| The Effect
of Gatorade Vs. Water on 7th Graders' Pulse Rates while Exercising |
Researched by Brittany D.
2003-04 |
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PURPOSE
The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effect of Gatorade
vs. water on the pulse rate of seventh graders while exercising.
I became interested in this idea when I was playing a volleyball game
and wondered, Does water or Gatorade give kids more energy?
The information gained from this experiment could help coaches and athletes
decide on what drink could help maintain the desired pulse rate.
HYPOTHESIS
My hypothesis was that seventh graders who had consumed Gatorade would
have a lower pulse rate during exercise.
I based my hypothesis on the World Book Encyclopedia on an article about
Electrolytes, which stated, the salts in electrolytes replace the salt
that we sweat away. So I thought that the electrolytes in Gatorade would
improve the bodys ability to exercise at a lower pulse rate.
EXPERIMENT DESIGN
The constants in this study were:
* the approximate age of the subjects (12 years, plus or minus 1),
* the method of taking the pulse, (manually)
* the amount of time the pulse is taken (15 seconds),
* the place the pulse is taken (neck)- carotid artery
* the amount of time resting (2 minutes),
* the amount of time exercising (4 minutes),
* the type of exercise (8 inch step-ups),
* and the intensity of the exercise (25 full steps per minute).
The manipulated variable was whether Gatorade was consumed prior to
exercise
The responding variable was the pulse rate.
To measure the responding variable I took the carotid pulse of the subject
for 15 seconds.
MATERIALS
| QUANTITY |
ITEM DESCRIPTION |
| 1 |
stopwatch |
| 40 |
cups |
| 20 |
human subjects |
| 1 |
data table |
| 5 |
liters Gatorade (Bought in Store) |
| 5 |
liters Bottled Water (Bought in Store) |
| 1 |
Metronome |
| 1 |
Step-up aerobics bench |
| 1 |
Chair |
| 1 |
Empty Classroom |
PROCEDURES
1. Obtain parental permission in writing for all subjects
2. Conduct Gatorade test:
a. Prepare drink for subject
i. Wash hands
ii. Pour 250-ml. Liquid into clean, glass measuring dish (which
will be purchased from grocery store. Bottled Water and Gatorade are major
brands fit for human consumption.)
iii. Pour liquid into clean, disposable paper cup
b. Have subject drink 250ml of liquid being tested. Discard paper cup.
c. Wait 20-40 minutes
d. Have subject sit down for 2 minutes in chair
e. Take resting pulse rate at the carotid artery (neck) and record
on data table
f. Repeat steps d and e
g. Then, have subject do 8 inch step-ups for 4 minutes
h. Take pulse rate and record
i. Repeat steps g and h
j. Repeat steps 2-10 with all other subjects
3. Conduct water test. On a different day, repeat all of step
2 with the same subjects using water instead of Gatorade.
4. Average all pulse rate data for each liquid.
RESULTS
The original purpose of this experiment was to determine the effect
of Gatorade vs. water on the pulse rate of seventh graders while exercising.
The results of the experiment were that the subjects who had consumed
Gatorade had average pulse rates per minute of 65 after two minutes of
rest and 64 after 4 minutes of rest. The subjects who had consumed
water had average pulse rates per minute of 70 after two minutes of rest
and 71 after 4 minutes of rest.
The subjects who had consumed Gatorade had average pulse rates per minute
of 122 after four minutes of exercise and 139 after eight minutes of exercise.
The subjects who had consumed water had average pulse rates per minute
of 152 after four minutes of exercise and 159 after eight minutes of exercise.
See the table and graphs below.
CONCLUSION
My hypothesis was that seventh graders who had consumed Gatorade would
have a lower pulse rate during exercise
The results indicate that this hypothesis should be accepted.
Because of the results of this experiment, I wonder if I were to study
girls and boys if they would have very different pulse rates.
If I were to conduct this project again the things that I would do to
improve it would be to get many more subjects, maybe even 100. I would
also use a more accurate way of taking the pulse by using an electronic
monitoring device. Eight minutes of exercise isnt really very much,
so I would have subjects exercise about 15 minutes ? perhaps at a lower
intensity.
RESEARCH REPORT
Introduction
Exercise is an important aspect of human health. It is needed to keep
the body in shape and help maintain fitness. Exercise can have a positive
effect on the circulatory system.
