Pulse Rates

GCSE Practical Investigation

Pulse Rates

Introduction

In this experiment I’m going to investigate pulse rates and the factors that affect pulse rates. Every time the heart or cardiac muscle contracts it registers a pulse. The pulse is caused by the action of the heart as it pumps blood throughout the body. Depending on the amount of blood pumped through the arteries, the arteries expand and contract and the blood being pumped through the arteries causes a pressure wave that you feel as your pulse. You can check your pulse in several places:

Just over the temple at the side of your head, this is known as the ‘Temporal pulse’.
At the base of the thumb on the inside of the wrist, this is known as the ‘Radial pulse’.
On either side of the neck, this is known as the ‘Cartoid pulse’.
On the inside of the groin, this is known as the ‘Femoral pulse’.

The heart needs to pump blood around the body because; the blood contains haemoglobin, which carries oxygen, to the muscle tissue for respiration.

Factors to investigate

The factor that I’m going to investigate is how the duration of exercise affects the pulse rate.

Apparatus

During my investigation I will use a stopwatch, an exercise step, sensible shoes and a safe area to exercise.

Prediction

I think that the longer I exercise for the higher my pulse rate will go. I think this because the muscles contract at a faster rate during exercise meaning they will need more ...

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The heart needs to pump blood around the body because; the blood contains haemoglobin, which carries oxygen, to the muscle tissue for respiration.

Factors to investigate

The factor that I’m going to investigate is how the duration of exercise affects the pulse rate.

Apparatus

During my investigation I will use a stopwatch, an exercise step, sensible shoes and a safe area to exercise.

Prediction

I think that the longer I exercise for the higher my pulse rate will go. I think this because the muscles contract at a faster rate during exercise meaning they will need more energy. The muscles get their energy from respiration, which uses glucose and oxygen, which is contained in the blood. To get the glucose and oxygen needed the heart will have to pump faster, causing the pulse rate to increase.

Method

I will work safely when carrying out the investigation by wearing sensible shoes, not exercising for too long a period, resting in between tests, warming up before exercising and exercising in a safe area. I will keep the test fair by accurate timekeeping, using an accurate stopwatch to carry out timing and use the same person to time each test to reduce human error. I will take my pulse by counting the number of beats in 30 seconds and multiply it by two, I will use my right artery to take my pulse. I will exercise by stepping on an exercise stepper at a consistent pace for 1, 2 and then 3 minutes. I will carry out the investigation by taking my resting pulse. Exercising for 1 minute. Taking my pulse. Allowing my pulse to go back to resting rate. Exercising for 2 minutes. Taking my pulse. Allowing my pulse to go back to resting rate. Exercising for 3 minutes. Taking my pulse. Recording my results.

Results

Analysis

My results follow a common trend because when exercise begins the muscles begin to contract at faster rate, causing more oxygen to be used up through respiration, this causes the heart to pump faster to produce more oxygen for respiration, to gain energy for the muscles. This why both pulse rates increased.

Evaluation

I think my experiment went very well as I have conclusive results that show pulse rates increase according to the amount of exercise performed. To improve my experiment I could have performed the experiment more than once, measured the pulse rates with a computer and made sure both people did the exercise at the same pace. Although my results prove that pulse rates depending on the amount of exercise performed, I think that if the exercise amount stayed the same the pulse rate would stay the same, because energy would be used up at the same rate.