Muscles under physical activity are the biggest users of oxygen. The body needs oxygen for ceullar respiration to occur. During exercise more muscles are needed so the heart is forced to pump faster. The pulse is the measurement of how fast the heart is pumping. The blood pressure measures the force of blood against the vessel wall. Systolic pressure is the highest point--blood is being forced out by the contraction of the heart muscle. Diastolic pressure is the lowest point--between heart beats when the heart is inactive. (reference: Topic One Powerpoint).
I found this lab to be entertaining. I had planned to go hiking with a friend this week and brought a blood pressure monitor along the trek. Image one and two show me taking my blood pressure and pulse. The remaining images show the three activities I chose to monitor: walking, yoga, and eating.
The purpose of the exercise physiology lab was to calculate three average metabolic measures: pulse, respiration rate, and blood pressure. I first found the average metabolic measures at rest (baseline activity). I then took part in several activities to monitor the effect each had on the measurements.
Prior to each activity I formed a hypothesis regarding the effect the activity would have on the three metabolic measures. I thought that walking would increase my pulse and respiration rate, while decreasing my blood pressure. I proposed that yoga would decrease all of the metabolic measures. Lastly, I presumed that eating would not effect my pulse or respiration rate, but may increase my blood pressure.
The following chart shows the measured results. Each activity was done in a three part series, shown by the different colored markers. The average measure for each activity is then printed in red ink.
Below are bar graphs that compare and contrast each measurement.
The above data shows, that for the most part, my original hypothese were correct. Walking increased my pulse and respiration rate. Walking also increased my blood pressure. Yoga did indeed decrease all of the metabolic measurements. Lastly, eating had very little effect on any of the measurements. My pulse increased slightly immediately following food intake, but the other measurements remained as steady as during baseline activity.
I didn't have any problems with the measurements. I had a manual blood pressure monitor of my own so that allowed an ease in completing the assignment and taking measurements immediately following each activity. Most activities seem to effect metabolic rate to some degree. Naturally, the more intsense an activity, the more dramatic of an effect it has on the metabolic measurements. The more strenuous an activity, the more oxygen the body needs.
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