Name: ______

Determination of Your Heart Performance Score

If you exercise hard, your heartbeat rate, or pulse rate, increases. The amount that it increases depends on how fit you are. A strong heart pumps blood more efficiently than a weak one. Therefore, the pulse rate of a fit person will not increase as much with exercise as will the pulse rate of an unfit person. In this experiment you will find out how fit your heart is by calculating your Heart Performance Score (HPS).

Materials:

pencil,partner, stop watch

For all pulse rate measurements, use either the radial (wrist) pulse or the carotid (neck) pulse. Count the number of beats in the pulse for 15 seconds, then multiply by 4 to get the pulse rate for 1 minute.

Number of beats in 15 seconds x 4 = Pulse rate for 1 minute

Procedure:

  1. Lie down flat, and don’t move or talk for 3 minutes. Then, while you are still lying down, take your pulse. DON’T sit up to take the pulse. Record it in the table.
  2. Stand up, wait 10 seconds, then take your pulse. Record it in the table.
  3. Subtract your pulse in #1 (lying down) from your pulse in #2 (standing up). Record the difference in your table.
  4. Exercise to elevate your heart rate. Step up and down stairs for 1 minute, at the rate of at least 20 steps in the minute (about like jogging). After the minute is up, immediately take your pulse rate and record it in the table.
  5. Rest for 1 minute, then take your pulse rate again and record it.
  6. Calculate your Heart Performance Score, as shown in the table.

A. / Pulse rate after lying down for 1 minute / ______beats/minute
B. / Pulse rate after standing for 10 seconds / ______beats/minute
C. / Subtract B from A ( A – B = __ ) / ______
D. / Pulse rate after exercising for 1 minute / ______beats/minute
E. / Pulse rate after resting for 1 minute / ______beats/minute
Add all numbers from A to E / ______Total HPS
* / My general fitness level is: / ______

*To determine your general fitness level, find your score in the table below:

HPS / General Fitness Level / HPS / General Fitness Level
200 – 250 / Endurance athlete / 350 – 375 / Fairly good
250 – 300 / Athletic / 375 – 400 / Fair
300 – 325 / Very good / 400 – 450 / Poor
325 – 350 / good / 450 – 500 / Very poor

Analysis:

  1. Are you physically fit (in good shape)?
  1. What could you do to improve your fitness level?
  1. What is the effect of exercise on the heart?
  1. What happens to your heart rate as you exercise? Why?
  1. What happens to your breathing rate as you exercise? Why?
  1. Create a table to collect the data from all males and all females in your class. Once you have collected this individual data, find the average fitness score for the males and the average fitness score for the females. Find the average for the whole class.

Males / Females
Average for Males / Average for females:
  1. Write a general conclusion about this lab experiment.