Circulatory System
The circulatory system is a closed system. It supplies oxygen to the
body and transports carbon dioxide from the lungs. This system carries
blood throughout the body. It also helps regulate the body temperature
and carries substances that protect our bodies from diseases. Some chemical
substances that the system transports are called hormones. Hormones help
regulate the activities of various parts of the body.
Parts of the Circulatory System
The circulatory system consists of the heart, veins, arteries, capillaries,
and blood.
The heart is one of the most important organs in the body. The blood
is carried from the body to the heart. It goes into the right atria, down
to the right ventricle and then is pumped into the lungs. The waste is
exchanged in the lungs and oxygen is picked up. The oxygen rich blood now
comes to the heart, down the left atria to the left ventricle, then pumped
into the body.
To keep your heart healthy, you should exercise. Exercising daily can
contribute to an extended life expectancy. Not exercising or not keeping
your heart healthy can lead to heart failure and/or heart disease. Some
of those diseases are: valvular heart disease, coronary heart disease,
and arterial sclerosis.
Arteries are the blood vessels that take blood away from the heart.
When the heart beats, the artery fills with blood. When relaxed, the artery
contracts, pushing with enough force to move the blood along.
Blood transports oxygen from the lungs, while it also carries nutrients
and carbon dioxide from body tissue to the lungs. Without blood our bodies
could not work.
The thinnest and most fragile blood vessels are called capillaries.
Tissue releases waste which goes through the wall and into the red blood
cells.
Veins are blood vessels that take blood to the heart. Veins are
similar to arteries, but because veins transport blood at a slower pace,
they arent as strong as arteries. After the exchange of oxygen and carbon
dioxide has happened, the veins receive blood from the capillaries. The
veins then transport waste-rich blood back to the heart and lungs.
Pulse
The pulse is the rate at which the heart beats; usually measured to
obtain a quick evaluation of a persons health. Pulse is caused by the
stretching of arteries. No matter how old a person is, the pulse and heart
rhythm should be regular. To find pulse, place fingers on wrist above the
thumb. Another place would be at their temples where the temporal artery
is located, and at the carotid artery. Basically anywhere a major artery
is near the surface, you can feel your pulse.
A childs pulse rate is faster than that of an average healthy adult.
A newborn baby can get up to 140 beats per minute. The normal rate of a
seven year old is about 90 beats per minute. An average adult woman would
be about 76 to 80 beats per minute. The average of a man would be about
72 beats per minute.
Water
Water is a molecular structure identified as H2O. It is important for
health because we need water in our bodies. Also, we need to have water
to stay hydrated. Without water, especially when participating in sports
or an exercise, we become dehydrated.
Gatorade
Gatorade is a sports drink proven to be a popular product. Gatorade
contains dilute salts and electrolytes. These are important ingredients
because they replace the salts that we sweat away when exercising. There
is also sugar in this substance. This can be a good or bad thing. Though
we need sugar in our bodies to provide quick energy during exercise, too
much of it could be harmful.
Conclusion
Exercise is very important to the bodys health. To keep the body fit
and healthy, people should exercise. This kind of activity is what
can have a positive effect on the circulatory system.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Arteries. 1/22/04. http://sln.fi.edu/biosci/vessels/arteries.html
Bard, Allen J. Electrolytes. The World Book Encyclopedia. 1999.
pg. 202
Blood. 1/22/04. http://sln2.fi.edu/biosci/blood/blood.html
Capillaries. 1/22/04. http://sln.fi.edu/biosci/vessels/capillaries.html
Gatorade. Rehydrate, Replenish, Refuel 11/25/03. http://www.gatorade.com
Gatorade. Water is Not Enough 11/25/03. http://www.gatorade.com
Pulse. 1/22/04. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/pulse
Sabatino, Dominick. Pulse. World Book Encyclopedia.
2002. CD-ROM.
Stevens, Charles F. "Nervous System, World Book Encyclopedia, 20
The Circulatory System. 1/15/04. http://www4.tpgi.com.au/users/amcgann/body/circulatory.html
The Heart. The Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia. 1991. pg. 310
Veins. 1/22/04. http://sln.fi.edu/biosci/vessels/veins.html
Water. What is water made of? 12/5/03. http://lennygraf.com/education/facts/watermadeof.html
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank the following people for helping make my project
possible:
* My parents for helping and supporting me
* Mr. Newkirk for helping me through my project
* My subjects for participating in my project
* The teachers who let their students out of class to be my subjects
* My teachers who let me out of class to conduct my experiment
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