Joy Li

Biology 473 Section 2

Javier Solivan and Mary Chen
Exercise Physiology
Introduction
Human bodies have the ability to take on exceptional physical stress, however, this stress is not
taken on without drastic changes within body. These physiological changes are incurred to
provide energy for the body, and affect factors like heart rate, temperature, mean arterial blood
pressure, oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide clearance, and hemoglobin saturation. Exercise
physiology can be studied to see how these changes occur specifically, and be used to understand
extreme levels of physical stress in athletes, or the body's potential maximum stress that can be
taken on in life-or-death situations.
In this experiment, the effect of physiological stress was studied through treadmill
exercise, with focus on heart rate, carbon dioxide clearance, oxygen consumption, temperature,
hemoglobin saturation, and mean arterial pressure. In theory, the physical stress will lead to some
form of change in these factors, while a recovery period is expected to bring these factors back to
their original baseline. For heart rate, oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide clearance, and
temperature, an increase is expected from the resting values with the start of physical exercise.
These values then should decrease during a recovery period, theoretically to the point of the
original values. Exercise requires greater blood circulation, pushing up heart rate as the body
demands oxygen and the removal of carbon dioxide. Increased respiration rate and tidal volume
for the purpose of aerobic respiration result in an increased oxygen consumption during exercise.
An oxygen deficit created by the difference in energy use and oxygen supply is compensated for

by postexercise consumption. (Silverthorn, 2015) Similarly, CO2 is produced during cellular

respiration which is occurring at a faster rate, increasing CO2 and increasing the removal of CO2.
Temperature of the body increases as a result of the energy used by muscles. The body
compensates by pumping the heat to the skin where sweat functions to cool down the body. The
homeostasis of CO2 and O2 are regulated by medullary chemoreceptors and carotid/aortic
chemoreceptors, respectively. (Semeza, 1998) Muscle, joint, and tendon stretch receptors cause
an increase in respiration rate. Hemoglobin saturation is expected to decrease from resting with
the start of exercise, and then decrease back to baseline during recovery. This occurs due to a
decrease in blood pH and an increase in temperature, causing oxygen to be released, lowering
hemoglobin saturation (100 percent saturation means that it cannot grab as many). (Waters,
2016) Mean arterial pressure should increase very, very, slightly from resting to exercise, due to
an increase in cardiac output, but this is coupled with a drop in vascular resistance and
vasodilation, resulting in a MAP that is nearly the same. (Silverthorn, 2015)
Methods
Four subjects were assigned to complete the exercise activity, which consisted of a resting
period, an exercise period, and a recovery period. During the resting period, the subjects were
asked to be seated and relaxed while measurements for heart rate, tidal volume, respiration rate,
hemoglobin saturation, temperature, and blood pressure were taken, first at 0 minutes and then at
3 minutes. A gas analyzer was used to measure exhaled tidal CO2, exhaled tidal O2, and
respiration rate. Tidal volume was measured by spirometer, hemoglobin saturation and heart rate
with a pulse oximeter, and temperature with an oral thermometer. A sphygmomanometer and
stethoscope were used to measure blood pressure. The measurements taken during the resting
period were treated as baseline measurements of the different factors. These measurements were

taken again at 3 minute intervals, with the exception of blood pressure and temperature (because
of difficulty in obtaining these factors during the exercise activity), during the exercise portion of
the activity where the participants ran on a treadmill until exercise heart rate was reached. The
resting period data was used to calculate the Maximal Heart Rate of each of the subjects, and an
assumed 80% of that value was identified as the safe Exercise Heart Rate. The exercise period
lasted for a maximum of 12 minutes, after which measurements of temperature and blood
pressure were immediately taken. Afterwards, all of the measurements were taken again for the
recovery period, which consisted of the subject walking on the treadmill in "cool down mode".
These measurements were taken at 0 minutes and 3 minutes. Data was collected at 3 minute
intervals throughout the entirety of the activity. Carbon dioxide clearance was not recorded
during the activity, but was to be calculated with (CO2 of exhaled air)*(Tidal Volume)*(Resp.
Rate). Oxygen consumption was calculated from the data by (0.209-O2 of exhaled air)*(Tidal
Volume)*(Resp. Rate) and Mean Arterial Pressure calculated by Diastolic Pressure - [1/3 Pulse
Pressure].
Results
Figure 1 summarizes the measurements of heart rate of the four subjects throughout the activity,
starting with measurements at 0 and 3 minutes of resting, at 3, 6, 9, and 12 minutes of exercise,
and at 0 and 3 minutes of recovery. Heart rate was fairly constant and low for the four subjects
during resting measurements, and overall, increased significantly over the exercise period. Heart
rate then decreased slightly throughout the recovery phase, but did not return to the original
resting heart rate. Figure 2 summarizes the measurements of hemoglobin saturation throughout
the activity, with measurements taken at the same points as heart rate. Hemoglobin saturation for
the four subjects started very nearly at 100%, before decreasing at the exercise period. Recovery

