When performing an exercise, the demand for energy increases because the body has to supply both food and oxygen at the same time.
This it the reason why the pulse rate and breathing rate rapidly increases during exercise. Pulse rate increases when the blood rapidly gets pumped by the ventricles, causing the arteries to expand. As well as it is an indication that extra food and oxygen are being transferred throughout the body. Breathing rates increase due to the fact that during exercise, the demand for oxygen increases to help support the muscles and burn calories more efficiently. Also, when the intensity of exercise increases, more carbon dioxide is produced. So by having a faster breathing rate, it can help deliver more oxygen to the muscles and allow carbon dioxide to be expired more quickly
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As a person is exercising, the heart responds to that demand. The harder and the more intense the exercise is, the higher the pulse and heart rate will be. As a matter of fact, it varies for each person because of their genetics and how fit the person is. It is natural for the pulse to be elevated after performing the exercise, but it depends on the amount of time the heart rate is elevated. If the pulse rate remains elevated for more than 24 hours, then it is a sign of an abnormal rhythm of heart rate called tachycardia as well as the body needs a certain amount of rest. The heart rate also takes time because of 3 crucial processes throughout the body. Breathing rate returns to normal when the body gets supplied with extra oxygen to get rid of lactic acid. The body takes time to replenish the amount of glycogen and the muscles suffer micro tears which need to be repaired. (2)
An athlete's heart rate would differ from non-athlete because of the physical appearance and other factors including diet. An athlete tends to have more muscles and less body fat compared to other people. These are the reasons why that the heart rate is as low as 40 beats per minute while an average person’s heart rate is 60-100 beats per minute. Other factors considering the difference in an athlete's heart rate is that, due to the fact that the heart muscle is strong and the cardiovascular system is healthy, the heart pumps more blood per beat which in other terms is known as stroke volume. Athletes also maintain their body and overall health which helps them defend from developing diseases such as osteoporosis. A scientific study by American Heart Association shows that when a person regularly exercises for an hour, they gain two hours of additional life expectancy. (2)
During the experiment, not many errors were conducted, but the following faults could have occurred. Time might not be exact because during the experiment, the person who was performing the exercise recorded and kept track of the time. The second error could have been that the level of intensity for the exercise might not have been conducted appropriately. Due to the amount of time and intensity (fast) of the exercise, the amount of energy in a person’s body could have decreased as well as the experiment could have been done at a slower pace. Finally, with a possibility of an error was that the distance that was covered might not have been accurate. Due to the fact that the levels of intensity varied, the distance that was supposed to be covered might have been lower or higher than the procedure time. (3)