Annie McFadden

TA: Lauren Bruce

Exercise Physiology Lab Report
Introduction:
The body goes through many different changes when a person engages in exercise. An
individuals heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen concentration, carbon dioxide concentration, and
temperature are all affected. Once the body senses these changes it reacts to negate or reverse the
condition. This process is known as a negative feedback loop and is an important way the body
maintains homeostasis. During exercise, an individuals heart rate and blood pressure increase.
With this rise in heart rate and blood pressure the body is able to supply more oxygenated blood
to your muscles. As the muscles require more oxygen, breathing rate increases. This causes the
body to inhale more oxygen than normal while exhaling an increased amount of carbon dioxide.
Temperature also increases during exercise, which signals your blood vessels to dilate to promote
body-cooling mechanisms (Hughes, 2011).
The experiment conducted can be helpful for exercise physiologist, sports medicine
physicians, and other practitioners. It can also be beneficial to athletes and everyday people
trying to achieve better health. According to the medical journal Exercise Physiology and its
Role in Clinical Sports Medicine, Many areas of sports medicine practice, including exercise
testing, safety, performance evaluation, correction of training problems, and prevention of
problems that affect specific populations, benefit from the application of exercise physiology
theory and research. The journal goes on to report that the findings of exercise physiology
research are being used to help athletes achieve their peak performance and non-athletes to
improve their health through exercise (Russell, 2004).

It is hypothesized that heart rate, carbon dioxide clearance, oxygen consumption,

temperature and mean arterial pressure will all increase with exercise, whereas hemoglobin
saturation will relatively remain the same.
Methods:
The subjects in this experiment were two female college students ages twenty and twenty
one. Subject one was 62 inches and weighed 60 kilograms, whereas subject two reported to be 64
inches and weighed 75 kilograms. They both stated they did not smoke and for this experiment
were instructed to run on the treadmill for 15 minutes. The experiment began by measuring their
blood pressure, temperature and heart rate at rest. This information was collected while the
subjects remained seated, six minutes and three minutes prior to stepping on the treadmill. The
resting heart rates acted as the control in this experiment because those results were used to
compare the physiological changes that occurred during rest, exercise and recovery. The resting
heart rate is also very important in calculating the subjects Maximal Heart Rate (MHR). It is
assumed that 80% of Maximal Heart Rate is a safe exercise heart rate so once the subject reaches
their MHR the experiment must stop (Waters and Tomicek, 2016). The treadmill in this
experiment was set at 5 mph and the incline increased every 3 minutes by 3 degrees. Once
exercise began, measurements using the gas analyzer, spirometer and pulse oximeter were also
taken at 3-minute intervals. Forty-five seconds prior to the 3-minute mark the gas analyzer would
be signaled to take measurements of the subjects exhaled tidal CO2 and exhaled tidal O2. The
exhaled tidal CO2 was calculated using the formula (CO2 clearance (LCO2/min) = CO2 of
exhaled air x tidal volume (L/breath) x respiratory rate (bpm)). The exhaled tidal O2 was
calculated using the formula (O2 consumption (LO2/min) = (0.209 O2 of air exhaled) x tidal
volume (L/breath) x respiratory rate (bpm)) (Waters and Tomicek, 2016). Immediately after the

gas analyzer gathered these measurements the spirometer was then used to measure the subjects
respiratory volume. While this measurement was being taken the pulse oximeter was also being
placed on the subjects finger to monitor the hemoglobin saturation and heart rate.
After the exercise portion ended, 3 minutes were reserved to monitoring the subjects
blood pressure, temperature and pulse oximeter. To measure blood pressure a
sphygmomanometer was used and the output was calculated into the mean arterial pressure using
the formula (MAP = (2/3) DP + (1/3 SP) (Waters and Tomicek, 2016). These measurements
were taken before and after exercise because it would be difficult to accurately monitor them
while the subject is running. After these 3 minutes of rest ended the subject returned to the
treadmill and walked for another 3 minutes. The same measurements (blood pressure,
temperature and pulse oximeter) where taken yet again once the subject ended their recovery
walk during 3 minutes of rest and again during 6 minutes of rest.

Figure 1: Changes in Heart Rate

140
120
100
Heart Rate (bpm)

80

Subject 1
Subject 2

60
40
20
0

Results:

Figure 1 shows the subjects heart rate before, during and after exercise.
There is a gap within subject twos data because she was unable to run for
longer than 6 minutes.

Figure 2: Changes in Carbon Dioxide Consumption

Subject 1
Subject 2

Figure 2 shows the subjects carbon dioxide clearance before, during

and after exercise. There is a gap within subject twos data because
she was unable to run longer than 6 minutes.

Figure 3: Changes in Oxygen Consumption

2
1.5
1
Oxygen Consumption
L O2/Min

Subject 1

0.5

Subject 2

Time in Minutes

Figure 3 shows the subjects oxygen consumption before, during and after
exercise. There is a gap within subject twos data because she was unable
to run longer than 6 minutes.