measurements saw a slight increase in saturation, but not to the point of returning to baseline.
Figure 3 summarizes the measurements of oxygen consumption of the four subjects throughout
the activity, with measurements taken at the same points as heart rate and hemoglobin saturation.
The oxygen consumption lacked a clear trend for the four subjects. In general, there was an
average decrease during the resting measurements, and an average, slight increase during the
exercise period. Finally, the recovery measurements indicated a decrease in oxygen consumption
from the exercise period, and showed no significant change throughout the recovery period.
However, the data of the four subjects for this measurement was not all consistent with a lack of
significant trends. Figure 4 summarizes the measurement of temperature throughout the activity,
at 0 and 3 minutes of resting period, at the end of exercise, and at 3 and 6 minutes of recovery
period. The average temperature increased from the first resting measurement to the second
resting measurement (34.9 to 35.9C), decreased slightly to the measurement at the end of
exercise (35.0C), increased slightly to the first recovery measurement (35.5C), and increased
slightly again to the second recovery measurement (35.8C). Figure 5 summarizes the
measurements of mean arterial pressure throughout the activity, with measurements taken at the
same points as temperature. The average MAP increased during the resting period (88.3 to 89.0
mmHg), increased to the average measurement at the end of exercise (99.5 mmHg), decreased to
the first recovery measurement (88.5 mmHg), and decreased again to the second recovery
measurement (85.5 mmHg). The average MAP at the end of exercise was significantly greater
than the average measurements of the recovery and the resting periods. None of the subjects
exceeded 12 minutes during the exercise phase. Additionally, Carbon Dioxide clearance was
intended to be recorded over the course of the activity, but instrumental errors rendered it
impossible to do so.

Figure 1: Graph 1: Changes in Heart Rate

Heart Rate (bpm) over Time (min)

Heart Rate (bpm)

200
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0

Heart Rate (bpm) Subject 1

Heart Rate (bpm) Subject 2
Heart Rate (bpm) Subject 3
Heart Rate (bpm) Subject 4

Time Point (min)

Heart Rate was measured for the four subjects throughout the course of the activity, with measurements taken at 0
and 3 minutes of resting, at 3, 6, 9, and 12 minutes of exercise, and 0 and 3 minutes of recovery.

Figure 2: Graph 2: Changes in Hemoglobin Saturation

Hemoglobin Saturation (%) over Time (min)

120

Hemoglobin Saturation (%)

100

Hemoglobin Saturation (%)

Subject 1

80

Hemoglobin Saturation (%)

Subject 2

60

Hemoglobin Saturation (%)

Subject 3

40

Hemoglobin Saturation (%)

Subject 4

20
0
Time Point (min)

Hemoglobin Saturation was measured with a pulse oximeter on the subject's finger for the four subjects throughout
the course of the activity, with measurements taken at 0 and 3 minutes of resting, at 3, 6, 9, and 12 minutes of
exercise, and at 0 and 3 minutes of recovery.

Figure 3: Graph 3: Changes in Oxygen Consumption

Oxygen Consumption (L O2 /min) over Time (min)

6
5
4
Oxygen Consumption (L O2 /min)

3
2
1

Oxygen Consumption (L
O2 /min) Subject 1
Oxygen Consumption (L
O2 /min) Subject 2
Oxygen Consumption (L
O2 /min) Subject 3
Oxygen Consumption (L
O2 /min) Subject 4

0
Time Point (min)

Oxygen consumption was recorded for the four subjects throughout the course of the activity, with measurements
recorded at 0 and 3 minutes of resting, at 3, 6, 9, and 12 minutes of exercise, and at 0 and 3 minutes of recovery.
Oxygen consumption can be calculated by (0.209-exhaled O2)*(Tidal Volume)*(Respiration Rate), where 0.209
represents atmospheric concentration of O2.

