PURPOSE
The purpose of this experiment was to determine the difference between
exercising and the resting blood pressures of young teenagers.
I became interested in this idea during my baseball practice when I
wondered if our blood pressure was higher or lower when we were playing
rather than resting. I knew exercise increased pulse rate,
but what about blood pressure?
The information gained from this experiment could be helpful
to coaches, doctors or medical employees to better identify the effect
that exercise has on a young teenagers blood pressure.
HYPOTHESIS
My hypothesis was that the blood pressure would be lower while resting
than when doing exercise.
I based my hypothesis on an article that I studied in the World Book
Encyclopedia that proves that blood pressure is higher while exercising
that while resting.
EXPERIMENT DESIGN
The constants in this study were:
* The subjects used in the resting and exercising experiment.
* The approximate age of the subjects.
* The time spent exercising and resting.
* The amount of times blood pressures were taken.
* They type of instrument used to take and measure blood pressure.
* The room the experiment took place.
* The metronome time set (108 beats per minute)
The manipulated variables in this experiment was the gender of the subjects.
To measure the responding variable I used a Portable Wrist Blood Pressure
Monitor that was placed on the wrist and recorded the blood pressure in
millimeters of mercury.
MATERIALS
| QUANTITY |
ITEM DESCRIPTION |
| 1 |
Portable Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor |
| 1 |
Testing Room |
| 1 |
Instruction script for experiment |
| 1 |
stopwatch |
| 1 |
Metronome |
| 25 |
subjects |
PROCEDURES
1. Gather Materials
2. Obtain your subject volunteers
3. Have your subjects come in one at a time to the experiment location.
4. Take the subjects blood pressure before exercising.
5. Next have the subject exercise for two minutes stepping to the beat
of 108 of a metronome, then take their blood pressure immediately
after.
6. Then have them continue along with the exercise for two more minutes,
and take their blood pressure again right after they finish.
7. Once you have taken their second blood pressure, have
8. the subject rest by sitting down for four minutes.
9. After they have rested, take their blood pressure again.
10. Have the subject rest for another four minutes, and then take their
blood pressure again.
11. After the subjects testing is all done, send back to class.
12. Continue with steps 1-10 with each of the rest of the subjects
until all subjects have been tested.
RESULTS
The original purpose of this experiment was to determine the difference
between exercising and the resting blood pressures of young teenagers.
The results of the experiment were that the students blood pressure
increased after two minutes and four minutes after exercising, but their
blood pressure was higher after they rested for eight minutes than it was
before they exercised at all.
See the table and graphs below.
Conclusion
My hypothesis was that blood pressure would be lower while resting then
after doing exercise.
The results indicate that this hypothesis should be accepted.
Because of the results of this experiment, I wonder if I tested boys
vs. girls to see which of the two genders has a higher pulse rate if they
exercise for a longer period of time, and then rest for a shorter amount
of time.
If I were to conduct this project again I would have the subjects exercise
for a shorter amount of time, and then have them rest, and then exercise
again after they rest.
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RESEARCH REPORT
Introduction
Health is one of the most important factors to living a long and healthy
live. Your circulatory system is a significant part of your body that needs
to be monitored carefully. The circulatory system is the part of your body
that supplies cells with food and oxygen that they need in order to work
properly. It also carries carbon dioxide and waste products away from the
cells and it helps keep your body temperature regular. The circulatory
system also carries a substance that helps fight off infections, diseases,
and other foreign substances that may harm your body.
Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is a pressure that exerts against walls of arteries.
One of the many tools that doctors and nurses use to measure patients
blood pressure is a sphygmomanometer. The sphygmomanometer consists of
a cuff of a wide rubber bulb, which can be filled with air, a hallow rubber
bulb which pumps into the cuff, and a gauge or glass tube that contains
a column of mercury. There are two types of blood pressures, systolic and
diastolic. Systolic blood pressure represents the blood pressure when the
heart is contracting. This blood pressure is determined by reading the
gauge of scale on the mercury tube. The pressure at this point is called
the diastolic blood pressure. Diastolic blood pressure represents the blood
pressure while the heart is relaxing.
The Circulatory System
The circulatory system contains your heart, lungs, and the blood vessels
that are working together to form the circle of the circulatory system.
This system has three distinctive parts; the pulmonary circulation, coronary
circulation, and the systemic circulation. The pulmonary circulation is
your lung. In the coronary circulation is your heart, and the rest of your
body is considered the systemic circulation.
Heart Disease
Heart disease has become one of the number one killer of the United
States of America, and now technology has made life easier for the victims
of heart disease. The rate of heart disease has increased tremendously
from 1940 - 1967. When the heart disease rate increased, the World Health
Organization (W.H.O.) called it the worlds most serious epidemic. Now,
heart disease has become very common in the United States. Heart disease
is caused by a rich and unhealthy diet, which leads to clogging up blood
vessels, heart attacks, and even strokes.
A thirty three year old study, which began in 1948,and was started
in Framingham, Massachusetts. This study involved 5127 people that were
aged from 30 to 62. All of these people had no sign of heart disease. During
this study, the participants would have a complete physical examination.
At the end of the experiment, they provided priceless profile information
for predicting heart disease to people all around the world.
Exercise
Staying healthy and in shape is a good way to maintain a healthy heart
and control your blood pressure. If you are under weight, under weight,
or average you should still exercise to keep to keep your blood pressure
down and staying healthy.
Gender does have an effect on peoples blood pressure. Males usually
have a lower blood pressure than females from the time they are young adults
to middle age. Then, the process seems to reverse and males have the higher
blood pressure.
Having an unhealthy heart can be a huge risk to you. Checking your blood
pressure regularly is a good idea. You should also have your blood pressure
checked regularly so you can help prevent high blood pressure in the future.
Summary
Staying healthy, maintaining a good diet, and exercising are
all important things to do in order to living a long and healthy life.
You will be much better off staying in shape and eating right than having
heart trouble, high blood pressure, or being overweight and not being able
to do as may activities as would be able to do.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Blood Pressure, World Book Encyclopedia (internet) Oct. 24, 2003
Circulatory System, http://sln.fi.edu/biosci/systems/circulation.html
Heart Disease, http://www.fi.edu/bbsci/history.html
Heart Disease, http://www.fi.edu/history/history.html November
20, 2003
Pulsation, World Book Encyclopedia/Dictionary (internet) October
17, 2003
Sabatino, Dominic Blood Pressure, World Book Encyclopedia, 2002
Stethoscope, World Book Encyclopedia/Dictionary (internet) October
17, 2003 |
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank the following people for helping make my project
possible:
* The teachers who let me use their students during class time
* My family for all of their support, and help in getting me through
this.
* Mrs. Helms and the volunteers for supervising my experiment
* My subjects for making this experiment possible
* My teacher for helping me obtain subjects, reviewing my work.
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