How is heart rate affected by exercise in a youth and adult?

Author(s): Peggy Klipfel LeDuff and Jen Klipfel
Probeware / Instrumentation
SED 695B; Fall 2005

Research Question:
How is heart rate affected by identical treadmill exercise when a youth and an adult perform the same exercise?

 

Youth #1 walking at 4 miles an hour for four minutes.

Youth #1 talking her post-exercise heart rate.

Adult #1 walking at 4 miles an hour for four minutes.

Adult #1 taking her post-exercise heart rate.

Standards addressed:

Investigation & Experimentation - Grades 9 to 12

Science Content Standards.

  • Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept and addressing the content in the other four strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations. Students will:
    • Select and use appropriate tools and technology (such as computer-linked probes, spreadsheets, and graphing calculators) to perform tests, collect data, analyze relationships, and display data.
    • Identify and communicate sources of unavoidable experimental error.
    • Identify possible reasons for inconsistent results, such as sources of error or uncontrolled conditions.
d. Formulate explanations by using logic and evidence.

 

 
Independent variable
Dependent variables
Controls
Series
Age of participant
Change in heart rate

Same exercise
Same time for exercise
Same measurement procedure

Adult 1
Adult 2
Youth 1
Youth 2

Materials
Procedures

Exercise Heart Rate Sensor-Pasco
USB Link Pasco
Treadmill/Running in room
Computer
Datastudio software

1. Take resting heart rate of each participant for 2 minutes using sensor.
2. Exercise for four minutes at 4 miles an hour walk.
3. Retake heart rate.
4. Draw conclusions on:
-How your heart rate is affected by exercise.
-How a fit person's heart rate starts lower, and rises less dramatically during exercise.
-The affects of age on heart rate

 

Click here to calculate your target heart rate during exercise.
http://stevenscreek.com/goodies/hr.shtml

Empty Sample Data Table

Heart Rates after 4 minutes of exercise
Adult 1 Adult 2 Youth 1 Youth 2
Time
( s )

Heart Rate
( Beats/Min )

Heart Rate
( Beats/Min )

 Heart Rate
( Beats/Min )		 Heart Rate
( Beats/Min )
0 . . . .
5 . . . .
10 . . . .
15 . . . .
20 . . . .
25 . . . .
30 . . . .
35 . . . .

Data Table of Resting Heart Rates

Heart Rate at Rest
Adult 1 Adult 2 Youth 1 Youth 2

Time
( s )

 Heart Rate
( Beats/Min )		 Heart Rate
( Beats/Min )		 Heart Rate
( Beats/Min )		 Heart Rate
( Beats/Min )
0 78 108 98 75
5 53 97 75 70
10 55 123 82 70
15 54 116 77 70
20 65 127 69 72
25 58 113 71 76
30 55 99 68 70
35 57 128 79 74
40 57 142 73 64
45 67 107 78 68
50 61 146 69 74
55 60 97 71 72
60 59 101 84 71
65 58 88 82 74
70 64 82 61 82
75 57 89 67 76
80 64 98 83 73
85 57 109 90 70
90 73 108 98 70
95 59 106 95 72
100 58 107 87 86
105 58 97 91 76
110 56 111 93 71
115 59 105 86 74
120 56 116 78 73
125 58 94 79 73
130 57 101 73 74
135 62 101 75 79
140 62 96 71 87
145 64 100 78 83
150 59 114 71 81
155 61 142 71 73
160 58 142 66 76
165 62 95 70 79
170 61 100 72 73
175 62 99 77 79
180 59 107 79 75
Average 60.1 108.4 78.0 74.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Data table with results after exercise

Adult 1 Adult 2 Youth 1 Youth 2
Time
( s )
 Heart Rate Beats/Min Heart Rate Beats/Min

Heart Rate
Beats/Min

Heart Rate
(Beats/Min
0 113 189 140 189
5 153 189 154 196
10 137 162 92 182
15 133 149 90 160
20 125 179 88 155
25 121 157 92 130
30 113 156 0 144
35 120 153 31 179
40 115 150 18 134
45 102 161 87 122
50 103 175 91 119
55 97 156 0 129
60 98 153 0 168
65 97 131 104 138
70 108 119 151 152
75 109 155 117 93
80 102 139 89 145
85 86 139 91 95
90 93 174 102 120
95 90 139 116 99
100 91 114 148 101
105 88 147 95 112
110 79 165 97 119
115 95 177 92 127
120 89 140 90 106
125 87 174 90 118
130 92 122 90 116
135 83 185 88 80
140 93 161 93 86
145 82 133 74 113
150 88 156 74 104
155 89 130 74 124
160 85 128 112 121
165 85 150 104 101
170 83 132 132 108
175 92 137 96 125
180 89 164 96 105
Average: 100.1 152.4 89.1 127.4

Results:

Average Resting 60.1 108.4 78.0 74.5
Average after Exercise: 100.1 152.4 89.1 127.4
Change: 40 44 11.1 52.9
Average Change Adult: 42 beats per min.
Average Change Youth: 32 beats per min.
Average results for this small study show a significantly smaller increase of heart rate for a youth doing exercise than an adult.

First graph is baseline heart rate for all participants

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This graph is heart rate after four minutes of exercise.

http://www.pasco.com/
 Pasco's website is where you can purchase probeware and Datastudio software.
   

References & Links:

Below is a great resource that explains heart rate and exercise basics.
http://www.heartmonitors.com/heart_rate_basics.htm

All About the Heart website for kids
http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/body/heart_noSW.html

Multiple day activity for students to continue their investigation into heart rate.
http://www.the-aps.org/education/k12curric/activities/pdfs/peterson.PDF#search='affect%20of%20exercise%20on%20heart%20rate'

This website, from the Cleveland Clinic discusses exercise for a healthy heart, how to get started, and which exercises are the best
http://www.webmd.com/content/pages/9/1675_57839.htm