Methods
Study population
15-20 college-aged students.
In order to measure the effects of restricted breathing on exercise performance, we will split our participants into three groups- a control, a group with restricted breathing i.e. holding breath for 30 seconds before exercise, and a group that will breathe in intervals before exercise. We will have each group perform the same exercises in order to most accurately determine how breathing truly affects physical performance. Since we are analyzing restricted breathing, it will be most effective to have participants do exercises such as jumping jacks, high knees, or using a step to perform aerobic tasks.
Procedure 1 (Blood Pressure)
- Place the blood pressure cuff around the upper portion of the participant's arm. Make sure the cuff is about level with the heart.
- Place the stethoscope over the brachial artery and locate the pulse at the wrist.
- Inflate cuff until you no longer feel a pulse and add 30 mmHg after that.
- Slowly deflate the cuff and listen in the stethoscope remember the pressure at the when it makes the first noise. (this is systolic pressure)
- Continue to slowly reduce pressure until you hear the sound stop this is diastolic pressure
Procedure 2 (Pulse Transducer)
- measuring reaction times after participants hold their breath and perform exercises?
- connect the push button switch to input 1 and the finger pulse transducer to input 2 on the front of the panel on the PowerLab. The hardware must be connected before opening the settings file.
Procedure 3 (ECG/Heart rate)
Connect the shielded lead wires to the earth, CH1, NEG, and POS of the bio-amp cableRemove any jewelry from the volunteer's hands or armsAbrade the skin with abrasive gel and clean with the alcohol swabConnect Channel 1 positive will lead to the left wrist, Channel 1 negative will lead to the right wrist, and the Earth will lead to the right leg.Be careful to not place on major muscles this may interfere with the signalProcedure 4 (Breathing Rate)
Protocol
Statistical analysis
Results
Subheading for results 1 (Effects of exercise on heart rate)
Subheading for results 2 (Effects of exercise on blood pressure)
Subheading for results 3 etc.