Condition
Rest

Time
0
3
12
3
6

Exercise
Recovery

Condition
Rest
Exercise
Recovery

Subject 1

Time

Subject 2
87
87
107
97
93

Subject 1
0
3
12
3
6

93
97
110
97
93

Subject 2
35.3
35.6
33
35.6
35.5

35.5
35.2
35.6
35.7
35.8

Table 1: Temperature

Table 2: Mean Arterial Pressure

Table 1 shows the subjects Temperature before, directly after exercise and after
recovery.
Figure 4 shows the subjects hemoglobin saturation before, during and after
exercise. There is a gap within subject twos data because she was unable
to run longer than 6 minutes

Table 2 shows the subjects Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) before, directly after
exercise and after recovery.
The charts above show the changes in the subjects heart rate, carbon dioxide clearance,
oxygen consumption and hemoglobin saturation. Figure 1 displays that both of the subjects heart
rate levels increased during exercise and decreased during the recovery period. Figure 2 shows
that subject two had a sharp increase in their carbon dioxide clearance during exercise, whereas
subject ones carbon dioxide levels relatively stayed the same and then increased during
recovery. Figure 3 shows that the results appear to be the same as the carbon dioxide clearance
results. Subject ones oxygen consumption relatively remained the same and then had a sharp
increase during recovery. This differs from subject two whose levels appeared to increase during
exercise and decrease during recovery. As for both of the subjects hemoglobin saturation, figure
4 displays that their levels remained the same during exercise and recovery.
Table 1 and 2 is displaying the subjects temperature and mean arterial pressure before,
directly following exercise and right after recovery. Subject ones temperature decreased after
exercise and then increased after recovery. This differs from subject two whose temperature kept
increasing from rest until recovery. Table 2 shows that both subjects mean arterial pressure
increased significantly after exercise and then decreased after the recovery period.

Discussion
It is hypothesized that the subjects heart rate, carbon dioxide clearance, oxygen
consumption, temperature and mean arterial pressure will increase during exercise, whereas their

hemoglobin saturation will relatively remain the same. The data in Figure 1 supports the
hypothesis that the heart rate levels of both subjects will increase. This occurred due to the fact
that during exercise the heart must speed up and pump extra oxygen to the muscles. Heart rate
increases directly as you increase exercise intensity. This is why both of the subjects heart rate
levels increased as the treadmill incline increased and as more time went by.
As for the subjects carbon dioxide clearance rates and oxygen consumption levels,
subject ones results do not seem to match the hypothesis. Subject ones carbon dioxide clearance
rates and oxygen consumption levels increased from rest up until the 6-minute mark of exercise
and then began to decrease until she stopped. This is not what was hypothesized because as
mentioned, there needs an adequate amount of oxygen circulating through the body when
exercising. Carbon dioxide clearance levels need to increase as well due to the fact that carbon
dioxide causes the blood to become acidic, which can be dangerous while exercising. On the
other hand subject twos carbon dioxide clearance rates and oxygen consumption levels appeared
match the hypothesis. This can be caused by a number of reasons including error in the
measurements or with the equipment.
The data reported in Figure 4 shows that both of the subjects hemoglobin saturation
remained the same during exercise and recovery, which is what was hypothesized. In order to
remain healthy, hemoglobin is 98% saturated with oxygen during normal respiration. It is
abnormal for the body to increase in saturation, however, it is not rare for the body to become
less saturated. The body becomes less saturated with hemoglobin when there is a high carbon
dioxide concentration and a need for oxygen.
Table 1 shows that subject ones temperature decreased after exercise and then increased
during recovery. This does not match the hypothesis because during exercise temperature

increases, the body senses this, and triggers the appropriate cooling mechanisms. Subject twos
temperature appeared to increase during exercise, however, it continued to increase during
recovery. Similar to the carbon dioxide clearance rates and oxygen consumption levels the exact
cause of these results is unknown. These discrepancies could be caused by misinterpreted data or
error using the thermometer.
Table 2 represents the subjects mean arterial pressure (MAP) and supports the hypothesis
that these levels will increase. Both subject one and subject twos MAP increased during exercise
and decreased during recovery. These calculations are based on the subjects blood pressure. As
previously mentioned, heart rate increases to provide oxygenated blood to the muscles, this in
turn causes blood pressure to rise (Waters and Tomicek, 2016). During exercise, systolic blood
pressure rises because the heart must work harder to pump more blood with each contraction to
keep your muscles supplied with oxygen (Miller, 2015).
Besides a few discrepancies in the carbon dioxide clearance and oxygen consumption for
subject one as well as the temperature measurements the remaining data in this experiment
matched the hypothesis. These differences can result from a number of reasons including
entering in wrong information or misuse of the equipment. Also as noted in the graphs both of
the subjects were not able to complete the full 15 minutes of running or reach their Maximal
Heart Rate. This resulted in less data measurements to interpret. Besides a few inconsistencies
this experiment can provide beneficial data to many. As stated above, understanding these
physiological changes can help exercise physiologists, sports medicine physicians, other
practitioners, athletes and everyday people. Medical practitioners can use data collected from an
experiment like this to help athletes reach their maximum peak performance. This can also be
used to educate people on safe ways to improve their health through exercise.

References
Hughes, Martin. The Effects of Exercise on the Body Systems. Livestrong. May 2011. Web. 20
April 2016 http://www.livestrong.com/article/123164-effects-exercise-body-systems/

Miller, Joe. About Systolic & Diastolic Pressure During Exercise. Livestrong. Apr. 2015. Web.
20 Apr. 2016 http://www.livestrong.com/article/183287-about-systolic-diastolicblood-pressure-during-exercise/
Pate, Russell R., and J. Larry Durstine. "Exercise physiology and its role in clinical sports
medicine." Southern Medical Journal Sept. 2004: 881+. Academic OneFile. Web. 14 Apr.
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