Heartbeat
Introduction: The human heart rate can change depending on many variables, one such variable is the body’s reaction to certain types of food. Wasabi is an excellent example of a food type that incites a reaction, as anyone who’s ever eaten it before would agree. This reaction could best be described as agony when not diluted with other flavors. The irritating compounds in wasabi (isothiocyanates) are volatile which means they rise up the roof of the mouth and go towards the nose (Why Wasabi Bites, epicurious.com), they then activate pain receptors which set off our sympathetic “fight or flight” nervous system response. This makes wasabi a well suited material for a heart rate experiment.
Research Question: Does wasabi have a noticeable effect on the human heart rate?
Hypothesis: Due to wasabi’s pain inducing nature I predict a sharp increase in heart rate 30 seconds after ingestion. The body’s sympathetic nervous system is very good at responding quickly and for that reason I think 30 seconds is the optimum amount of time to best record any changes in heart rate. When this nervous response kicks in quite a few changes occur throughout the body: pupils dilate, palms perspire, saliva production is reduced, heart rate and force is increased, norepinephrine and epinephrine are secreted into the blood stream (Autonomic Nervous System,faculty.washington.edu). These changes that occur are very characteristic of the signs that are shown after ingesting wasabi at any significant dose. This solidifies my prediction then, that ingestion of wasabi causes an increase in heart rate.
Materials:
* Scale * Wasabi * Tasteless Cracker (to properly deliver the allotted dose of wasabi) * Timer * Table * Chair * Participants
Variables:
* Independent: The ingestion of one gram of wasabi and a small cracker on which the wasabi is placed. * Dependant: Heart rate (beats per minute) of the subject. * Controlled: The temperature of the
Research Question: Does wasabi have a noticeable effect on the human heart rate?
Hypothesis: Due to wasabi’s pain inducing nature I predict a sharp increase in heart rate 30 seconds after ingestion. The body’s sympathetic nervous system is very good at responding quickly and for that reason I think 30 seconds is the optimum amount of time to best record any changes in heart rate. When this nervous response kicks in quite a few changes occur throughout the body: pupils dilate, palms perspire, saliva production is reduced, heart rate and force is increased, norepinephrine and epinephrine are secreted into the blood stream (Autonomic Nervous System,faculty.washington.edu). These changes that occur are very characteristic of the signs that are shown after ingesting wasabi at any significant dose. This solidifies my prediction then, that ingestion of wasabi causes an increase in heart rate.
Materials:
* Scale * Wasabi * Tasteless Cracker (to properly deliver the allotted dose of wasabi) * Timer * Table * Chair * Participants
Variables:
* Independent: The ingestion of one gram of wasabi and a small cracker on which the wasabi is placed. * Dependant: Heart rate (beats per minute) of the subject. * Controlled: The temperature of the