Heart Rate and Physical Fitness
Recommended for grades 6–12.
Introduction
The circulatory system is responsible for the internal transport of many vital substances in humans, including oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nutrients. The components of the circulatory system include the heart, blood vessels, and blood. Heartbeats result from electrical stimulation of the heart cells by the pacemaker, located in the heart’s inner wall of the right atrium. Although the electrical activity of the pacemaker originates from within the heart, the rhythmic sequence of impulses produced by the pacemaker is influenced by nerves outside the heart. Many things might affect heart rate, including the physical fitness of the individual, the presence of drugs such as caffeine or nicotine in the blood, and the age of the person.
In this experiment, you will evaluate your physical fitness. An arbitrary rating system will be used to “score” fitness during a variety of situations. Tests will be made while in a resting position, in a prone position, as well as during and after physical exercise.
Objectives
In this experiment, you will
- Determine the effect of body position on heart rates.
- Determine the effect of exercise on heart rates.
- Determine your fitness level.
- Correlate the fitness level of individuals with factors such as smoking, the amount of daily exercise, and other factors identified by students.
Sensors and Equipment
This experiment requires each of the following Vernier sensors and equipment (unless otherwise noted):
Additional Requirements
You may also need an interface and software for data collection. What do I need for data collection?
Download Experiment Preview
The student-version preview includes:
- Step-by-step instructions for computer-based data collection
- List of materials and equipment
Note: The experiment preview of the computer edition does not include essential teacher information, safety tips, or sample data. Instructions for Logger Pro and other software (such as LabQuest App or TI handheld software, where available) are on the CD that accompanies the book. We strongly recommend that you purchase the book before performing experiments.
Standards Correlations
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Included in the Lab Book
Vernier lab books include a CD with word-processing files of the student instructions, essential teacher information, suggested answers, sample data and graphs, and more.