Experiment #: 10

Date: January 19, 2023

Topic: Circulatory System

Aim: To find the effects exercise has on the circulatory system.

Apparatus: stopwatch, student participant.

Procedure:

1. The pulse rate of a student at rest was taken.

2. The pulse rate of that student immediately after 5 minutes of strenuous exercise was

taken every minute until the pulse rate returned to normal.

3. The results were recorded in a table and a graph of pulse rate against time was plotted.

Results:

Initial Pulse Rate: 54 beats per minute

TABLE SHOWING THE PULSE RATE OF A STUDENT IN EACH MINUTE FOR 10 MINUTES

Minutes Pulse rate/beats min-1 Minutes Pulse rate/beats min-1

1st 127 6th 69

2nd 95 7th 63

3rd 82 8th 57

4th 79 9th 56

5th 75 10th 52
Discussion:

In this experiment the effects of exercise on the circulatory system was investigated.

Aerobic exercise can have various short-term effects on the body. One such effect is increasing

one’s heart rate. The heart rate/pulse rate refers to the number of times the heart beats per minute.

Before exercise the brain sends nerve impulses along a sympathetic nerve to the sinoatrial node

(SAN) stimulating it to contract at a faster rate. Once exercise begins, and the muscles are

respiring at a faster rate, cardiac output is further increased causing an increase in the heart/pulse

rate.

On the graph there is a sharp ascended line from the initial pulse rate of 54 bpm to 127

bpm immediately after the first minute of exercise. As time elapses the heart rate becomes

progressively less until it reached a pulse rate of 52 bpm. This is indicated by the graph’s

subsequent descension as it passes through the points.

From the results obtained in the table, it can be observed that the pulse rate immediately

after strenuous exercise in the 1st minute records the highest rate of 127 bpm. This is because

during the strenuous exercise enough oxygen was not being supplied to the muscles fast enough

which caused them to depend on anaerobic respiration. The maximum rate at which oxygen is

used, before the muscles have to make the switch, is called VO2 max. The production of lactate

(lactic acid) occurs which causes the muscles to cease functioning. This build-up of lactic acid is

the reason for oxygen debt. Oxygen debt is a temporary oxygen shortage in the body tissues

arising from vigorous exercise. The circulatory system responds by increasing the heart rate to

ensure an adequate supply of oxygen and removal of carbon dioxide.

Moreover, by increasing heart rate the following physiological effects will occur:
 1. There will be an increase in the number of red blood cells. This increases the ability of

the blood to carry oxygen.

2. There will be an increase in the size of the heart muscle, especially in the walls of the left

ventricle. This increases the force with which the muscle can contract and force blood out

of the heart.

3. There will be an increase in stroke volume i.e., the volume of blood that is forced out of

the heart with each beat.

4. There will be an increase in cardiac efficiency i.e., the work output that the heart

produces for each unit of oxygen that it uses.

After the pulse rate of 127 bpm there was a continual decrease until the pulse rate finally

dropped to 52 bpm which resembled the initial pulse rate at rest of 54 bpm. This because as the

student stopped exercising for a while there was a recovery of oxygen. This is known as the

heart rate recovery period i.e., the time taken for the heart rate to return to normal after exercise–

decreases with training. Furthermore, as the student breathed he/she obtained oxygen and

expelled carbon dioxide causing the removal of lactic acid.

Conclusion: The effect of exercise on the circulatory system was investigated. From this

experiment it can be concluded that vigorous exercise produces an increase in heart rate.

Limitations:

1. External factors other than exercise such as medication or drugs may have caused

irregularities in the pulse rates obtained.

2. The student may have an unknown heart condition which could have caused incorrect

pulse rates.