Lesson 2.2: Recovery Time

When you are physically active, your body has to work harder to supply your muscles and organ systems with extra oxygen and nutrients as well as to remove the extra wastes produced by the cells.  The heart has to pump more blood, so it beats faster.  When you stop the physical activity, there is a period of time that everything is still working hard to bring the balance back to your body.  The time it takes for your heart rate to return to normal is called recovery time.  Your physical condition affects your recovery time.  The better your physical condition, the faster your recovery time.

You will perform an investigation on recovery time.  This investigation works better if you have another person (a friend or parent) to work with you in it.  That way, you will be able to compare recovery rates.  The other person does not have to be a smoker.  You will test three levels of activity: light, moderate, and heavy exercise.  Light exercise can be walking for about a minute, moderate can be jogging on the spot for about a minute, heavy can be climbing stairs at a fast pace for about a minute.

Read the investigation on page 223 of your textbook.  Be sure you can take your pulse you might need a little practice in taking your pulse.  Use the following table to record your results.

  Light Exercise Moderate Exercise Heavy Exercise

Name

 Resting Heart Rate Working Heart Rate Recovery Time Working Heart Rate Recovery Time Working Heart Rate Recovery Time

You

  Friend

Now, answer the following questions.

 

Question 1. How does the heart rate vary with the type of exercise?

Question 2. How does the recovery time vary with the type of exercise?

Question 3. What is the difference between you and the person you did this investigation with?

 

Check your answers with those that follow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answers to Questions:

Here is some sample data from a student and a friend.

  Light Exercise Moderate Exercise Heavy Exercise

Name

 Resting Heart Rate Working Heart Rate Recovery Time Working Heart Rate Recovery Time Working Heart Rate Recovery Time

You
68
75
20 s
80
29 s
92
35 s

  Friend
72
80
26 s
87
37 s
101
53 s

Question 1. How does the heart rate vary with the type of exercise?

The heart rate increases as the level of exercise increases.

Question 2. How does the recovery time vary with the type of exercise?

The recovery time increases as the level of exercise increases.

Question 3. What is the difference between you and the person you did this investigation with?

Your results will vary.  In this example, the friend is in poorer physical condition as shown by the heart rate and recovery time being greater than those of the student. 

 


Now, do Assignment 11B.  Page forward to access it.