Time Point
Resting
0 min
Resting
3 min
End of Exercise
Recovery
3 min
Recovery
6 min

Figure 4: Table 1: Temperature

Temperature (C)
Subject 1
Subject 2
35.2
35.6
--*
35.9
34.9
36.0
34.4
36.5
35.2
36.8

Subject 3
33.6
34.6
33.5
35.3
35.8

Subject 4
35.2
35.8
35.6
35.6
35.4

Temperature was measured with an oral thermometer under the tongue for the four subjects throughout the course of
the activity, with measurements taken at 0 and 3 minutes of resting, at the end of exercise, and at 0 and 3 minutes of
recovery.
*temperature was not recorded for the second resting point measurement of Subject 1.

Time Point
Resting
0 min
Resting
3 min
End of Exercise
Recovery
3 min
Recovery
6 min

Figure 5: Table 2: Mean Arterial Pressure

Mean Arterial Pressure (mmHg)
Subject 1
Subject 2
Subject 3
89
87
92
87
89
88
91
106
94
85
94
85
79
93
85

Subject 4
85
92
107
90
85

Mean Arterial Pressure was recorded for the four subjects throughout the course of the activity, with measurements
of blood pressure taken at 0 and 3 minutes of resting, at the end of exercise, and at 0 and 3 minutes of recovery.
MAP can be calculated by Diastolic Pressure - [1/3 Pulse Pressure].

Discussion

Heart rate increased with exercise, and nearly returned to baseline during recovery, consistent
with the original hypothesis. Hemoglobin saturation decreased during exercise and increased
during recovery, which was also consistent with the original hypothesis. Oxygen consumption
increased on average during exercise, which then decreased during recovery, which was
consistent with the original hypothesis. Temperature did not change significantly throughout the
experiment, which was not consistent with the original hypothesis. However, that hypothesis was
concerned with internal temperature, which is expected to rise with exercise. Skin temperature,
on the other hand, should not change much throughout, due to heat dissipation on the body
surface, which is more consistent with the results of the study. Mean arterial pressure showed an
increase after exercise, and a decrease to recovery. This was not supported by the hypothesis that
there would generally be no change. However, it is supported by the fact that there should be a
slight increase due to an increase in cardiac output. Finally, carbon dioxide clearance was to be
measured, but due to instrumental errors, this did not occur. Regardless, clearance was expected
to increase because of an increase in cellular respiration and CO2 production.
Although a majority of the hypotheses matched the results, the data was not as strong as
it could have been. For each of the factors, at least one of the subjects demonstrated
contradictory trends to the expected trends. The averages supported the results, except for in the
cases of the MAP and the temperature, but the data was weak. Stronger data could have been
achieved through measurements taken more frequently, for instance, every 2 minutes or every
minute, for more accurate data. Measurements taken every 3 minutes left room for a great deal of
unknown data. Additionally, more subjects could be enlisted in future studies so that there would
be less room for error. Sources of error include pneumotachometer not laying perfectly flat from
measurement to measurement, for maximum consistency, affecting the accuracy of data. Certain

measurements may not have been taken as quickly as possible after the end of exercise, allowing
for a slight normalization of numbers. Instead, the measurements should have been taken
immediately after the subjects left the treadmill. Other errors include not allowing enough time
for the recovery period, so that the values did not quite normalize fully. A 6 or 9 minute recovery
period would result in more accurate data. Finally, the entire process of running during the
collection of data made it very difficult to obtain accurate numbers, in comparison to a stationary
subject, due to the various factors at play. This made data collected during the running exercise
and during the recovery and resting period inconsistent with each other.

References
Silverthorn, Dee U. Human Physiology. 7th Ed. Pearson, 2015. Print.
Waters, John R., and Nanette J. Tomicek. Physiology Laboratory Manual. 3rd Ed. Plymouth:
Hayden-McNeil, 2016. Print.
Semenza, Gregg L. Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1: Master Regulator of O2 Homeostasis. Current
Opinion in Genetics and Development, Volume 8, 1998.