minute.
Other kinds of stress, such as depression, may result in lower heart rates. To measure heart rate, the inside wrists are cleaned and three silver sensors with conductive gel are slipped under elastic wrist bands. Heart rate can also be measured at the fingertips. The goal of training at BRI is to achieve a heart rate between 56 and 66 beats per minute. Respiration is measured in breaths per minute, typically by a strain gauge worn around the chest.